Bill
SB 1704
The bill removes the one-year cooling-off prohibition, allowing Racing and Gaming Board members and employees to have recently worked for entities doing business with the boards.
Status snapshot
- Introduced: February 5, 2025 (Sen. Bill Cunningham)
- Primary topic: Amendments to Illinois gaming statutes governing board members and employees
- Statutes amended (per bill text): Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975 (230 ILCS 5/6) and Illinois Gambling Act (230 ILCS 10/5)
Purpose and intent
- The bill removes the statutory prohibition that, for one year immediately preceding nomination or employment, a member or employee of the Illinois Racing Board or the Illinois Gaming Board may not have been employed by or received compensation from a person or entity that does business with the Board or with a licensee under the companion statute. In short: it repeals the one‑year “pre‑employment” or “cooling‑off” restriction for Board members and employees in the racing and gaming regulatory statutes.
Key provisions and changes
- Horse Racing Act (230 ILCS 5/6): Deletes language that barred a Board member or employee from having been employed by, or received compensation from, a person/entity that has engaged in business with the Racing Board, a licensee, or a licensee under the Illinois Gambling Act within the one‑year period prior to nomination/employment.
- Illinois Gambling Act (230 ILCS 10/5): Correspondingly removes the one‑year prohibition for Gaming Board members (i.e., no longer bars recent employment/compensation from entities doing business with the Gaming Board, a licensee, or a licensee under the Horse Racing Act).
- Other existing restrictions remain intact in the affected sections: conflict‑of‑interest disclosure and conduct provisions, gift restrictions, political activity limits, and applicability of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (e.g., Section 5‑45) are preserved in other parts of the statutes.
Who is affected
- Primary: Members and employees of the Illinois Racing Board and the Illinois Gaming Board (current and prospective).
- Secondary: Racing and gaming licensees and businesses that contract with or are regulated by those Boards (who may have access to or influence hiring/appointments).
- Public stakeholders: veterans of regulatory oversight, ethics watchdogs, and the general public concerned with regulator independence.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Regulatory staffing and expertise: Removing the one‑year bar could broaden the pool of experienced industry professionals eligible for Board membership or employment, easing recruitment of individuals with direct sector experience.
- Conflict‑of‑interest and public trust: The change reduces a statutory safeguard intended to limit recent employment ties between regulators and regulated entities. Although other ethics rules and disclosure requirements remain, critics may view the change as increasing the risk of perceived or actual regulatory capture.
- Fiscal/scope: The bill text does not state a fiscal impact or create new programs; effects are primarily governance/ethics-related.
- Implementation: No transition or grandfathering language is included in the provided text; affected appointments and hires would be subject to the amended statutory standard once the law takes effect.
Procedural notes (from provided record)
- Introduced in early February 2025 and assigned to committee(s) (Assignments; Gaming, Wagering & Racing). The provided document shows committee activity and scheduling entries; readers should consult the legislative docket or clerk for the bill’s current status and final disposition.
If you want, I can:
- Provide a side‑by‑side comparison of the exact statutory language before and after amendment, or
- Draft a short memo listing arguments likely to be advanced for and against the change.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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