Labor & Employment

Amends the Illinois State Police Act. Provides that the Illinois State Police Merit Board is bound by the terms and conditions of any collective bargaining agreement in place between the Illinois State Police and its employees.

Amends the School Code. Provides that beginning July 1, 2026, each school district shall determine a plan for responding to all incidents of battery committed by students against teachers and other school personnel, which shall include reporting and documentation procedures, student safety plans, behavioral intervention plans, and remedies for injured teachers and school personnel. Effective immediately.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Changes the name of the School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program to the Social Worker and School Counselor Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Allows a school counselor to apply for the Program. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall award a grant of up to $8,000 (rather than $6,500) per year for a maximum of 4 years to each qualified applicant. Provides that a grant shall be used for repayment of the recipient's educational loan instead of the Commission encouraging the recipient to use the grant to repay the recipient's educational loan. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code with respect to the removal or dismissal of teachers in contractual continued service. In provisions specifying that if a decision of a hearing officer for dismissal or of a school board for dismissal for cause is adjudicated upon review or appeal in favor of a teacher, then the trial court shall order reinstatement and shall remand the matter to the school board with direction for entry of an order setting the amount of back pay, lost benefits, and costs, less mitigation, provides that, post reinstatement, the mutually selected hearing officer shall maintain jurisdiction over the back pay so that the teacher may challenge and the hearing officer may potentially amend the school board's order setting the amount of back pay, lost benefits, interest, and costs, including, but not limited to, attorney's fees, less mitigation, through an expedited arbitration procedure, with the costs of the arbitrator borne by the school board (rather than providing that the teacher may challenge the school board's order setting the amount of back pay, lost benefits, and costs, less mitigation, through an expedited arbitration procedure, with the costs of the arbitrator borne by the school board).

Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that coroners are first-responders for the purposes of provisions requiring a county that is a self-insurer for purposes of providing health insurance coverage for its employees to include mental health counseling for any county employee who is a first responder without imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement on the coverage provided.

Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Provides that the definition of "employee" does not include: (1) an employee engaged in the transportation of goods through this State; (2) an employee who is free to decide what time the employee performs duties for an employer; or (3) an employee who is employed by an employer with fewer than 15 employees. Makes changes to provisions concerning the provision of paid leave; the responsibilities of the Department of Labor; and enforcement and penalties.

Amends the Construction Site Temporary Restroom Facility Act. Changes the Act's short title to the Construction Site Temporary Restroom Facility and Sanitary Conditions for Menstruation and Lactation Act. Repeals a provision which specifies that separate toileting facilities are not required for males and females if individual portable toilet facilities are used by an owner of a portable building or building under construction to provide access to a restroom. Provides that, if a woman or an individual who menstruates is present on a work site and there are 10 or more workers of any gender at the work site, then a separate toilet facility shall be provided at the work site and designated for use by women and individuals who menstruate. Requires employers in the construction industry to provide their workers who menstruate and are performing construction activities on a work site with minimum sanitary conditions. Describes the required minimum sanitary conditions. Requires employers in the construction industry, upon request, to provide their workers who are lactating and performing construction activities on a work site with reasonable accommodations needed to express breast milk. Describes reasonable accommodations for lactation. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2027, the Department of Public Health shall provide guidance to employers on the accommodations to be provided. Authorizes employees of construction sites to call the certified local public health agency with jurisdiction over a construction site to request an inspection if noncompliance with the Act is suspected. Prohibits retaliation by employers if a call is made by an employee on a construction site for suspected noncompliance with the Act. Provides that any owner who fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of the Act commits a petty offense and is subject to a fine to be determined by the certified local public health agency (rather than only being subject to a petty offense). Defines "employer". Effective immediately.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Provides that if both spouses are eligible covered members and are employees under the State Employees Article of the Illinois Pension Code, then one spouse may enroll the other spouse as an eligible dependent if: (1) both spouses provide to the Department of Central Management Services, upon the request of the Department of Central Management Services, an attestation that the member and the member's spouse have elected for the spouse to be enrolled as a dependent; and (2) the spouses continue to be married. Provides that upon electing to enroll in the program of group health benefits as an eligible dependent under the amendatory provisions, a member forfeits his or her rights as a member under the Act with respect to the program of group health benefits during the period when that election is in effect. Makes conforming changes to the definition of "dependent" and provisions concerning contributions.

Amends the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003. Prohibits an otherwise qualified individual with a disability, as defined by the Environmental Barriers Act, from being excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination solely by reason of the individual's disability under any of the following: (i) any program or activity operating inside Illinois and receiving federal financial assistance; (ii) any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance that passes through or is administered by State, county, or local government; (iii) any activity regulated by the State that receives federal financial assistance; or (iv) any program or activity receiving State, county, or local government financial assistance. Provides that a State agency that has an existing mechanism for enforcing federal Section 504 rights under the federal Rehabilitation Act may also enforce provisions of the Act. Authorizes the Attorney General to commence a civil action to enforce the provisions of this Act in any appropriate circuit court if the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons is engaged in a pattern of discrimination prohibited by this Act. Provides that disability discrimination under the Act includes violations of the substantive rights provided in the federal regulations adopted under the federal Rehabilitation Act. Provides that these rights constitute a minimum set of rights that may not be reduced. Requires the Secretary of State to maintain a copy of the regulations in a manner that is easily available to the public such as on a website in a searchable format. Makes the Act severable.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that in the Articles governing employment, financial credit, and public accommodations it is a civil rights violation to use criteria or methods including practices, policies, and groups of practices or policies that has the effect of subjecting individuals to discrimination prohibited under the Act. Changes the definition of "unlawful discrimination" to mean discrimination against a person, whether by purpose or effect, because of his or her actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, order of protection status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, reproductive health decisions, or unfavorable discharge from military service as those terms are defined in the Act.