Labor & Employment

Amends the Chicago Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that if a policeman has an application for an ordinary disability benefit denied by the Board of Trustees of the Fund or has a duty disability benefit, ordinary disability benefit, or occupational disability benefit terminated by the Board and brings an action for administrative review challenging the termination or denial of the disability benefit and the policeman prevails in the action in administrative review, then the prevailing policeman shall be entitled to recover from the Fund court costs and litigation expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, as part of the costs of the action. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2025, the credit for employee child care shall be in an amount equal to: (1) 50% of the start-up costs expended by the corporate taxpayer to provide a child care facility for the children of its employees; and (2) 20% of the annual amount paid by the corporate taxpayer to (i) provide an on-site child care facility for the children of its employees, (ii) provide child care offsite for the children of its employees, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii) (currently, 30% of the start-up costs and 5% of the annual amount paid by the taxpayer in providing the child care facility). Provides that the taxpayer may coordinate with an independent child care facility to provide care for the children of employees. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Makes changes to administrative fees paid to the Department of Labor. Makes changes in provisions concerning the collection of unpaid wages, penalties, damages, fines, and fees. Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a policeman who applies for disability benefits under the Article and has been denied reinstatement as a policeman by his or her employer because of a physical or mental incapacity shall be presumed to be disabled as that term is used in the Article. Provides that no policeman who otherwise meets the requirements for a disability benefit shall be denied a disability benefit unless and until the policeman's employer reinstates him or her as a policeman or offers him or her a limited-duty position. Provides that any policeman who has been denied a disability benefit without an offer of reinstatement or a limited-duty position after the effective date of the amendatory Act is entitled to disability benefits. Provides that if a policeman has an application for an ordinary disability benefit denied by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees of the Fund or has a duty disability benefit, ordinary disability benefit, or occupational disability benefit terminated by a majority vote of the Board and brings an action for administrative review challenging the termination or denial of the disability benefit and the policeman prevails in the action in administrative review, then the prevailing policeman shall be entitled to recover from the Fund court costs and litigation expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, as part of the costs of the action. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Creates the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Act. Creates the Division of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Department of Labor. Requires the Division to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program that provides benefits to employees. Provides that the program shall be administered by the Deputy Director of the Division. Sets forth eligibility requirements for benefits under the Act. Provides that a self-employed individual may elect to be covered under the Act. Contains provisions concerning disqualification from benefits; compensation for leave; the amount and duration of benefits; payments for benefits under the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Fund; employer equivalent plans; annual reports by the Department; hearings; penalties; notice; the coordination of leave provided under the Act with leave allowed under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, a collective bargaining agreement, or any local county or municipal ordinance; rulemaking; and other matters. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Fund. Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts certain documents collected by the Division of Paid Family and Medical Leave from the Act's disclosure requirements. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. Provides that an employer shall provide 30 minutes of paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her nursing infant child each time the employee has the need to express milk for one year after the child's birth. Provides that the employee may use other paid break time or meal time for any time needed in excess of 30 minutes. Provides that an employer shall provide paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) as needed by the employee unless to do so would create an undue hardship.

Amends the University of Illinois Hospital Act and Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that a hospital shall ensure that all employees of the hospital have a panic button attached to their staff identification card. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program Act. Provides that the accounts established under the Secure Choice Savings Program shall be IRAs, into which enrollees contribute funds that are invested in investment options established by the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Board. Provides that a separate account shall be established for each enrollee and the accounts shall be owned by the enrollee. Provides that the savings accounts established under the Program shall be portable and allow for an enrollee to make contributions from multiple employers into a single account. Provides that an enrollee in the Program may have both a Roth IRA and a Traditional IRA through the Program. Provides that the Board shall have the duty to assess the feasibility of agreements with other governmental entities, including other states and their agencies and instrumentalities, to achieve greater economies of scale through shared resources and to enter into those agreements if determined to be beneficial. Provides that an employer who fails without reasonable cause to enroll an employee in the Program within the time provided and fails to remit their contributions (rather than fails without reasonable cause to enroll an employee in the Program within the time provided) shall be subject to a penalty. Makes changes in provisions concerning employer and employee information packets. Effective immediately.

Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Provides that a public employer that willfully (rather than intentionally) violates the Act, the Safety Inspection and Education Act, or the Health and Safety Act, or any standard, rule, regulation, or order under any of those Acts, or who demonstrates plain indifference to any provision of any of those Acts or any such standard, rule, regulation, or order, may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $70,000 per violation (rather than $10,000 per violation).

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Expands the categories of families eligible for child care assistance to include families with a parent or guardian who is employed as a mental health care worker, teacher, or health care provider and has income below the specified income threshold established for such families. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law or administrative rule to the contrary, beginning in State Fiscal Year 2026, for families with a parent or guardian who is employed as a mental health care worker, teacher, or health care provider, the specified income threshold shall be no less than 300% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family size. Defines terms. Effective July 1, 2025.