101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5259

 

Introduced , by Rep. Sonya M. Harper

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Family First Employer Program Act. Establishes the Family First Employer Program under the Department of Labor to award employers that create family-friendly workplaces by providing, for all full-time employees, advancement and leadership opportunities; the same pay rates for similar work; stipends or assistance for child care; paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child and medical care for employees or family members of employees; flexible work accommodations for other family obligations; and health insurance and retirement plan options. Provides for the awards to be presented by the Governor and to come with a logo that a designated employer may use for promotional purposes. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement the program.


LRB101 17820 JLS 67251 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5259LRB101 17820 JLS 67251 b

1    AN ACT concerning employment.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Family
5First Employer Program Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "Department" means the Department of Labor.
8    "Designation" means designation as an Illinois Family
9First Employer.
10    "Employer" means a person engaged in business in the State
11that employs full time one or more persons. "Employer" includes
12the State and any political subdivision with one or more
13employees.
14    "Program" means the Family First Employer Program
15established in this Act.
 
16    Section 10. Program established. The Family First Employer
17Program is established within the Department to award a
18designation to an employer who meets the criteria under Section
1915.
 
20    Section 15. Program criteria. In order to be eligible for
21the program, an employer, with respect to all full-time

 

 

HB5259- 2 -LRB101 17820 JLS 67251 b

1employees, must meet at least 4 of the following criteria:
2        (1) Demonstrate that all employees, including women,
3    persons of color, and persons with disabilities, have equal
4    opportunity to advance to leadership positions.
5        (2) Provide employees with access to or the opportunity
6    to take time off for mentorship training or leadership
7    opportunities to assist in advancing to leadership
8    positions.
9        (3) Demonstrate that the employer does not pay
10    different wage rates to employees for substantially
11    similar work when the work is viewed as a composite of
12    skill, effort, and responsibility and is performed under
13    the same working conditions, except when the wage rate
14    difference is based upon one or more of the following:
15            (A) a seniority system;
16            (B) a merit system;
17            (C) a system that measures earnings by quantity or
18        quality of production; or
19            (D) a bona fide reason such as education, training
20        or experience.
21        (4) Make a child care stipend, facility, or service
22    available to employees or qualify for the federal
23    employer-provided child care tax credit under 26 United
24    States Code, Section 45F.
25        (5) Provide employees at least 2 weeks' paid leave, in
26    addition to other sick or vacation time that employees may

 

 

HB5259- 3 -LRB101 17820 JLS 67251 b

1    accrue, for the birth or adoption of a child, medical care
2    of the employees, and, if possible, medical care of family
3    members of employees.
4        (6) Provide employees with flexible work arrangements
5    to accommodate important family obligations.
6        (7) Provide health insurance options for or contribute
7    to the health insurance costs of employees and dependents
8    of employees.
9        (8) Contribute to each employee's retirement benefit
10    plan at a level equal to or greater than the minimum
11    contribution required for an employee to participate in the
12    retirement plan.
 
13    Section 20. Program procedures. The Department shall
14establish procedures by rule for the program by which an
15employer may apply for and be awarded a designation for a
163-year period. The application for the designation must include
17the following:
18        (1) the employer's name and address and a description
19    of the type of business or industry or the department of
20    the employer;
21        (2) evidence that the employer meets at least 4 of the
22    criteria under Section 15; and
23        (3) the signature of the owner, manager, chief
24    executive officer, supervisor, or department head of the
25    employer, or the owner's, manager's, chief executive

 

 

HB5259- 4 -LRB101 17820 JLS 67251 b

1    officer's, supervisor's, or department head's designee,
2    attesting that the information provided in the application
3    is correct. The Department may revoke a designation if an
4    employer knowingly provides false information on the
5    application.
 
6    Section 25. Determination of designation. The Department
7shall review all applications to determine eligibility for a
8designation. If an employer meets all of the criteria in
9Section 15, the employer is entitled to a platinum designation.
10If an employer meets at least 4, but not all, of the criteria
11in Section 15, the employer is entitled to a gold designation.
 
12    Section 30. Award of the designation; logo. The Governor
13shall award in writing or electronically the designation to an
14employer that the Department has determined is entitled to a
15designation under Section 25. The Department shall create a
16logo to be included in the awarding of the designation that an
17employer that is awarded a designation may use for promotional
18purposes. A person who has not received a designation under
19this Act may not use the logo for any purpose.
 
20    Section 35. List of designated employers. The Department
21shall publish a list of all designated employers under Section
2225 on the Department's publicly accessible website. The
23Department shall update the list at least 3 times per year.
 

 

 

HB5259- 5 -LRB101 17820 JLS 67251 b

1    Section 40. Rules. The Department may adopt rules in
2accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to
3carry out the purposes of this Act.