---
type: "Bill"
title: "PEN CD-IMRF-RETURN TO WORK"
description: "Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Deletes a provision that requires the authorized agent of a participating municipality or participating instrumentality to be a member of the fund. Deletes a provision that prohibited certain employers from electing a 1,000-hour participation standard based on their original date of participation. Authorizes retired members who return to work for an IMRF employer to keep their pension even if employed in a position requiring less than the employer's standard for participation in IMRF. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "97th"
identifier: "HB 1956"
citation: "Illinois HB 1956 (97th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 29
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2011-02-17"
last_action: "2011-08-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5f1783c1-d5fb-414b-85ed-00ee75538424"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1956&GAID=11&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=59157&SessionID=84&GA=97"
source_hash: "8674da3ff6ae48a85efa4ff4d4075f64b470aa68a1dd18b495424d4551a88507"
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 HB 1956 (97th) — PEN CD-IMRF-RETURN TO WORK

Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Deletes a provision that requires the authorized agent of a participating municipality or participating instrumentality to be a member of the fund. Deletes a provision that prohibited certain employers from electing a 1,000-hour participation standard based on their original date of participation. Authorizes retired members who return to work for an IMRF employer to keep their pension even if employed in a position requiring less than the employer's standard for participation in IMRF. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

## 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=09700HB1956&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=59157&DocNum=1956&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700HB1956eng&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=59157&DocNum=1956&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700HB1956enr&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=59157&DocNum=1956&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **58–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **107–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Elaine Nekritz — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2011-02-17** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Elaine Nekritz `filing`
- **2011-02-17** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2011-02-17** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2011-02-23** Assigned to Personnel and Pensions Committee `referral-committee`
- **2011-03-03** Do Pass / Short Debate Personnel and Pensions Committee; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2011-03-03** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2011-03-08** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2011-03-08** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2011-03-10** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 107-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2011-03-10** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack D. Franks
- **2011-03-10** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Keith Farnham
- **2011-03-10** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol A. Sente
- **2011-03-10** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
- **2011-03-14** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2011-03-14** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading March 15, 2011 `reading-1`
- **2011-03-15** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Suzi Schmidt
- **2011-03-16** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2011-03-16** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2011-04-27** Assigned to Pensions and Investments `referral-committee`
- **2011-05-04** Do Pass Pensions and Investments; 006-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2011-05-04** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 5, 2011
- **2011-05-06** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2011-05-06** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 10, 2011
- **2011-05-17** Third Reading - Passed; 058-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2011-05-17** Passed Both Houses
- **2011-06-15** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2011-08-12** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2011-08-12** Effective Date August 12, 2011
- **2011-08-12** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 97-0328 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5f1783c1-d5fb-414b-85ed-00ee75538424`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).