Business Advice and Financial Planning

(Mazzochi, R-Westmont) amends the Counties Code to authorize a corporation or limited liability company to appear at an administrative hearing proceeding through an officer, a board member, a shareholder with a controlling interest in the corporation, a shareholder of an S Corporation, a member of an limited liability company, or a person with a Master of Laws degree. Applies to counties with more than three million residents. It has been assigned to House Rules Committee

(Murphy, D-Des Plaines) must first provide the unit owner a minimum of 20 days' written notice and an opportunity to be heard before the board may levy a fine. It also requires that the written notice must be made in compliance with the Act. The notice and opportunity to be heard requirements apply only to the ability to levy fines, and nothing contained in the new provisions limits or restricts the ability of the board to pursue or enforce the rights of the association. Provides that the association has no authority to report adverse information to a credit reporting agency or initiate collection proceedings against a unit owner for unpaid fines unless the board of managers has first complied with the notice and hearing requirements. Senate Bill 220 has been referred to the Committee on Assignments before being sent to a substantive Senate committee. 

(Martwick, D-Chicago) allows a taxing body or its representative to file a vacancy-fraud complaint with the county board of review if the property is receiving vacancy relief and the property owner is not actively attempting to lease, sell, or alter the property. It sets forth factors in determining whether vacancy fraud has occurred and its penalties. House Bill 832 was just introduced. 

(Bush, D-Grayslake) creates the Workplace Transparency Act. It provides that employers may not require an employee or prospective employee to sign a nondisclosure agreement that contains any provision that has the purpose or effect of limiting the disclosure of sexual misconduct, retaliation, or unlawful discrimination; suppressing information relevant to an investigation into a claim of sexual misconduct, retaliation, or unlawful discrimination; impairing the ability of any person to report a claim of sexual misconduct, retaliation, or unlawful discrimination; or waiving a substantive or procedural right or remedy of any person relating to a claim of sexual misconduct, retaliation, or unlawful discrimination. Makes such agreements void as against public policy and unenforceable, and that agreements that contain such provisions but entered into before the effective date of the Act are voidable by a party who entered into the agreement under specified circumstances. Senate Bill 30 was just introduced. 

(Guzzardi, D-Chicago) amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to provide that that "employer" includes any person employing one (instead of 15) or more employees within Illinois during 20 or more calendar weeks within the calendar year of or preceding the alleged violation. Provides that "employer" does not include any place of worship with respect to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by the place of worship of its activities. House Bill 252 was just introduced. 

(Thapedi, D-Chicago) amends the Common Interest Community Association Act to limit the concurrent exercise by units of local government of powers and functions exercised by the State with respect to amendments to the community instruments and accounting practices.

It also amends the Condominium Property Act to limit the concurrent exercise by units of local government of powers and functions exercised by the State with respect to an association’s budgeting practices, sale of property, notice requirements, contracts with board members, voting procedures, property-improvement procedures, accounting practices, collection and sharing of records, amendment to the condominium instruments, and subdivision or combination of units.

Both parts of the bill specifically reference Public Act 100-292. House Bill 29 was just introduced.