Illinois Code § 3

§ 3.

Definition. As used in this Act: (a) "Local government" means a municipality, county, township, other unit of local government, school district, or community college district. (b) "State mandate" means any State-initiated statutory or executive action that requires a local government to establish, expand or modify its activities in such a way as to necessitate additional expenditures from local revenues, excluding any order issued by a court other than any order enforcing such statutory or executive action. State mandates may be reimbursable or nonreimbursable as provided in this Act. However, where the General Assembly enacts legislation to comply with a federal mandate, the State shall be exempt from the requirement of reimbursing for the cost of the mandated program. (c) "Local government organization and structure mandate" means a State mandate concerning such matters as (1) the form of local government and the adoption and revision of statutes on the organization of local government; (2) the establishment of multi-county districts, councils of governments, or other forms and structures for interlocal cooperation and coordination; (3) the holding of local elections; (4) the designation of public officers, and their duties, powers and responsibilities; and (5) the prescription of administrative practices and procedures for local governing bodies. (d) "Due process mandate" means a State mandate concerning such matters as the (1) administration of justice; (2) notification and conduct of public hearings; (3) procedures for administrative and judicial review of actions taken by local governing bodies and (4) protection of the public from malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance by local government officials. (e) "Benefit spillover" means the process of accrual of social or other benefits from a governmental service to jurisdictions adjacent to or beyond the jurisdiction providing the service. (f) "Service mandate" means a State mandate as to creation or expansion of governmental services or delivery standards therefor and those applicable to services having substantial benefit spillover and consequently being wider than local concern. For purposes of this Act, applicable services include but are not limited to (1) elementary and secondary education, (2) community colleges, (3) public health, (4) hospitals, (5) public assistance, (6) air pollution control, (7) water pollution control, (8) solid waste treatment and disposal. A State mandate that expands the duties of a public official by requiring the provision of additional services is a "service mandate" rather than a "local government organization and structure mandate". (g) "Tax exemption mandate" means a State mandate that exempts privately owned property or other specified items from the local tax base, such as (1) exemption of business inventories from the local property tax base, and (2) exemption of food or medicine from the local "sales" tax. (h) "Personnel mandate" means a State mandate concerning or affecting local government (1) salaries and wages; (2) employee qualifications and training (except when any civil service commission, professional licensing board, or personnel board or agency established by State law sets and administers standards relative to merit-based recruitment or candidates for employment or conducts and grades examinations and rates candidates in order of their relative excellence for purposes of making appointments or promotions to positions in the competitive division of the classified service of the public employer served by such commission, board, or agency); (3) hours, location of employment, and other working conditions; and (4) fringe benefits including insurance, health, medical care, retirement and other benefits. (Source: P.A. 81-1562.)