Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois Senate Bill SB2225 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2225 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Andrew S. Chesney SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 10 ILCS 5/9-8.10 Amends the Election Code. Prohibits a political committee from making expenditures for payments to attorneys, expert witnesses, investigators, or others to provide a defense in a criminal case. LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2225 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Andrew S. Chesney SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 10 ILCS 5/9-8.10 10 ILCS 5/9-8.10 Amends the Election Code. Prohibits a political committee from making expenditures for payments to attorneys, expert witnesses, investigators, or others to provide a defense in a criminal case. LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b A BILL FOR
2	2	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2225 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Andrew S. Chesney SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3	3	10 ILCS 5/9-8.10 10 ILCS 5/9-8.10
4	4	10 ILCS 5/9-8.10
5	5	Amends the Election Code. Prohibits a political committee from making expenditures for payments to attorneys, expert witnesses, investigators, or others to provide a defense in a criminal case.
6	6	LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b
7	7	LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b
8	8	A BILL FOR
9	9	SB2225LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b SB2225 LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b
10	10	SB2225 LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b
11	11	1 AN ACT concerning elections.
12	12	2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
13	13	3 represented in the General Assembly:
14	14	4 Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing
15	15	5 Section 9-8.10 as follows:
16	16	6 (10 ILCS 5/9-8.10)
17	17	7 Sec. 9-8.10. Use of political committee and other
18	18	8 reporting organization funds.
19	19	9 (a) A political committee shall not make expenditures:
20	20	10 (1) In violation of any law of the United States or of
21	21	11 this State.
22	22	12 (2) Clearly in excess of the fair market value of the
23	23	13 services, materials, facilities, or other things of value
24	24	14 received in exchange.
25	25	15 (3) For satisfaction or repayment of any debts other
26	26	16 than loans made to the committee or to the public official
27	27	17 or candidate on behalf of the committee or repayment of
28	28	18 goods and services purchased by the committee under a
29	29	19 credit agreement. Nothing in this Section authorizes the
30	30	20 use of campaign funds to repay personal loans. The
31	31	21 repayments shall be made by check written to the person
32	32	22 who made the loan or credit agreement. The terms and
33	33	23 conditions of any loan or credit agreement to a committee
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37	37	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2225 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Andrew S. Chesney SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
38	38	10 ILCS 5/9-8.10 10 ILCS 5/9-8.10
39	39	10 ILCS 5/9-8.10
40	40	Amends the Election Code. Prohibits a political committee from making expenditures for payments to attorneys, expert witnesses, investigators, or others to provide a defense in a criminal case.
41	41	LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b
42	42	LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b
43	43	A BILL FOR
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49	49	10 ILCS 5/9-8.10
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53	53	LRB104 05563 SPS 15593 b
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68	68	1 shall be set forth in a written agreement, including but
69	69	2 not limited to the method and amount of repayment, that
70	70	3 shall be executed by the chair or treasurer of the
71	71	4 committee at the time of the loan or credit agreement. The
72	72	5 loan or agreement shall also set forth the rate of
73	73	6 interest for the loan, if any, which may not substantially
74	74	7 exceed the prevailing market interest rate at the time the
75	75	8 agreement is executed.
76	76	9 (4) For the satisfaction or repayment of any debts or
77	77	10 for the payment of any expenses relating to a personal
78	78	11 residence. Campaign funds may not be used as collateral
79	79	12 for home mortgages.
80	80	13 (5) For clothing or personal laundry expenses, except
81	81	14 clothing items rented by the public official or candidate
82	82	15 for his or her own use exclusively for a specific
83	83	16 campaign-related event, provided that committees may
84	84	17 purchase costumes, novelty items, or other accessories
85	85	18 worn primarily to advertise the candidacy.
86	86	19 (6) For the travel expenses of any person unless the
87	87	20 travel is necessary for fulfillment of political,
88	88	21 governmental, or public policy duties, activities, or
89	89	22 purposes.
90	90	23 (7) For membership or club dues charged by
91	91	24 organizations, clubs, or facilities that are primarily
92	92	25 engaged in providing health, exercise, or recreational
93	93	26 services; provided, however, that funds received under
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104	104	1 this Article may be used to rent the clubs or facilities
105	105	2 for a specific campaign-related event.
106	106	3 (8) In payment for anything of value or for
107	107	4 reimbursement of any expenditure for which any person has
108	108	5 been reimbursed by the State or any person. For purposes
109	109	6 of this item (8), a per diem allowance is not a
110	110	7 reimbursement.
111	111	8 (9) For the lease or purchase of or installment
112	112	9 payment for a motor vehicle unless the political committee
113	113	10 can demonstrate the vehicle will be used primarily for
114	114	11 campaign purposes or for the performance of governmental
115	115	12 duties. Nothing in this paragraph prohibits a political
116	116	13 committee from using political funds to make expenditures
117	117	14 related to vehicles not purchased or leased by a political
118	118	15 committee, provided the expenditure relates to the use of
119	119	16 the vehicle for primarily campaign purposes or the
120	120	17 performance of governmental duties. Persons using vehicles
121	121	18 not purchased or leased by a political committee may be
122	122	19 reimbursed for actual mileage for the use of the vehicle
123	123	20 for campaign purposes or for the performance of
124	124	21 governmental duties. The mileage reimbursements shall be
125	125	22 made at a rate not to exceed the standard mileage rate
126	126	23 method for computation of business expenses under the
127	127	24 Internal Revenue Code.
128	128	25 (10) Directly for an individual's tuition or other
129	129	26 educational expenses, except for governmental or political
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140	140	1 purposes directly related to a candidate's or public
141	141	2 official's duties and responsibilities.
142	142	3 (11) For payments to a public official or candidate or
143	143	4 his or her family member unless for compensation for
144	144	5 services actually rendered by that person. The provisions
145	145	6 of this item (11) do not apply to expenditures by a
146	146	7 political committee for expenses related to providing
147	147	8 childcare for a minor child or care for a dependent family
148	148	9 member if the care is reasonably necessary for the public
149	149	10 official or candidate to fulfill political or governmental
150	150	11 duties. The provisions of this item (11) do not apply to
151	151	12 expenditures by a political committee in an aggregate
152	152	13 amount not exceeding the amount of funds reported to and
153	153	14 certified by the State Board or county clerk as available
154	154	15 as of June 30, 1998, in the semi-annual report of
155	155	16 contributions and expenditures filed by the political
156	156	17 committee for the period concluding June 30, 1998.
157	157	18 (12) For payments to attorneys, expert witnesses,
158	158	19 investigators, or others to provide a defense in a
159	159	20 criminal case.
160	160	21 (b) The Board shall have the authority to investigate,
161	161	22 upon receipt of a verified complaint, violations of the
162	162	23 provisions of this Section. The Board may levy a fine on any
163	163	24 person who knowingly makes expenditures in violation of this
164	164	25 Section and on any person who knowingly makes a malicious and
165	165	26 false accusation of a violation of this Section. The Board may
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