---
type: "Bill"
title: "PEN CD-IMRF-SEPARATION BENEFIT"
description: "Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code, allows a participant who is terminating service to elect a separation benefit rather than a retirement annuity if his or her annuity would be less than $100 (now $30) per month. Effective January 1, 2017."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "99th"
identifier: "SB 2972"
citation: "Illinois SB 2972 (99th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 26
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2016-02-18"
last_action: "2016-08-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ddfe4abd-4788-4716-89a6-10efd14faa65"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2972&GAID=13&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=96299&SessionID=88&GA=99"
source_hash: "4a67e17f3de05714e8d82e3de005743a73c6cbb41a1d7b654c4061f8440919f7"
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 2972 (99th) — PEN CD-IMRF-SEPARATION BENEFIT

Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code, allows a participant who is terminating service to elect a separation benefit rather than a retirement annuity if his or her annuity would be less than $100 (now $30) per month. Effective January 1, 2017.

## 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=09900SB2972&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=96299&DocNum=2972&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900SB2972eng&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=96299&DocNum=2972&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900SB2972enr&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=96299&DocNum=2972&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **108–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **58–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Don Harmon — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2016-02-18** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Don Harmon `filing`
- **2016-02-18** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2016-02-18** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2016-03-02** Assigned to Licensed Activities and Pensions `referral-committee`
- **2016-03-03** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Iris Y. Martinez
- **2016-03-03** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr.
- **2016-03-17** Do Pass Licensed Activities and Pensions; 010-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2016-03-17** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 5, 2016
- **2016-04-19** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2016-04-19** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading April 20, 2016
- **2016-04-21** Third Reading - Passed; 058-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2016-04-21** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2016-04-21** Chief House Sponsor Rep. William Davis
- **2016-04-21** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2016-04-21** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-02** Assigned to Personnel and Pensions Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-11** Do Pass / Short Debate Personnel and Pensions Committee; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2016-05-12** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2016-05-18** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2016-05-18** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2016-05-27** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 108-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2016-05-27** Passed Both Houses
- **2016-06-27** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2016-08-05** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2016-08-05** Effective Date January 1, 2017
- **2016-08-05** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 99-0747 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ddfe4abd-4788-4716-89a6-10efd14faa65`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).