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Bill

HB 2478

Relating to animal cruelty.

2025 Regular Session

Allows Cook County employees to purchase up to 48 months of active-duty military service credit in the pension fund, with member-funded cost and no state reimbursement.

In committee upon adjournment.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 2478

Summary — HB 2478 (as provided)

Note on source material
- The materials supplied appear to conflate two separate bills: (1) an Illinois bill amending the Cook County Article of the Illinois Pension Code concerning purchase of military service credit (text and synopsis from Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit), and (2) Arizona statutory amendments to the Groundwater Code (sections 45-114, 45-432–45-436). Because the bill title you supplied — “PENCD‑COOK CO‑MILITARY SERVICE” — and the detailed synopsis align with the Illinois pension provision, the primary summary below focuses on the Cook County pension changes. A brief note on the Arizona groundwater language follows the main summary.

Purpose

Allow contributing employees in Cook County covered by the Cook County pension system to purchase up to 48 months (four years) of creditable service for active‑duty military service and establish how the purchase is priced and paid. The change also adds an exemption to the State Mandates Act so the State will not reimburse local units for costs of implementing this change.

Key provisions

  • Permits a contributing employee to elect to purchase up to 48 months of creditable service for active‑duty military service, regardless of whether the military service preceded or followed county employment.
  • Payment requirement: the employee must pay to the Fund an amount determined by the Fund that represents the employee contributions for the creditable service, calculated based on the employee’s rate of compensation after the military service, plus interest at the Fund’s effective rate from the date of discharge to the date of payment.
  • Removes or replaces older/preceding statutory language governing purchase of military service credit (the introduced text revises prior limits and payment calculations).
  • Amends the State Mandates Act (adds Section 8.49) to specify that implementation of this amendatory act is an “exempt mandate” — i.e., the State is not required to reimburse local governments for costs resulting from the change.

Who is affected

  • Contributing employees covered by the Cook County pension fund(s) who have prior active‑duty military service: they become eligible to buy up to 48 months of pension service credit.
  • Cook County Pension Fund administration: responsible for calculating required payments, collecting payments, and updating member records.
  • Cook County (and potentially other local entities participating in the Fund): administrative workload to implement the change; no state reimbursement required because of the State Mandates Act amendment.

Practical impact

  • Gives eligible veterans and other members a clearer and expanded path to increase credited service for retirement eligibility and benefit computations (up to four years).
  • The cost to the member is intended to approximate the employee contribution that would have been paid on the credited salary, plus interest from discharge — meaning members, not employers or the State, initially fund the credit purchase.
  • The Fund may receive increased payments from members electing this purchase; actuarial and accounting impacts on liabilities will depend on uptake and the Fund’s rules.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Text shows the Illinois version as introduced in the 104th General Assembly (introduced by Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit per the included text).
  • The supplied legislative action list contains multiple dates and committee referrals (some inconsistent across jurisdictions). The sheet also lists a companion SB 1000.
  • The bill includes an explicit State Mandates Act provision declaring no state reimbursement for implementation.

Brief note on the Arizona Groundwater text included

  • Separately, the packet also includes language amending Arizona Revised Statutes (Groundwater Code: A.R.S. §§ 45‑114, 45‑432–45‑436). Those changes concern designation and procedures for “subsequent irrigation non‑expansion areas,” definition of “reasonably safe supply for irrigation” (defined as 100 years), petition procedures (who may sign, required hydrogeologic modeling), and administrative review deadlines.
  • That text appears unrelated to the Cook County pension amendments and likely represents a different HB 2478 from another jurisdiction (Arizona). If you want a separate, focused summary of the Arizona groundwater amendments, I can produce one.

If you want, I can:
- Produce a clean, standalone summary focused only on the Illinois Cook County pension changes suitable for a legislative digest; or
- Produce a separate summary of the Arizona groundwater amendments and clarify the two bills and their sponsors/status.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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