Illinois Human Rights Act Updates Are Now Law

With the change of seasons we are seeing changes to some laws. In February we talked about Illinois Senate Bill 1480 and about potential changes coming to the Illinois Human Rights Act. The changes are now official. The bill was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker on March 23, 2021 and became effective that day.

What’s Changed Now that the Bill is Signed?

The Illinois legislature passed Senate Bill 1480 on January 13, 2021. The bill amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Among other things, SB1480, unless otherwise authorized by law, makes it a “civil rights violation for any employer, employment agency or labor organization to use a conviction record… as a basis to refuse to hire, to segregate, or to act with respect to recruitment, hiring, promotion, renewal of employment, selection for training or apprenticeship, discharge, discipline, tenure, or terms, privileges or conditions of employment (whether “disqualification” or “adverse action”)…”, with some exceptions.  A “conviction record” includes information that a person has been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor or other criminal offense, placed on probation, fined, imprisoned, or paroled.

How Does this Impact Employers in Illinois?

This law may have an impact on how criminal conviction records can be used for employment decisions in Illinois.  For more information on the new restrictions, you may want to review our recent discussion on Senate Bill 1480.

You may also want to talk to your legal advisor to understand how this law and others could apply to you.