40 ILCS 5/15-156 — Illinois Code / Chapter 40 / Act 5 / Section 15-156::v1
40 ILCS 5/15-156
Status: in_force

(Text of Section WITH the changes made by P.A. 98-599, which has been held unconstitutional)

Obligations of State; funding guarantees.

(a) The payment of (1) the required State contributions, (2) all benefits granted under this system and (3) all expenses in connection with the administration and operation thereof are obligations of the State of Illinois to the extent specified in this Article. The accumulated employee normal, additional and survivors insurance contributions credited to the accounts of active and inactive participants shall not be used to pay the State's share of the obligations.

(b) Beginning July 1, 2014, the State shall be obligated to contribute to the System in each State fiscal year an amount not less than the sum of (i) the State's normal cost for the year and (ii) the portion of the unfunded accrued liability assigned to that year by law. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the State fails to pay an amount required under this subsection, it shall be the obligation of the Board to seek payment of the required amount in compliance with the provisions of this Section and, if the amount remains unpaid, to bring a mandamus action in the Supreme Court of Illinois to compel the State to make the required payment.

If the System submits a voucher for contributions required under Section 15-155 and the State fails to pay that voucher within 90 days of its receipt, the Board shall submit a written request to the Comptroller seeking payment. A copy of the request shall be filed with the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of State shall provide a copy to the Governor and General Assembly. No earlier than the 16th day after the System files the request with the Comptroller and Secretary of State, if the amount remains unpaid the Board shall commence a mandamus action in the Supreme Court of Illinois to compel the Comptroller to satisfy the voucher.

This subsection (b) constitutes an express waiver of the State's sovereign immunity solely to the extent that it permits the Board to commence a mandamus action in the Supreme Court of Illinois to compel the Comptroller to pay a voucher for the contributions required under Section 15-155.

(c) Beginning in State fiscal year 2016, the State shall be obligated to make the transfers set forth in subsections (c-5) and (c-10) of Section 20 of the Budget Stabilization Act and to pay to the System its proportionate share of the transferred amounts in accordance with Section 25 of the Budget Stabilization Act. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the State fails to transfer an amount required under this subsection or to pay to the System its proportionate share of the transferred amount in accordance with Section 25 of the Budget Stabilization Act, it shall be the obligation of the Board to seek transfer or payment of the required amount in compliance with the provisions of this Section and, if the required amount remains untransferred or the required payment remains unpaid, to bring a mandamus action in the Supreme Court of Illinois to compel the State to make the required transfer or payment or both, as the case may be.

If the State fails to make a transfer required under subsection (c-5) or (c-10) of Section 20 of the Budget Stabilization Act or a payment to the System required under Section 25 of that Act, the Board shall submit a written request to the Comptroller seeking payment. A copy of the request shall be filed with the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of State shall provide a copy to the Governor and General Assembly. No earlier than the 16th day after the System files the request with the Comptroller and Secretary of State, if the required amount remains untransferred or the required payment remains unpaid, the Board shall commence a mandamus action in the Supreme Court of Illinois to compel the Comptroller to make the required transfer or payment or both, as the case may be.

This subsection (c) constitutes an express waiver of the State's sovereign immunity solely to the extent that it permits the Board to commence a mandamus action in the Supreme Court of Illinois to compel the Comptroller to make a transfer required under subsection (c-5) or (c-10) of Section 20 of the Budget Stabilization Act and to pay to the System its proportionate share of the transferred amount in accordance with Section 25 of the Budget Stabilization Act.

The obligations created by this subsection (c) expire when all of the requirements of subsections (c-5) and (c-10) of Section 20 of the Budget Stabilization Act and Section 25 of the Budget Stabilization Act have been met.

(d) Any payments and transfers required to be made by the State pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) are expressly subordinate to the payment of the principal, interest, and premium, if any, on any bonded debt obligation of the State or any other State-created entity, either currently outstanding or to be issued, for which the source of repayment or security thereon is derived directly or indirectly from tax revenues collected by the State or any other State-created entity. Payments on such bonded obligations include any statutory fund transfers or other prefunding mechanisms or formulas set forth, now or hereafter, in State law or bond indentures, into debt service funds or accounts of the State related to such bond obligations, consistent with the payment schedules associated with such obligations.