Bill
SB 1701
Defines police 'supervisor' by permanent rank (local) or Lt Col+ (ISP), with carved-outs, to decide who can be in bargaining units under the Public Labor Relations Act.
Status and timeline
- Filed: February 27, 2025 (Introduced by Sen. Bill Cunningham)
- Passed both chambers (Senate and House) May 2025; sent to governor June 18, 2025
- Governor approved: August 1, 2025
- Effective date: July 1, 2026
- Public Act No.: 104‑0118
- Chief House sponsor: Rep. Jay Hoffman
- Companion bill: HB 5265
Purpose / intent
- Amend the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act (5 ILCS 315/3) to clarify and modify how the term “supervisor” applies to police officers for purposes of public labor relations and collective bargaining eligibility.
Key provisions (what the law changes)
- For municipal/local police officers (i.e., police officers other than those employed by the Illinois State Police): a “supervisor” is defined as any officer occupying a permanent rank for which the officer is appointed.
- For the Illinois State Police: “supervisor” is defined to include any rank of Lieutenant Colonel or above.
- The statute expressly excludes the following police officers from the definition of “supervisor” (i.e., they are not supervisors under this Act):
1. Officers who are assigned supervisory duties but whose permanent rank does not change because of the assignment.
2. Officers who are expressly excluded from the definition of “supervisor” by a collective bargaining agreement.
3. Officers occupying a rank that requires competitive testing to obtain (ranks that must be tested for employment in that rank).
4. Officers in positions/ranks that the employer has voluntarily recognized as covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
5. Officers in positions/ranks that have been historically covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
Who is affected
- Municipal and local police departments and their personnel (sergeants, lieutenants, captains, etc.), the Illinois State Police, police labor organizations/unions, municipal and county employers, and the Illinois Labor Relations Board.
- Because supervisory status determines exclusion or inclusion from collective bargaining protections under the Public Labor Relations Act, this definitional change affects which police ranks are eligible to be represented in bargaining units.
Practical implications
- The bill shifts the focus to rank-based determinations of supervisory status (with specific exclusions), which may change which police employees can be included in bargaining units or must be treated as excluded supervisors.
- Employers and unions may need to review rank structures, job assignments, and existing collective bargaining agreements to determine how the new definitions affect current units and representation.
- The explicit carve‑outs for positions covered (or historically covered) by collective bargaining agreements preserves certain preexisting bargaining relationships and allows CBAs to control supervisory exclusions in some instances.
Procedural notes / related items
- Multiple floor amendments were filed and adopted during the Senate process; the enrolled act amends Section 3 (definitions) of the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act.
- Stakeholders to watch: municipal employers, police unions, and the Illinois Labor Relations Board for implementation guidance and potential disputes about whether particular ranks/positions qualify as “supervisors” under the revised definitions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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