Defines essential businesses and operations. HB 03445: A person who seeks medical assistance for an opioid overdose will have immunity from prosecution for possession. HB 226: Allows students to choose whether to submit their ACT/SAT score when applying to Illinois . Employees who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 can be asked to leave the workplace and stay at home until it has been 10 days since their symptoms first appeared and 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications) and other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving.3An employee with a medical condition that causes symptoms similar to COVID-19 may provide their employer with medical documentation that their symptoms are due to a different condition in order to continue reporting to work. 99) January 13, 2022 WHEREAS, since early March 2020, Illinois has faced a pandemic that has caused extraordinary sickness and loss of life, infecting over 2,520,000, and taking the lives of more than 28,800 residents; and, Following Gov. Supporters say it will ensure workers will always be able to use collective bargaining to secure better pay, hours and working conditions. HB 02790: Allows public defenders in a county with more than three million inhabitants to provide legal representation for noncitizens in immigration cases. Failure to comply with the new law is punishable by a civil penalty of $10,000. Chicago-based employees may. SB 00139: Allows a person currently married to request a copy of their marriage license with the term spouse rather than any gender-identifying language. The raise in minimum wage is part of legislation Illinois. If an employee tests positive for COVID- 19, their employer should inform other employees in the workplace who may have been exposed. REGION 1 MITIGATIONS Region 1 has reported three consecutive days of a test positivity rate of 8 percent or higher. On March 14, 2022, the EEOC released new guidance regarding caregiver discrimination and the COVID-19 pandemic, in light of many workplaces returning to in-person work. RELATED | Voters passed the workers' rights amendment in the 2022 election; what does that mean for Illinois? Employers should wait 24 hours before cleaning or disinfecting where feasible, and proceed to disinfect the area using proper precautions, such wearing gloves and masks. ADDITIONAL METRO EAST MITIGATIONS The Metro East regions positivity rate has continued to increase to over 10 percent, despite mitigation steps put in place through Executive Order 51. . 71.40 no longer necessary. Minimum Wage Increase (Public Act 101-0001) Illinois is one of the states set to raise their minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. Illinois' ban on assault weapons comes after last year's Highland Park shooting, as well as the rising violent crime in Chicago, which experienced a 41% overall increase in 2022. The law will also restore sick days used during the 2021-2022 school year. The bill also adds Muhammad Ali's birthday, Jan. 17, as the law's eighth commemorative holiday. Alert Message: Anyone, 6 months of age and older, is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. SB 00105: Expands how an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse can prove he or she completed clinical experience. Applying for and being denied benefits under the regular program is the first step in establishing eligibility under the new temporary program. This Executive Order is effective November 11 and supplements the Community Revitalization Order, Executive Order 43. The IHRA prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee who opposes unlawful discrimination or harassment (e.g., filing a charge or complaint; testifying, assisting or participating in an investigation, proceeding or hearing; or requesting a reasonable accommodation). For further information or to contact the Illinois Department of Labor, visit: https://www2.illinois.gov/idol/Pages/contact.aspx. On Wednesday, October 27, 2021, in a vote of 64-52 the Illinois House passed an amendment to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act (Act) that would allow employers to enforce work rules and policies relating to COVID-19 vaccinations and testing and prevent individuals from using the Act to challenge COVID-19 rules and policies. Generally, individuals currently receiving paid leave are not eligible for unemployment insurance. REISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDERS - Reissues several executive orders, extending a majority of the provisions through June 26, 2021. For further information or to contact the Illinois Department of Employment Security, visit: https://www2.illinois.gov/ides/aboutides/Pages/Contact_IDES.aspx. SB 00968: Requires all health insurance plans, the Public Aid Code and public health benefits in Illinois to provide coverage for medically-necessary pancreatic cancer screening. Suspends certain provisions: 1) Employees that are being investigated for conduct that would not result in their termination or placement on the HCWR or 2) Employees who are the subject of an OIG investigation that is either complete or materially complete. Employees at higher risk for severe COVID-19 complications can request a reasonable accommodation, as outlined in questions 3 through 6 in the questions related to Civil Rights protections below. SB 00672: No-compete clauses will be banned for individuals making less than $75,000 per year. This supersedes Executive Order 2020-10. Find recently issued legally binding orders and regulations help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help our country cope during the pandemic. HB 00734: Provides that the duration of a civil no contact order will become permanent, upon the survivors request, upon a conviction for criminal sexual assault. . SUSPENDS REQUIREMENTS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS - Suspends certain requirements for restoration of an inactive or expired license of five years or less for professional counselors, social workers, and clinical psychologists. Find a COVID-19 Vaccine. It also requires counties with populations above 250,000 to offer the option of a remote hearing. A new law takes effect giving students up to five days off for mental health. Temporary employees hired through a temporary staffing agency can be eligible for unemployment insurance. Yes. No. . Yes. New Illinois laws in 2023 include the SAFE-T Act, Worker's Rights Amendment, improvements to health care and food access, and more. REISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDERS - Reissues most executive orders, extending a majority of the provisions through March 6, 2021. An employer is not required to provide an accommodation that would be prohibitively expensive or unduly disruptive to the business. . TELEHEALTH All health insurers regulated by the Department of Insurance are required to cover telehealth services and reimburse providers at the same rate as in-person visits and are prohibited from imposing any cost-sharing for in-network providers. SB 01624: This bill will add agricultural sciences to the types of courses that can count toward the requirement for three years of science instruction to gain admission to an Illinois public university. SB 58: Lowers the registration fee for trailers weighing less than 3,000 lbs. SUSPENDS PROVISIONS IN THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL CODE Suspends requirements on the administration of assessments, school terms, and the calculation of daily pupil attendance. Shooting incidents are also 32% higher than they . It will soon be a new year, and that means that new laws are set to go into effect, with nearly 300 new measures beginning on Jan. 1. As Welch's first year as House speaker comes to a close, new requirements for schools, state ethics rules, criminal justice and animal ownership are among the 296 laws taking effect Jan. 1, according to a list prepared by Senate Democrats. SB 00154: Allows tenants in Illinois Housing Development Authority-funded housing to keep at least two cats, or one dog that weighs under 50 pounds, regardless of breed or height. Per guidance from the U.S. The director of the Central Management Services Department must ensure that bird mortality is monitored at every state building. Laid off employees who previously had employer-provided health insurance may continue their coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). HB 03097: Provides that police procedures and appropriate interactions with law enforcement during traffic stops be added to Illinois adult driver education course curriculum and the State Board of Educations curriculum. AMENDS PROVISIONS IN THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL CODE Suspends provisions in the teacher preparation programs. From Fairgrounds To Museums, Explore The Unique History of Springfield, Camp I Am Me Highlights Burn Awareness Week, T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week, Dentists - Opportunities Springing Up All Over IL, Springfield Area Pets Up For Adoption: Pharaoh, Jawa, Layla & More, Springfield Job Listings: See Who's Hiring In The Area, 5 New Springfield Area Properties On The Market. Employers are prohibited, by the IHRA and federal law, from treating employees differently based on race or national origin. In workplaces where employees are represented by a union, union representatives can also participate in workplace safety planning. SB 01673: Changes the Animal Control Act to remove the terms spayed and neutered and replace them with the word sterilized.. ", Related: Another Watchdog Vacancy Means Complaints Against Lawmakers Won't Be Addressed. The individual qualifies as actively seeking work as long as they are prepared to return to their job as soon the employer reopens. The employer may not disclose the name of individual employee(s) who test positive. In response, additional public health restrictions and mitigations are instituted for Region 1, such as a tighter gathering cap of 10 individuals rather than 25 and new table caps of six rather than 10 at restaurants and bars. Here are 25 of the most notable new pieces of legislation: SB 633 amends the School Code by adding a requirement that school districts must include data on the number of incidents of violence that occurred on school grounds or during school-related activities in their annual report cards starting with the 2022-23 school year. Specific health and safety factors will be taken into account when determining the process for transfers to IDOC. Under the IHRA and federal law, employees who are pregnant or recovering from childbirth, or who have a medical condition related to pregnancy, have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) was created to help self-employed individuals, freelancers, and independent contractors who lose work as a result of specific reasons set forth in federal law attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic and are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance. PHASE THREE REOPENING Safely and conscientiously resumes activities that were paused due to COVID-19. WHEREAS, on October 14, 2022, considering the expected continuing spread of COVID-19 and the ongoing health and economic impacts that will be felt over the coming month by people across the State, I declared all counties in the State of Illinois as a disaster area; and, In addition, requires universal masking in private long-term care facilities. To encourage employee input and feedback on safety and health matters, employers should consider designating one or more employees to be points of contact for employees with health or safety concerns or, in larger workplaces, creating a workplace safety and health committee made up of employee representatives from a variety of roles within the business. The IDOC shall file emergency rules as needed. IDES will backdate claims to the first week of unemployment due to the COVID-19-related reason. The offices will not conduct in-person transactions from Jan. 3 through Jan. 17, 2022, though online services will remain open on the Illinois Secretary of State website, officials said. The order expands the use of available emergency relief dollars for Illinois utility customers currently at risk of service disconnections following the end of the winter moratorium, and maximizes the number of households eligible for relief. The federal Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act of 2004 allows retirees - up to 10,000 in Illinois - who spent at least 10 years as law enforcement officers with arrest powers to carry concealed . Such an agreement or contract would violate public policy, as expressed in public health and occupational safety laws, and would not be enforceable against the employee. The EEOC has issued guidance stating that due to the acknowledgment of COVID-19 community spread by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local public health authorities, employers may take employees temperatures. In general, individuals not authorized to work in the United States are not eligible for regular unemployment benefits or benefits under the PUA. This year, the minimum wage will increase to $12 per hour. In response, public health restrictions and mitigations are implemented for restaurants and bars, meetings and social events, gaming and casinos and for all workplaces, effective November 1, 2020. Guidance regarding the ADA and the COVID-19 pandemic issued by the EEOC is available here. Requires schools to exclude students and school personnel who are confirmed cases, probable cases, or close contacts. Employees who believe they have been retaliated against may want to consider consulting with an attorney. In order to prevent osteoporosis and other medical conditions, this law requires health insurance plans to cover medically necessary hormone therapy treatments for women who have undergone a hysterectomy and therefore induced menopause. Specific federal, state, and local protections against retaliation include: Yes. This shall not be construed as relieving any individual of the obligation to pay rent or comply with a lease or rental agreement. REGION 7 MITIGATIONS Region 7 has reported three consecutive days of a test positivity rate of 8 percent or higher. Alongside SAFE-T Act and Workers Rights Amendment, new Illinois laws address latex allergies, carjackings, miscarriages and more. SB 00564: Requires schools to include contributions by Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhists and any other collective community of faith that helped shape America in history curriculums. To report a possible COVID-19 outbreak, or if you have a concern that your workplace is not following public health rules regarding face coverings and/or capacity limits, please contact your local health department. Employers should not implement or keep in place any bonus or incentive payments for work attendance that could encourage employees to work while sick or, alternately, any disciplinary programs that penalize employees for taking time off. Eligible employees can receive up to 26 weeks worth of regular state unemployment insurance and, depending on the unemployment rate, Extended Benefits may be available for an additional 13 or 20 weeks. HB 03922: Designates June 19 as a paid state holiday, Juneteenth. Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Retaliation Laws Applied to COVID-19 State and federal laws require employers to maintain a workplace free of discrimination and harassment, and to ensure that employees are treated equally regardless of age, disability, sex, race, national origin, religion, or any other protected category. REISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDERS - Reissues most executive orders, extending a majority of the provisions through October 17, 2020. The new wage will be $12 an hour. (Employees should be aware that they may have to cover their portion of the health insurance expense that is typically deducted from their pay.). HB 395 changes the Ivory Ban Act into the Animal Parts and Products Ban Act. ILLINOIS INSURANCE CODE Suspends certain provisions in the Illinois Insurance Code that require in-person education and/or exams within a certain time frame in order to maintain or obtain a professional insurance license. Other potential accommodations could include moving the employees workstation to a less crowded or better ventilated area or re-examining job duties to minimize interaction with other coworkers or members of the public. SB 00500: Prevents hospitals, physicians, surgeons or procurement group from discriminating against individuals solely on the basis of having a mental or physical disability by deeming that person ineligible to receive an anatomical gift or organ transplant. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against an employee for raising concerns about COVID-19, or their overall safety and health, either internally or to a government agency. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on May 17 signed the state's "COVID-19 Emergency Housing Act" (HB 2877) into law, providing robust protections for Illinois renters and homeowners. More information on unpaid wages and the wage claim process is available on the Illinois Department of Labors (IDOL) website. Filing paperwork to take your abuser to court should not be dangerous. Under the Child Care Act of 1969, the definition of child is suspended to ensure those who are 18 years or older can remain in their placement. This Executive Order supplements the Community Revitalization Order, Executive Order 43. Those who agree to fingerprinting are granted streamlined processes for renewing FOID and CCL cards. Press Release - Thursday, March 02, 2023. REISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDERS - Reissues several executive orders, extending a majority of the provisions through April 30, 2022. REVISES ELECTIVE SURGERIES Defines and renders assistance in support of the States response to hospitals, health care facilities, health care professionals, and health care volunteers. Worker safety training and the corresponding written materials should be available in a language spoken by employees and accessible to employees with a range of education levels. Reissues and amends previous executive orders through May 28, 2022. STAY AT HOME All individuals must stay at home, with exceptions for essential activities, essential government functions, and essential businesses and operations. Includes Executive Order 2020-30, which prohibits residential evictions. When maintaining a 6-foot social distance may not always be possible, visitors should be encouraged to wear face coverings; and. BBB shares top scams of 2022 . REGION 1 TIER 2 MITIGATIONS Mitigation measures were initially implemented in Region 1 on October 3, 2020. This Executive Order supplements the Community Revitalization Order, Executive Order 43. CANNABIS LICENSES - Suspends the requirement that by July 1, 2020, the Illinois Department of Agriculture must issue up to 40 Craft Grower Licenses, up to 40 Infuser Licenses, and issue Transporting Organization Licenses. Individuals must continue to practice social distancing and wear a face covering in public places or when working. Increased testing frequency may be required in certain situations. According to the Kankakee County State's Attorney, the ruling means the pre-trial release and bail reforms will not take effect on Jan. 1 in the 65 Illinois counties who challenged the law.