---
type: "Bill"
title: "PEN CD-ART 6-REVERSIONARY"
description: "Amends the Chicago Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Allows a fireman, prior to retirement on annuity, to elect to take a lesser amount of annuity and provide, with the actuarial value of the amount by which his or her annuity is reduced, a reversionary annuity for a spouse. Provides that a fireman exercising the option to provide a reversionary annuity may not reduce his or her annuity by more than $400 per month or elect to provide a reversionary annuity of less than $100 per month. Provides that a reversionary annuity shall begin on the day following the death of the annuitant and shall continue monthly thereafter until the death of the reversionary annuitant. Provides a method for calculating the amount of the reversionary annuity. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "96th"
identifier: "SB 3538"
citation: "Illinois SB 3538 (96th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 59
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2010-02-10"
last_action: "2010-12-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/de891c6f-a3be-4aad-8658-5f76eaa86877"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3538&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=51488&SessionID=76&GA=96"
source_hash: "b8c5ea7b6a4bd027302a7bb07bdfb90929df21c440fd916ab9828ae5335757df"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois SB 3538 (96th) — PEN CD-ART 6-REVERSIONARY

Amends the Chicago Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Allows a fireman, prior to retirement on annuity, to elect to take a lesser amount of annuity and provide, with the actuarial value of the amount by which his or her annuity is reduced, a reversionary annuity for a spouse. Provides that a fireman exercising the option to provide a reversionary annuity may not reduce his or her annuity by more than $400 per month or elect to provide a reversionary annuity of less than $100 per month. Provides that a reversionary annuity shall begin on the day following the death of the annuitant and shall continue monthly thereafter until the death of the reversionary annuitant. Provides a method for calculating the amount of the reversionary annuity. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600SB3538&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=51488&DocNum=3538&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600SB3538eng&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=51488&DocNum=3538&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600SB3538enr&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=51488&DocNum=3538&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Concurrence — **46–4** (pass) · upper
- Concurrence, Amendment 3 — **46–4** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **95–18** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **46–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Terry Link — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2010-02-10** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Kwame Raoul `filing`
- **2010-02-10** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2010-02-10** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2010-02-24** Assigned to Pensions and Investments `referral-committee`
- **2010-03-04** Do Pass Pensions and Investments; 008-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2010-03-04** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 9, 2010
- **2010-03-12** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2010-03-12** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 15, 2010
- **2010-03-15** Third Reading - Passed; 046-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2010-03-15** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2010-03-17** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Kevin A. McCarthy
- **2010-03-17** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2010-03-17** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2010-03-17** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2010-11-10** Final Action Deadline Extended-9(b) January 11, 2011
- **2010-11-10** Assigned to Personnel and Pensions Committee `referral-committee`
- **2010-11-29** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Personnel and Pensions Committee `amendment-introduction`
- **2010-11-29** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Personnel and Pensions Committee; 006-004-000 `amendment-passage`
- **2010-11-29** Remains in Personnel and Pensions Committee
- **2010-11-29** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Personnel and Pensions Committee; 006-004-000 `committee-passage`
- **2010-11-29** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2010-11-29** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2010-11-29** Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2010-11-29** House Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Kevin A. McCarthy `amendment-introduction`
- **2010-11-29** House Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2010-11-30** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Kevin A. McCarthy `amendment-introduction`
- **2010-11-30** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2010-11-30** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Rules Refers to Personnel and Pensions Committee
- **2010-11-30** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Recommends Be Adopted Personnel and Pensions Committee; 008-002-000 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2010-11-30** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Adopted by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2010-11-30** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2010-11-30** 3/5 Vote Required
- **2010-11-30** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 095-018-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2010-11-30** House Floor Amendment No. 2 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 40(a) `amendment-failure`
- **2010-11-30** Secretary's Desk - Concurrence House Amendment(s) 1, 3
- **2010-11-30** Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence House Amendment(s) 1, 3 - December 1, 2010
- **2010-11-30** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Filed with Secretary Sen. Terry Link `filing`
- **2010-11-30** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2010-11-30** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Motion to Concur Filed with Secretary Sen. Terry Link `filing`
- **2010-11-30** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Motion to Concur Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2010-12-01** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Pamela J. Althoff
- **2010-12-01** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Assignments Referred to Pensions and Investments `referral-committee`
- **2010-12-01** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Motion to Concur Assignments Referred to Pensions and Investments `referral-committee`
- **2010-12-01** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion To Concur Recommended Do Adopt Pensions and Investments; 008-000-001
- **2010-12-01** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Motion To Concur Recommended Do Adopt Pensions and Investments; 008-000-001
- **2010-12-01** Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. Terry Link
- **2010-12-01** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Chief Sponsor changed to Senator Link on Motion to Concur
- **2010-12-01** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Chief Sponsor changed to Senator Link on Motion to Concur
- **2010-12-01** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Kwame Raoul
- **2010-12-02** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Jacobs
- **2010-12-02** 3/5 Vote Required
- **2010-12-02** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Senate Concurs 046-004-002
- **2010-12-02** House Floor Amendment No. 3 Senate Concurs 046-004-002
- **2010-12-02** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Susan Garrett
- **2010-12-02** Passed Both Houses
- **2010-12-17** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2010-12-30** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2010-12-30** Effective Date January 1, 2011
- **2010-12-30** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-1495 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/de891c6f-a3be-4aad-8658-5f76eaa86877`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).