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SB 3879

TWP/ROAD DIST-AUDIT OFFICIAL

104th Regular Session Introduced by Julie Morrison

Extends ethics oversight to townships and road districts, creating designated auditing entities and mandatory annual ethics training for all officials and staff.

Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
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Bill Summary · SB 3879

Summary of SB3879 (104th General Assembly, Illinois)

Date Introduced: February 6, 2026
Sponsor: Sen. Julie A. Morrison (co-sponsor)

Purpose of the Bill
- Extend ethics oversight and training requirements to townships and road districts in Illinois.
- Create or designate an auditing entity within each township/road district to handle complaints of improper governmental action or ethical misconduct.
- Tie compliance to state ethics laws and offer an alternative to local auditing by allowing counties to centralize oversight through their ethics officers or inspector generals.

Key Provisions and Changes
1. Expanded Prohibited Activities Coverage
- All township and road district officers shall be subject to the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act (in addition to existing requirements under other ethics statutes).

  1. Establishment of an Auditing Entity (55-70)

    • Each township must adopt an ordinance or resolution designating an auditing entity responsible for:
      • Receiving, hearing, investigating, adjudicating, and disposing of complaints and allegations of improper governmental action or ethical misconduct by township or road district officials/employees.
      • Coverage includes actions under state or local laws, rules, ordinances, or policies within the township or road district.
    • Restrictions on auditing entities include:
      • The auditing entity cannot be an elected township or road district official.
      • If the auditing body is a commission or committee, no member may be an elected township or road district official.
    • If the township fails to appoint an auditing entity, the State’s Attorney of the county becomes the auditing entity.
    • The township’s auditing entity has jurisdiction over offices in the township assessor’s or road district’s offices (i.e., oversight extends to those offices and their staff).

  2. Ethics Training Requirement (55-70)

    • Beginning in 2026, every officer, member, and employee of each township and road district must complete an annual ethics training program.
    • Training must meet or exceed the minimum ethics training level outlined in the Attorney General’s model ethics training program.
    • Approved providers may include organizations listed in Section 85-15.
    • Newly elected/appointed officials or new hires must complete the initial training within 30 days of commencing office or employment.
    • Townships/road districts must maintain certificates of completion and require written certification from participants.
    • Certificates must be filed with the township clerk by the deadline.
    • Failure to complete training on time may result in disciplinary action, including potential financial penalties, determined by the auditing entity.

  3. Optional County-Driven Oversight (55-70)

    • Instead of forming a local auditing entity, a township or road district may opt, with the county board’s consent, to fall under the jurisdiction of the county’s ethics officer or inspector general, including all applicable county ethics policies, rules, and ordinances.

Effective Date
- Act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Who/What Is Affected
- Township officers and road district officers and their employees within Illinois townships.
- Township assessors and road district offices and staff (subject to auditing entity oversight).
- Potentially, county ethics officers/inspector generals if a township selects jurisdiction by county.

Procedural/Timeline Details
- Effective immediately upon enactment.
- 2026 is the first year for mandatory annual ethics training.
- Training certification deadlines apply to newly elected/appointed officials and new hires within 30 days of starting.
- Committee/Rule deadlines established for committee actions and readings through the legislative process (dates listed in action history, e.g., Rule 2-10 deadlines).

Impact and Implications
- Strengthens ethics governance at the local (township and road district) level by:
- Centralizing complaint handling and disciplinary processes through an independent auditing entity.
- Expanding accountability to all personnel in township/road district offices.
- Standardizing annual ethics training with a state-approved model.
- Provides an optional pathway to county-level ethics oversight, potentially reducing local administrative burden if adopted.

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

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