Section 1650.620  Right of Appeal

a)         Any member, beneficiary, annuitant or employer may appeal a final staff determination or disposition of a claim or interpretation of the Code to the Board of Trustees within 90 days after the staff disposition or interpretation, by filing a written request for an administrative review with the Executive Director.  The appeal will be scheduled to be heard at the next meeting of the Board's Claims Hearing Committee (Committee) as administratively practicable and having space on the agenda for such hearing. 

b)         The Committee shall be composed of three members of the Board of Trustees(Board),  all elected by the Board.  The Board shall also elect an alternate Trustee who shall serve only when a Committee member is unable to participate in an appeal. The alternate Trustee is counted for purposes of quorum and voting only when serving in place of a regular Committee member.

c)         The System shall retain an attorney to serve as the Committee's Presiding Hearing Officer.  The Presiding Hearing Officer shall attend all meetings of the Committee and serve as a neutral advisor to the Committee to conduct the hearing, guide deliberations, and perform the duties and responsibilities of the Presiding Hearing Officer as set forth in this Subpart H.

d)         Any members of the Committee may be disqualified or recuse themselves from hearing an appeal due to bias or conflict of interest in the appeal, in which instance the designated alternate Trustee hears the appeal in place of the disqualified or recused Committee member.

e)         If the System identifies a member, beneficiary, annuitant, or employer not a party to an administrative review whose participation is relevant or material to the proceeding, the System may request the Presiding Hearing Officer to invite that member, beneficiary, annuitant, or employer to be joined as a party of record to the administrative proceeding.  In determining whether to request joinder, the System will consider whether the other party will be affected or impacted by the outcome of the administrative review proceeding, or whether the matter cannot be resolved without that party's participation. The invited member, beneficiary, annuitant, or employer shall receive notice that they have been joined as a party to the proceeding. Should the joined member, beneficiary, annuitant, or employer decline or fail to participate in the administrative proceeding after receiving the notice, that party will be bound by the decision of the Committee, and will be a party of record for purposes of an administrative review under Article III of the Code of Civil Procedure [735 ILCS 5/3-107(a)].

(Source:  Amended at 50 Ill. Reg. 4774, effective March 13, 2026)