| ||||
Public Act 101-0589 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
AN ACT concerning business.
| ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||
represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||
Section 5. The Business Corporation Act of 1983 is amended | ||||
by changing Section 14.05 and adding Section 8.12 as follows: | ||||
(805 ILCS 5/8.12 new) | ||||
Sec. 8.12. Female and minority directors. | ||||
(a) Findings and purpose. The General Assembly finds that | ||||
women and minorities are still largely underrepresented | ||||
nationally in positions of corporate authority, such as serving | ||||
as a director on a corporation's board of directors. This low | ||||
representation could be contributing to the disparity seen in | ||||
wages made by females and minorities versus their white male | ||||
counterparts. Increased representation of these individuals as | ||||
directors on boards of directors for corporations may boost the | ||||
Illinois economy, improve opportunities for women and | ||||
minorities in the workplace, and foster an environment in | ||||
Illinois where the business community is representative of our | ||||
residents. Therefore, it is the intent of the General Assembly | ||||
to gather more data and study this issue within the State so | ||||
that effective policy changes may be implemented to eliminate | ||||
this disparity. | ||||
(b) As used in this Section: |
"Annual report" means the report submitted annually to the | ||
Secretary of State pursuant to this Act. | ||
"Female" means a person who is a citizen or
lawful | ||
permanent resident of the United States and who self-identifies | ||
as a woman, without regard to the individual's designated sex | ||
at birth. | ||
"Minority person" means a person who is a
citizen or lawful | ||
permanent resident of the United States and who is any of the | ||
following races or ethnicities: | ||
(1) American Indian or Alaska Native (a person
having | ||
origins in any of the original peoples of North and South | ||
America, including Central America, and who maintains | ||
tribal affiliation or community attachment). | ||
(2) Asian (a person having origins in any of the
| ||
original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the | ||
Indian subcontinent, including, but not limited to, | ||
Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, | ||
the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam). | ||
(3) Black or African American (a person having
origins | ||
in any of the black racial groups of Africa). Terms such as | ||
"Haitian" or "Negro" can be used in addition to "Black" or | ||
"African American". | ||
(4) Hispanic or Latino (a person of Cuban,
Mexican, | ||
Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish | ||
culture or origin, regardless of race). | ||
(5) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (a
person |
having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, | ||
Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands). | ||
(6) "Publicly held domestic or foreign corporation" | ||
means a corporation with outstanding shares listed on a | ||
major United States stock exchange. | ||
(c) Reporting to the Secretary of State. As soon as | ||
practical after the effective date of this amendatory Act of | ||
the 101st General Assembly, but no later than January 1, 2021, | ||
the following information shall be provided in a corporation's | ||
annual report submitted to the Secretary of State under this | ||
Act and made available by the Secretary of State to the public | ||
online as it is received: | ||
(1) Whether the corporation is a publicly held domestic | ||
or foreign corporation with its principal executive office | ||
located in Illinois. | ||
(2) Where the corporation is a publicly held domestic | ||
or foreign corporation with its principal executive office | ||
located in Illinois, data on specific qualifications, | ||
skills, and experience that the corporation considers for | ||
its board of directors, nominees for the board of | ||
directors, and executive officers. | ||
(3) Where the corporation is a publicly held domestic | ||
or foreign corporation with its principal executive office | ||
located in Illinois, the self-identified gender of each | ||
member of its board of directors. | ||
(4) Where the corporation is a publicly held domestic |
or foreign corporation with its principal executive office | ||
located in Illinois, whether each member of its board of | ||
directors self-identifies as a minority person and, if so, | ||
which race or ethnicity to which the member belongs. | ||
(5) Where the corporation is a publicly held domestic | ||
or foreign corporation with its principal executive office | ||
located in Illinois, a description of the corporation's | ||
process for identifying and evaluating nominees for the | ||
board of directors, including whether and, if so, how | ||
demographic diversity is considered. | ||
(6) Where the corporation is a publicly held domestic | ||
or foreign corporation with its principal executive office | ||
located in Illinois, a description of the corporation's | ||
process for identifying and appointing executive officers, | ||
including whether and, if so, how demographic diversity is | ||
considered. | ||
(7) Where the corporation is a publicly held domestic | ||
or foreign corporation with its principal executive office | ||
located in Illinois, a description of the corporation's | ||
policies and practices for promoting diversity, equity, | ||
and inclusion among its board of directors and executive | ||
officers. | ||
Information reported under this subsection shall be | ||
updated in each annual report filed with the Secretary of State | ||
thereafter. | ||
(d) Beginning no later than March 1, 2021, and every March |
1 thereafter, the University of Illinois Systems shall review | ||
the information reported and published under subsection (c) and | ||
shall publish on its website a report that provides aggregate | ||
data on the demographic characteristics of the boards of | ||
directors and executive officers of corporations filing an | ||
annual report for the preceding year along with an | ||
individualized rating for each corporation. The report shall | ||
also identify strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion | ||
among boards of directors and corporate executive officers. | ||
(e) The University of Illinois System shall establish a | ||
rating system assessing the representation of women and | ||
minorities on corporate boards of directors of those | ||
corporations that are publicly held domestic or foreign | ||
corporations with their principal executive office located in | ||
Illinois based on the information gathered under this Section. | ||
The rating system shall consider, among other things: | ||
compliance with the demographic reporting obligations in | ||
subsection (c); the corporation's policies and practices for | ||
encouraging diversity in recruitment, board membership, and | ||
executive appointments; and the demographic diversity of board | ||
seats and executive positions.
| ||
(805 ILCS 5/14.05) (from Ch. 32, par. 14.05)
| ||
Sec. 14.05. Annual report of domestic or foreign | ||
corporation. Each domestic corporation organized under any | ||
general law or
special act of this State authorizing the |
corporation to issue shares,
other than homestead | ||
associations, building and loan associations, banks
and | ||
insurance companies (which includes a syndicate or limited | ||
syndicate
regulated under Article V 1/2 of the Illinois | ||
Insurance Code or member of a
group of underwriters regulated | ||
under Article V of that Code), and each
foreign corporation | ||
(except members of a group of underwriters regulated
under | ||
Article V of the Illinois Insurance Code) authorized to | ||
transact
business in this State, shall file, within the time | ||
prescribed by this
Act, an annual report setting forth:
| ||
(a) The name of the corporation.
| ||
(b) The address, including street and number, or rural | ||
route number, of
its registered office in this State, and | ||
the name of its registered agent
at that address.
| ||
(c) The address, including street and number, or rural | ||
route number, of
its principal office.
| ||
(d) The names and respective addresses, including | ||
street and
number, or rural route number, of its directors | ||
and officers.
| ||
(e) A statement of the aggregate number of shares which | ||
the corporation
has authority to issue, itemized by classes | ||
and series, if any, within a class.
| ||
(f) A statement of the aggregate number of issued | ||
shares, itemized by
classes, and series, if any, within a | ||
class.
| ||
(g) A statement, expressed in dollars, of the amount of |
paid-in capital
of the corporation as defined in this Act.
| ||
(h) Either a statement that (1) all the property of the | ||
corporation is
located in this State and all of its | ||
business is transacted at or from places
of business in | ||
this State, or the corporation elects to pay the annual
| ||
franchise tax on the basis of its entire paid-in capital, | ||
or (2) a
statement, expressed in dollars, of the value of | ||
all the property owned by
the corporation, wherever | ||
located, and the value of the property located
within this | ||
State, and a statement, expressed in dollars, of the gross
| ||
amount of business transacted by the corporation and the | ||
gross amount thereof
transacted by the corporation at or | ||
from places of business in this State
as of the close of | ||
its fiscal year on or immediately preceding the last day of
| ||
the third month prior to the anniversary month or in the | ||
case of a
corporation which has established an extended | ||
filing month, as of the close
of its fiscal year on or | ||
immediately preceding the last day of the third month
prior | ||
to the extended filing month; however, in the case of a | ||
domestic
corporation that has not completed its first | ||
fiscal year, the statement with
respect to property owned | ||
shall be as of the last day of the third month
preceding | ||
the anniversary month and the statement with respect to | ||
business
transacted shall be furnished for the period | ||
between the date
of incorporation and the last day of the | ||
third month preceding the
anniversary month. In the case of |
a foreign corporation that has not been
authorized to | ||
transact business in this State for a period of 12 months | ||
and
has not commenced transacting business prior to | ||
obtaining
authority, the statement with respect to | ||
property owned shall be as of the
last day of the third | ||
month preceding the anniversary month and the
statement | ||
with respect to business transacted shall be furnished for | ||
the
period between the date of its authorization to | ||
transact business in this
State and the last day of the | ||
third month preceding the anniversary month.
If the data | ||
referenced in item (2) of this subsection is not completed,
| ||
the franchise tax provided for in this Act shall be | ||
computed on the basis of
the entire paid-in capital.
| ||
(i) A statement, including the basis therefor, of | ||
status as a
"minority-owned business" or as a "women-owned | ||
business" as those terms
are defined in the Business | ||
Enterprise for
Minorities, Women, and Persons with | ||
Disabilities Act.
| ||
(j) Additional information as may be necessary or | ||
appropriate in
order to enable the Secretary of State to | ||
administer this Act and to verify
the proper amount of fees | ||
and franchise taxes payable by the corporation.
| ||
(k) A statement of whether the corporation or foreign | ||
corporation has outstanding shares listed on a major United | ||
States stock exchange and is thereby subject to the | ||
reporting requirements of Section 8.12. |
(l) For those corporations subject to Section 8.12, a | ||
statement providing the information required under Section | ||
8.12. | ||
The annual report shall be made on forms prescribed and | ||
furnished by
the Secretary of State, and the information | ||
therein required by paragraphs
(a) through (d), both inclusive, | ||
of this Section, shall be given as of the date
of the execution | ||
of the annual report and the information therein required
by | ||
paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) of this Section shall be given as | ||
of the
last day of the third month preceding the anniversary | ||
month, except that
the information required by paragraphs (e), | ||
(f), and (g) shall, in the case
of a corporation which has | ||
established an extended filing month, be given
in its final | ||
transition annual report and each subsequent annual report as
| ||
of the close of its fiscal year on or immediately preceding the | ||
last day of the third month prior to its extended filing
month. | ||
It shall be executed by the corporation by its president, a
| ||
vice-president, secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer or | ||
other officer
duly authorized by the board of directors of the | ||
corporation to execute
those reports, and verified by him or | ||
her, or, if the corporation is in the
hands of a receiver or | ||
trustee, it shall be executed on behalf of the
corporation and | ||
verified by the receiver or trustee.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 100-391, eff. 8-25-17; 100-486, eff. 1-1-18; | ||
100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)
| ||
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
becoming law.
|