Bill
HB 2854
Increases Chicago police pension board from 8 to 9 trustees, adding a fourth officer seat with rank-specific requirements while keeping one annuitant and mayoral appointees.
Status & context
- Bill: HB 2854 (104th General Assembly) — amends the Illinois Pension Code (40 ILCS 5/5-178).
- Primary sponsor: Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit. Companion: SB 1416.
- Legislative actions (selected): Passed both chambers; signed by the Governor on 2025-06-20; effective date 2025-09-01.
- Note: The document provided also included unrelated Arizona statutory text about special license plates; this summary covers the Illinois pension-board provisions (title: PENCD-CHI POLICE-BOARD MEMBERS).
Purpose / intent
- To revise the composition and size of the Retirement Board of the Policemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of the City of Chicago (the Chicago police pension board), increasing membership and adjusting how certain trustee seats are allocated by rank.
Key provisions
- Board size: Increases the total number of trustees from 8 to 9.
- Membership composition (as amended):
- 4 members appointed by the Mayor of Chicago (unchanged).
- 4 policemen employed by the city (increased from 3). Among these:
- At least one must be a lieutenant (the amendment removes the previous alternative language “or of a rank superior to lieutenant”).
- One must be of the rank of sergeant.
- Two must be of the rank of investigator or a rank inferior to investigator (increased from one such seat previously).
- 1 annuitant (pensioner) member (unchanged).
- Election/appointment mechanics: Any newly created elected position on the board must be filled in the same manner as vacancies are filled under existing Section 5-180 of the Pension Code.
- Other existing board rules (terms, oath requirements, timing for mayoral appointments and elections) remain in place unless otherwise provided by the Code.
Who is affected
- The Policemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund (Chicago) and its governance structure.
- Active Chicago police officers (changes the number and rank composition of officer-elected trustees).
- Mayor’s office (four appointee seats unchanged but governance dynamics change with one additional trustee).
- Annuitants of the fund (one annuitant trustee seat remains).
- Administrative processes for board elections, detailing, and vacancy filling.
Potential impacts
- Governance: Shifts voting balance on the board by increasing active officer representation from three to four trustees; may alter coalition dynamics and decision outcomes.
- Representation: More explicit representation for lower-ranking officers/investigators (two seats) and a clarified lieutenant requirement.
- Operational: Implementation will require updating election processes, board bylaws, and administrative procedures to accommodate the additional trustee seat and the rank-specific distribution.
- Legal/statutory: Changes are limited to Section 5-178 of the Illinois Pension Code and rely on existing vacancy-filling mechanisms in Section 5-180.
Reference
- Amends: 40 ILCS 5/5-178 (Illinois Pension Code).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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