Full Text of SB2616 103rd General Assembly
SB2616 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024 SB2616 Introduced 10/24/2023, by Sen. Natalie Toro SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: | | 775 ILCS 5/1-102 | from Ch. 68, par. 1-102 | 775 ILCS 5/2-101 | | 775 ILCS 5/6-101 | from Ch. 68, par. 6-101 |
| Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is the public policy of the State to secure for all individuals the freedom from discrimination against any individual because of his or her family responsibilities in employment. Provides that it is a civil rights violation for a person, or 2 or more persons, to conspire to retaliate against a person because he or she has opposed that which he or she reasonably and in good faith believes to be discrimination based on family responsibilities. Changes the definition of "harassment" to include any unwelcome conduct on the basis of an individual's actual or perceived family responsibilities. Defines "family responsibilities" as an employee's actual or perceived provision of personal care to a family member. Defines "personal care" and "family member". |
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| | A BILL FOR |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning civil law. | 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | 3 | | represented in the General Assembly: | 4 | | Section 5. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by | 5 | | changing Sections 1-102, 2-101, and 6-101 as follows: | 6 | | (775 ILCS 5/1-102) (from Ch. 68, par. 1-102) | 7 | | Sec. 1-102. Declaration of Policy. It is the public | 8 | | policy of this State: | 9 | | (A) Freedom from Unlawful Discrimination. To secure for | 10 | | all individuals within Illinois the freedom from | 11 | | discrimination against any individual because of his or her | 12 | | race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, | 13 | | order of protection status, marital status, physical or mental | 14 | | disability, military status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, | 15 | | family responsibilities in employment, or unfavorable | 16 | | discharge from military service in connection with employment, | 17 | | real estate transactions, access to financial credit, and the | 18 | | availability of public accommodations. | 19 | | (B) Freedom from Sexual Harassment-Employment and | 20 | | Elementary, Secondary, and Higher Education. To prevent sexual | 21 | | harassment in employment and sexual harassment in elementary, | 22 | | secondary, and higher education. | 23 | | (C) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Citizenship |
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| 1 | | Status-Employment. To prevent discrimination based on | 2 | | citizenship status in employment. | 3 | | (C-5) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Work | 4 | | Authorization Status-Employment. To prevent discrimination | 5 | | based on the specific status or term of status that | 6 | | accompanies a legal work authorization. | 7 | | (D) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Familial Status | 8 | | or Source of Income-Real Estate Transactions. To prevent | 9 | | discrimination based on familial status or source of income in | 10 | | real estate transactions. | 11 | | (E) Public Health, Welfare and Safety. To promote the | 12 | | public health, welfare and safety by protecting the interest | 13 | | of all people in Illinois in maintaining personal dignity, in | 14 | | realizing their full productive capacities, and in furthering | 15 | | their interests, rights and privileges as citizens of this | 16 | | State. | 17 | | (F) Implementation of Constitutional Guarantees. To secure | 18 | | and guarantee the rights established by Sections 17, 18 and 19 | 19 | | of Article I of the Illinois Constitution of 1970. | 20 | | (G) Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action. To establish | 21 | | Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action as the policies of | 22 | | this State in all of its decisions, programs and activities, | 23 | | and to assure that all State departments, boards, commissions | 24 | | and instrumentalities rigorously take affirmative action to | 25 | | provide equality of opportunity and eliminate the effects of | 26 | | past discrimination in the internal affairs of State |
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| 1 | | government and in their relations with the public. | 2 | | (H) Unfounded Charges. To protect citizens of this State | 3 | | against unfounded charges of unlawful discrimination, sexual | 4 | | harassment in employment and sexual harassment in elementary, | 5 | | secondary, and higher education, and discrimination based on | 6 | | citizenship status or work authorization status in employment. | 7 | | (Source: P.A. 102-233, eff. 8-2-21; 102-896, eff. 1-1-23 .) | 8 | | (775 ILCS 5/2-101) | 9 | | Sec. 2-101. Definitions. The following definitions are | 10 | | applicable strictly in the context of this Article. | 11 | | (A) Employee. | 12 | | (1) "Employee" includes: | 13 | | (a) Any individual performing services for | 14 | | remuneration within this State for an employer; | 15 | | (b) An apprentice; | 16 | | (c) An applicant for any apprenticeship. | 17 | | For purposes of subsection (D) of Section 2-102 of | 18 | | this Act, "employee" also includes an unpaid intern. An | 19 | | unpaid intern is a person who performs work for an | 20 | | employer under the following circumstances: | 21 | | (i) the employer is not committed to hiring the | 22 | | person performing the work at the conclusion of the | 23 | | intern's tenure; | 24 | | (ii) the employer and the person performing the | 25 | | work agree that the person is not entitled to wages for |
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| 1 | | the work performed; and | 2 | | (iii) the work performed: | 3 | | (I) supplements training given in an | 4 | | educational environment that may enhance the | 5 | | employability of the intern; | 6 | | (II) provides experience for the benefit of | 7 | | the person performing the work; | 8 | | (III) does not displace regular employees; | 9 | | (IV) is performed under the close supervision | 10 | | of existing staff; and | 11 | | (V) provides no immediate advantage to the | 12 | | employer providing the training and may | 13 | | occasionally impede the operations of the | 14 | | employer. | 15 | | (2) "Employee" does not include: | 16 | | (a) (Blank); | 17 | | (b) Individuals employed by persons who are not | 18 | | "employers" as defined by this Act; | 19 | | (c) Elected public officials or the members of | 20 | | their immediate personal staffs; | 21 | | (d) Principal administrative officers of the State | 22 | | or of any political subdivision, municipal corporation | 23 | | or other governmental unit or agency; | 24 | | (e) A person in a vocational rehabilitation | 25 | | facility certified under federal law who has been | 26 | | designated an evaluee, trainee, or work activity |
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| 1 | | client. | 2 | | (B) Employer. | 3 | | (1) "Employer" includes: | 4 | | (a) Any person employing one or more employees | 5 | | within Illinois during 20 or more calendar weeks | 6 | | within the calendar year of or preceding the alleged | 7 | | violation; | 8 | | (b) Any person employing one or more employees | 9 | | when a complainant alleges civil rights violation due | 10 | | to unlawful discrimination based upon his or her | 11 | | physical or mental disability unrelated to ability, | 12 | | pregnancy, or sexual harassment; | 13 | | (c) The State and any political subdivision, | 14 | | municipal corporation or other governmental unit or | 15 | | agency, without regard to the number of employees; | 16 | | (d) Any party to a public contract without regard | 17 | | to the number of employees; | 18 | | (e) A joint apprenticeship or training committee | 19 | | without regard to the number of employees. | 20 | | (2) "Employer" does not include any place of worship, | 21 | | religious corporation, association, educational | 22 | | institution, society, or non-profit nursing institution | 23 | | conducted by and for those who rely upon treatment by | 24 | | prayer through spiritual means in accordance with the | 25 | | tenets of a recognized church or religious denomination | 26 | | with respect to the employment of individuals of a |
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| 1 | | particular religion to perform work connected with the | 2 | | carrying on by such place of worship, corporation, | 3 | | association, educational institution, society or | 4 | | non-profit nursing institution of its activities. | 5 | | (C) Employment Agency. "Employment Agency" includes both | 6 | | public and private employment agencies and any person, labor | 7 | | organization, or labor union having a hiring hall or hiring | 8 | | office regularly undertaking, with or without compensation, to | 9 | | procure opportunities to work, or to procure, recruit, refer | 10 | | or place employees. | 11 | | (D) Labor Organization. "Labor Organization" includes any | 12 | | organization, labor union, craft union, or any voluntary | 13 | | unincorporated association designed to further the cause of | 14 | | the rights of union labor which is constituted for the | 15 | | purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining or of | 16 | | dealing with employers concerning grievances, terms or | 17 | | conditions of employment, or apprenticeships or applications | 18 | | for apprenticeships, or of other mutual aid or protection in | 19 | | connection with employment, including apprenticeships or | 20 | | applications for apprenticeships. | 21 | | (E) Sexual Harassment. "Sexual harassment" means any | 22 | | unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors or any | 23 | | conduct of a sexual nature when (1) submission to such conduct | 24 | | is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of | 25 | | an individual's employment, (2) submission to or rejection of | 26 | | such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for |
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| 1 | | employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such | 2 | | conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering | 3 | | with an individual's work performance or creating an | 4 | | intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. | 5 | | For purposes of this definition, the phrase "working | 6 | | environment" is not limited to a physical location an employee | 7 | | is assigned to perform his or her duties. | 8 | | (E-1) Harassment. "Harassment" means any unwelcome conduct | 9 | | on the basis of an individual's actual or perceived race, | 10 | | color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital | 11 | | status, order of protection status, disability, military | 12 | | status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, unfavorable discharge | 13 | | from military service, citizenship status, or work | 14 | | authorization status , or family responsibilities that has the | 15 | | purpose or effect of substantially interfering with the | 16 | | individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, | 17 | | hostile, or offensive working environment. For purposes of | 18 | | this definition, the phrase "working environment" is not | 19 | | limited to a physical location an employee is assigned to | 20 | | perform his or her duties. | 21 | | (F) Religion. "Religion" with respect to employers | 22 | | includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as | 23 | | well as belief, unless an employer demonstrates that he is | 24 | | unable to reasonably accommodate an employee's or prospective | 25 | | employee's religious observance or practice without undue | 26 | | hardship on the conduct of the employer's business. |
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| 1 | | (G) Public Employer. "Public employer" means the State, an | 2 | | agency or department thereof, unit of local government, school | 3 | | district, instrumentality or political subdivision. | 4 | | (H) Public Employee. "Public employee" means an employee | 5 | | of the State, agency or department thereof, unit of local | 6 | | government, school district, instrumentality or political | 7 | | subdivision. "Public employee" does not include public | 8 | | officers or employees of the General Assembly or agencies | 9 | | thereof. | 10 | | (I) Public Officer. "Public officer" means a person who is | 11 | | elected to office pursuant to the Constitution or a statute or | 12 | | ordinance, or who is appointed to an office which is | 13 | | established, and the qualifications and duties of which are | 14 | | prescribed, by the Constitution or a statute or ordinance, to | 15 | | discharge a public duty for the State, agency or department | 16 | | thereof, unit of local government, school district, | 17 | | instrumentality or political subdivision. | 18 | | (J) Eligible Bidder. "Eligible bidder" means a person who, | 19 | | prior to contract award or prior to bid opening for State | 20 | | contracts for construction or construction-related services, | 21 | | has filed with the Department a properly completed, sworn and | 22 | | currently valid employer report form, pursuant to the | 23 | | Department's regulations. The provisions of this Article | 24 | | relating to eligible bidders apply only to bids on contracts | 25 | | with the State and its departments, agencies, boards, and | 26 | | commissions, and the provisions do not apply to bids on |
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| 1 | | contracts with units of local government or school districts. | 2 | | (K) Citizenship Status. "Citizenship status" means the | 3 | | status of being: | 4 | | (1) a born U.S. citizen; | 5 | | (2) a naturalized U.S. citizen; | 6 | | (3) a U.S. national; or | 7 | | (4) a person born outside the United States and not a | 8 | | U.S. citizen who is lawfully present and who is protected | 9 | | from discrimination under the provisions of Section 1324b | 10 | | of Title 8 of the United States Code, as now or hereafter | 11 | | amended. | 12 | | (L) Work Authorization Status. "Work authorization status" | 13 | | means the status of being a person born outside of the United | 14 | | States, and not a U.S. citizen, who is authorized by the | 15 | | federal government to work in the United States. | 16 | | (M) Family Responsibilities. "Family responsibilities" | 17 | | means an employee's actual or perceived provision of personal | 18 | | care to a family member. | 19 | | (N) "Personal care" has the meaning given to that term in | 20 | | the Employee Sick Leave Act. | 21 | | (O) "Family member" has the meaning given to the term | 22 | | "covered family member" in the Employee Sick Leave Act. | 23 | | (Source: P.A. 101-221, eff. 1-1-20; 101-430, eff. 7-1-20; | 24 | | 102-233, eff. 8-2-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-1030, eff. | 25 | | 5-27-22.) |
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| 1 | | (775 ILCS 5/6-101) (from Ch. 68, par. 6-101) | 2 | | Sec. 6-101. Additional civil rights violations under | 3 | | Articles 2, 4, 5, and 5A. It is a civil rights violation for a | 4 | | person, or for 2 or more persons, to conspire to: | 5 | | (A) Retaliation. Retaliate against a person because he | 6 | | or she has opposed that which he or she reasonably and in | 7 | | good faith believes to be unlawful discrimination, sexual | 8 | | harassment in employment, sexual harassment in elementary, | 9 | | secondary, and higher education, or discrimination based | 10 | | on arrest record, citizenship status, or work | 11 | | authorization status , or family responsibilities in | 12 | | employment under Articles 2, 4, 5, and 5A, because he or | 13 | | she has made a charge, filed a complaint, testified, | 14 | | assisted, or participated in an investigation, proceeding, | 15 | | or hearing under this Act, or because he or she has | 16 | | requested, attempted to request, used, or attempted to use | 17 | | a reasonable accommodation as allowed by this Act; | 18 | | (B) Aiding and Abetting; Coercion. Aid, abet, compel, | 19 | | or coerce a person to commit any violation of this Act; | 20 | | (C) Interference. Wilfully interfere with the | 21 | | performance of a duty or the exercise of a power by the | 22 | | Commission or one of its members or representatives or the | 23 | | Department or one of its officers or employees. | 24 | | Definitions. For the purposes of this Section, "sexual | 25 | | harassment", "citizenship status", and "work authorization | 26 | | status" , and "family responsibilities" shall have the same |
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| 1 | | meaning as defined in Section 2-101 of this Act. | 2 | | (Source: P.A. 102-233, eff. 8-2-21; 102-362, eff. 1-1-22; | 3 | | 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.) |
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