Bill
SB 1481
Extends timing for park board size/term changes to 225 days after approval and raises vacancy-window to 151 days, delaying elections and dictating appointee terms.
Status (as provided)
- Bill number: SB 1481
- Title: Park District — Elections
- Action: Introduced (filed Jan 31 / Feb 20, 2025); assigned to committee(s); committee deadlines and re-referrals pending. Companion: HB 1162.
Purpose
- Amend the Illinois Park District Code (Sections 2‑10a, 2‑12a, 2‑25) to change timing rules that govern when changes to board size and commissioner term lengths take effect following a board resolution or voter referendum, and to adjust timing for when an appointed commissioner must next stand for election following a vacancy.
Key provisions and specific changes
- Extends several post‑referendum/resolution waiting periods from 197 days to 225 days:
- When a district board is expanded (e.g., from 5 to 7 commissioners) or reduced (from 7 to 5), the additional or reduced commissioners will be elected no earlier than 225 days (formerly 197 days) after the date the referendum or board resolution was approved.
- If commissioner term lengths are changed (from 6 years to 4 years, or vice versa), the new term lengths begin with the first regular park district election at least 225 days (formerly 197 days) after the date the change was approved by referendum or by board resolution.
- Vacancy/election timing change:
- If a vacancy occurs on a park district board when there are more than 28 months left in the term but the vacancy arises within a certain window before the next regularly scheduled election, the time window defining that “too-close” period is changed from 123 days to 151 days. Under this rule the appointed person serves until the second regularly scheduled election after the appointment (i.e., the appointee will not be required to stand at the immediate next election if the vacancy occurred within that window).
- Transitional mechanics retained (as in current law):
- For creation of a 7‑member board (or reduction back to 5), the bill preserves transition election mechanics — electing 2 more or 2 fewer commissioners than would otherwise be elected at the next eligible election, and randomly (by lot) assigning shortened/lengthened transition terms so that subsequent elections return to the regular staggered schedule (4‑ or 6‑year terms as applicable).
- Effective date: the text indicates the changes are effective immediately.
Who is affected
- Park districts in Illinois (boards of commissioners and their election schedules).
- Incumbent and prospective commissioners, local election authorities, and voters in affected districts (timing of when candidates will appear on ballots and when appointees must run).
- Administrative staff who must adjust election planning and notice schedules to accommodate the longer lead times.
Practical impact
- The bill increases minimum lead times (by 28 days) between approval of board‑size or term‑length changes and the first election at which those changes take effect. This gives election officials, candidates, and districts more advance notice to implement ballot, filing, and transition arrangements.
- By lengthening the “too-close-to-the-election” window for vacancies (from 123 to 151 days), more vacancies occurring prior to an election will result in appointees serving until the second subsequent election rather than being placed on the very next ballot — reducing the number of special or short‑term elections candidates must contest soon after appointment.
- Transitional arrangements and lot‑determined short terms remain in place to preserve staggered terms after board‑size or term‑length changes.
Procedural/timeline notes
- Bill text amends Sections 2‑10a, 2‑12a, and 2‑25 of the Park District Code (70 ILCS 1205/2‑10a, /2‑12a, /2‑25 — from Ch. 105, pars. cited).
- Recorded procedural steps in the provided materials show filing/introduction and committee referrals; committee deadlines were set (Rule 2‑10 deadline April 11, 2025) and the bill was re‑referred under Rule 3‑9(a) on April 11, 2025. Further committee consideration and floor action remain pending.
For readers wanting to follow next steps
- Watch for committee hearings in assignments, elections, or local government committees and for any floor amendments that could change time intervals or transitional details. The companion HB 1162 should be monitored for parallel movement.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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