SB2409 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 28533 DTM 54914 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2409

Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Rachel Ventura

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

775 ILCS 5/2-105

from Ch. 68, par. 2-105

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that, when a State agency advertises seeking new employees, it must include advertising that is targeted toward racial and ethnic communities or other individuals that are underrepresented in the agency's workforce. Provides that the agency's advertising must also include advertisements in newspapers or on radio stations whose primary audience is the underrepresented communities and individuals. Provides that an agency with less than 1,000 employees must appoint a Chief Equal Employment Opportunity officer and an agency with 1,000 or more employees must appoint a Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity officer for every office of the agency. Includes other provisions relating to the qualifications, training, and duties of a Chief or Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity officer.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by changing Section 2-105 as follows:

(775 ILCS 5/2-105) (from Ch. 68, par. 2-105)

Sec. 2-105. Equal Employment Opportunities; Affirmative Action.

(A) Public Contracts. Every party to a public contract and every eligible bidder shall:

(1) Refrain from unlawful discrimination and discrimination based on citizenship status in employment and undertake affirmative action to assure equality of employment opportunity and eliminate the effects of past discrimination;

(2) Comply with the procedures and requirements of the Department's regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action;

(3) Provide such information, with respect to its employees and applicants for employment, and assistance as the Department may reasonably request;

(4) Have written sexual harassment policies that shall include, at a minimum, the following information: (i) the illegality of sexual harassment; (ii) the definition of sexual harassment under State law; (iii) a description of sexual harassment, utilizing examples; (iv) the vendor's internal complaint process including penalties; (v) the legal recourse, investigative, and complaint process available through the Department and the Commission; (vi) directions on how to contact the Department and Commission; and (vii) protection against retaliation as provided by Sections 6-101 and 6-101.5 of this Act. A copy of the policies shall be provided to the Department upon request. Additionally, each bidder who submits a bid or offer for a State contract under the Illinois Procurement Code shall have a written copy of the bidder's sexual harassment policy as required under this paragraph (4). A copy of the policy shall be provided to the State agency entering into the contract upon request.

The Department, by rule, shall establish a reasonable opportunity to cure any noncompliance with this subsection by a bidder prior to the awarding of a contract.

(B) State Agencies. Every State executive department, State agency, board, commission, and instrumentality shall:

(1) Comply with the procedures and requirements of the Department's regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action.

(2) Provide such information and assistance as the Department may request.

(3) Establish, maintain, and carry out a continuing affirmative action plan consistent with this Act and the regulations of the Department designed to promote equal opportunity for all State residents in every aspect of agency personnel policy and practice. For purposes of these affirmative action plans, the race and national origin categories to be included in the plans are: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

This plan shall include a current detailed status report:

(a) indicating, by each position in State service, the number, percentage, and average salary of individuals employed by race, national origin, sex and disability, and any other category that the Department may require by rule;

(b) identifying all positions in which the percentage of the people employed by race, national origin, sex and disability, and any other category that the Department may require by rule, is less than four-fifths of the percentage of each of those components in the State work force;

(c) specifying the goals and methods for increasing the percentage by race, national origin, sex, and disability, and any other category that the Department may require by rule, in State positions;

(d) indicating progress and problems toward meeting equal employment opportunity goals, including, if applicable, but not limited to, Department of Central Management Services recruitment efforts, publicity, promotions, and use of options designating positions by linguistic abilities;

(e) establishing a numerical hiring goal for the employment of qualified persons with disabilities in the agency as a whole, to be based on the proportion of people with work disabilities in the Illinois labor force as reflected in the most recent employment data made available by the United States Census Bureau.

(3.5) When an agency advertises seeking new employees, the agency must include advertising that is targeted toward racial and ethnic communities or other individuals that are underrepresented in the agency's workforce. The agency's advertising must also include advertisements in newspapers or on radio stations whose primary audience is the underrepresented communities and individuals.

(4) If the agency has 1000 or more employees, appoint a full-time Equal Employment Opportunity officer, subject to the Department's approval, whose duties shall include:

(a) Advising the head of the particular State agency with respect to the preparation of equal employment opportunity programs, procedures, regulations, reports, and the agency's affirmative action plan.

(b) Evaluating in writing each fiscal year the sufficiency of the total agency program for equal employment opportunity and reporting thereon to the head of the agency with recommendations as to any improvement or correction in recruiting, hiring or promotion needed, including remedial or disciplinary action with respect to managerial or supervisory employees who have failed to cooperate fully or who are in violation of the program.

(c) Making changes in recruitment, training and promotion programs and in hiring and promotion procedures designed to eliminate discriminatory practices when authorized.

(d) Evaluating tests, employment policies, practices, and qualifications and reporting to the head of the agency and to the Department any policies, practices and qualifications that have unequal impact by race, national origin as required by Department rule, sex, or disability or any other category that the Department may require by rule, and to assist in the recruitment of people in underrepresented classifications. This function shall be performed in cooperation with the Department of Central Management Services.

(e) Making any aggrieved employee or applicant for employment aware of his or her remedies under this Act.

In any meeting, investigation, negotiation, conference, or other proceeding between a State employee and an Equal Employment Opportunity officer, a State employee (1) who is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement and (2) who is the complaining party or the subject of such proceeding may be accompanied, advised and represented by (1) an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois or (2) a representative of an employee organization whose membership is composed of employees of the State and of which the employee is a member. A representative of an employee, other than an attorney, may observe but may not actively participate, or advise the State employee during the course of such meeting, investigation, negotiation, conference, or other proceeding. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to permit any person who is not licensed to practice law in Illinois to deliver any legal services or otherwise engage in any activities that would constitute the unauthorized practice of law. Any representative of an employee who is present with the consent of the employee, shall not, during or after termination of the relationship permitted by this Section with the State employee, use or reveal any information obtained during the course of the meeting, investigation, negotiation, conference, or other proceeding without the consent of the complaining party and any State employee who is the subject of the proceeding and pursuant to rules and regulations governing confidentiality of such information as promulgated by the appropriate State agency. Intentional or reckless disclosure of information in violation of these confidentiality requirements shall constitute a Class B misdemeanor.

(4.5) If the agency has fewer than 1,000 employees, the agency must appoint a Chief Equal Employment Opportunity officer for every office of the agency, who shall report directly to the individual in charge of each office. If the agency has 1,000 or more employees, the agency must appoint a Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity officer for every office of the agency, who shall report directly to the Equal Employment Opportunity officer and the individual in charge of each office. The Chief or Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity officer must be knowledgeable about equal employment law, procedures, and practices and about diversity issues. The agency must provide training, assistance, and advice to Chief and Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity officers. Among other duties, a Chief or Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity officer must:

(a) implement the requirements of paragraph (3.5) of subsection (A);

(b) investigate and, as appropriate, resolve complaints filed about equal employment opportunity and diversities issues;

(c) coordinate activities with other Equal Employment Opportunity officers across the agency;

(d) monitor all personnel actions adopted by the office; and

(e) attest that the office's procedures are consistent with this Act and other State and federal equal employment opportunity laws when hiring, disciplining, and terminating employees.

(5) Establish, maintain, and carry out a continuing sexual harassment program that shall include the following:

(a) Develop a written sexual harassment policy that includes at a minimum the following information: (i) the illegality of sexual harassment; (ii) the definition of sexual harassment under State law; (iii) a description of sexual harassment, utilizing examples; (iv) the agency's internal complaint process including penalties; (v) the legal recourse, investigative, and complaint process available through the Department and the Commission; (vi) directions on how to contact the Department and Commission; and (vii) protection against retaliation as provided by Section 6-101 of this Act. The policy shall be reviewed annually.

(b) Post in a prominent and accessible location and distribute in a manner to assure notice to all agency employees without exception the agency's sexual harassment policy. Such documents may meet, but shall not exceed, the 6th grade literacy level. Distribution shall be effectuated within 90 days of the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1992 and shall occur annually thereafter.

(c) Provide training on sexual harassment prevention and the agency's sexual harassment policy as a component of all ongoing or new employee training programs.

(6) Notify the Department 30 days before effecting any layoff. Once notice is given, the following shall occur:

(a) No layoff may be effective earlier than 10 working days after notice to the Department, unless an emergency layoff situation exists.

(b) The State executive department, State agency, board, commission, or instrumentality in which the layoffs are to occur must notify each employee targeted for layoff, the employee's union representative (if applicable), and the State Dislocated Worker Unit at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(c) The State executive department, State agency, board, commission, or instrumentality in which the layoffs are to occur must conform to applicable collective bargaining agreements.

(d) The State executive department, State agency, board, commission, or instrumentality in which the layoffs are to occur should notify each employee targeted for layoff that transitional assistance may be available to him or her under the Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment Assistance Act administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Failure to give such notice shall not invalidate the layoff or postpone its effective date.

As used in this subsection (B), "disability" shall be defined in rules promulgated under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(C) Civil Rights Violations. It is a civil rights violation for any public contractor or eligible bidder to:

(1) fail to comply with the public contractor's or eligible bidder's duty to refrain from unlawful discrimination and discrimination based on citizenship status in employment under subsection (A)(1) of this Section; or

(2) fail to comply with the public contractor's or eligible bidder's duties of affirmative action under subsection (A) of this Section, provided however, that the Department has notified the public contractor or eligible bidder in writing by certified mail that the public contractor or eligible bidder may not be in compliance with affirmative action requirements of subsection (A). A minimum of 60 days to comply with the requirements shall be afforded to the public contractor or eligible bidder before the Department may issue formal notice of non-compliance.

(D) As used in this Section:

(1) "American Indian or Alaska Native" means a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America, including Central America, and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.

(2) "Asian" means a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, but not limited to, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

(3) "Black or African American" means a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

(4) "Hispanic or Latino" means a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

(5) "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander" means a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

(Source: P.A. 102-362, eff. 1-1-22; 102-465, eff. 1-1-22; 102-721, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)