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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 Whistleblower Act is amended by changing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Sections 5, 15, 20, 20.1, 20.2, 25, and 30 and by adding | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Section 31 as follows: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | (740 ILCS 174/5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | "Adverse employment action" means any action that creates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | an adverse change in the terms and conditions of employment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | viewed in the totality of circumstances. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | "Employer" means: an individual, sole proprietorship, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | partnership, firm, corporation, association, and any other | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | entity that has one or more employees in this State, including | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | a political subdivision of the State; a unit of local | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | government; a school district, combination of school | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | districts, or governing body of a joint agreement of any type | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | formed by two or more school districts; a community college | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | district, State college or university, or any State agency | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | whose major function is providing educational services; any | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | authority including a department, division, bureau, board, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | commission, or other agency of these entities; and any person | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer |
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1 | in relation to an employee within the scope of his or her | ||||||
2 | authority express or implied on behalf of those entities in | ||||||
3 | dealing with its employees . | ||||||
4 | "Employee" means any individual permitted to work who is | ||||||
5 | employed on a full-time, part-time, or contractual basis by an | ||||||
6 | employer unless: | ||||||
7 | (1) the individual has been and will continue to be | ||||||
8 | free from control and direction over the performance of | ||||||
9 | his or her work, both under his or her contract of service | ||||||
10 | with his or her employer and in fact; | ||||||
11 | (2) the individual performs work which is either | ||||||
12 | outside the usual course of business or is performed | ||||||
13 | outside all of the places of business of the employer | ||||||
14 | unless the employer is in the business of contracting with | ||||||
15 | parties for the placement of employees; and | ||||||
16 | (3) the individual is in an independently established | ||||||
17 | trade, occupation, profession, or business. | ||||||
18 | "Employee" also includes, but is not limited to, a | ||||||
19 | licensed physician who practices his or her profession, in | ||||||
20 | whole or in part, at a hospital, nursing home, clinic, or any | ||||||
21 | medical facility that is a health care facility funded whole | ||||||
22 | or in part, by the State. | ||||||
23 | "Public body" means any of the following: the State; any | ||||||
24 | officer, board, political subdivision, or commission of the | ||||||
25 | State; any institution supported in whole or in part by public | ||||||
26 | funds; units of local government; and school districts. |
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1 | "Retaliatory action" means an adverse employment action or | ||||||
2 | the threat of an adverse employment action by an employer or | ||||||
3 | his or her agent to penalize or any non-employment action that | ||||||
4 | would dissuade a reasonable worker from disclosing information | ||||||
5 | under this Act. "Retaliatory action" includes, but is not | ||||||
6 | limited to: | ||||||
7 | (1) taking, or threatening to take, any action that | ||||||
8 | would intentionally interfere with an employee's ability | ||||||
9 | to obtain future employment or post-termination | ||||||
10 | retaliation to intentionally interfere with a former | ||||||
11 | employee's employment; | ||||||
12 | (2) taking, or threatening to take, any action | ||||||
13 | prohibited by subsection (G) of Section 2-102 of the | ||||||
14 | Illinois Human Rights Act; or | ||||||
15 | (3) contacting, or threatening to contact, United | ||||||
16 | States immigration authorities, or otherwise reporting, or | ||||||
17 | threatening to report, an employee's suspected or actual | ||||||
18 | citizenship or immigration status or the suspected or | ||||||
19 | actual citizenship or immigration status of an employee's | ||||||
20 | family or household member to a federal, State, or local | ||||||
21 | agency. | ||||||
22 | "Retaliatory action" does not include: | ||||||
23 | (1) conduct undertaken at the express and specific | ||||||
24 | direction or request of the federal government; or | ||||||
25 | (2) truthful, performance-related information about an | ||||||
26 | employee or former employee provided in good faith to a |
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1 | prospective employer at the request of the prospective | ||||||
2 | employer . "Employee" also includes, but is not limited to, | ||||||
3 | a licensed physician who practices his or her profession, | ||||||
4 | in whole or in part, at a hospital, nursing home, clinic, | ||||||
5 | or any medical facility that is a health care facility | ||||||
6 | funded, in whole or in part, by the State. | ||||||
7 | "Supervisor" means (i) any individual within an employer's | ||||||
8 | organization, or an organization the employer has a | ||||||
9 | contractual relationship with, (ii) any individual who has the | ||||||
10 | authority to direct and control the work performance of the | ||||||
11 | affected employee, or (iii) any individual who has managerial | ||||||
12 | authority to take corrective action regarding a violation of | ||||||
13 | the law, rule, or regulation disclosed by an employee in | ||||||
14 | accordance with Section 15. | ||||||
15 | (Source: P.A. 95-128, eff. 1-1-08; 96-1253, eff. 1-1-11.) | ||||||
16 | (740 ILCS 174/15) | ||||||
17 | Sec. 15. Retaliation for certain disclosures prohibited. | ||||||
18 | (a) An employer may not take retaliatory action retaliate | ||||||
19 | against an employee who discloses or threatens to disclose to | ||||||
20 | a public body conducting investigation, or in a court, an | ||||||
21 | administrative hearing, or any other proceeding initiated by a | ||||||
22 | public body, information related to an activity, policy, or | ||||||
23 | practice of the employer where the employee has a good faith | ||||||
24 | belief that the activity, policy, or practice (i) violates in | ||||||
25 | a court, an administrative hearing, or before a legislative |
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1 | commission or committee, or in any other proceeding, where the | ||||||
2 | employee has reasonable cause to believe that the information | ||||||
3 | discloses a violation of a State or federal law, rule, or | ||||||
4 | regulation or (ii) poses a substantial and specific danger to | ||||||
5 | co-workers, public health or safety. . | ||||||
6 | (b) An employer may not take retaliatory action retaliate | ||||||
7 | against an employee for disclosing or threatening to disclose | ||||||
8 | information to a government or law enforcement agency | ||||||
9 | information to an activity, policy, or practice of the | ||||||
10 | employer , where the employee has a good faith belief that the | ||||||
11 | activity, policy, or practice of the employer (i) violates | ||||||
12 | reasonable cause to believe that the information discloses a | ||||||
13 | violation of a State or federal law, rule, or regulation or | ||||||
14 | (ii) poses a substantial and specific danger to co- workers, | ||||||
15 | public health, or safety . | ||||||
16 | (c) An employer may not take retaliatory action against an | ||||||
17 | employee for disclosing or threatening to disclose to any | ||||||
18 | employees with supervisory authority, principal officer, or | ||||||
19 | board member, information related to an activity, policy, or | ||||||
20 | practice of the employer where the employee has a good faith | ||||||
21 | belief that the activity, policy, or practice(i) violates a | ||||||
22 | State or federal law, rule, or regulation or (ii) poses a | ||||||
23 | substantial and specific danger to co-workers, or public | ||||||
24 | health or safety. | ||||||
25 | (Source: P.A. 95-128, eff. 1-1-08.) |
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1 | (740 ILCS 174/20) | ||||||
2 | Sec. 20. Retaliation for certain refusals prohibited. An | ||||||
3 | employer may not take retaliatory action retaliate against an | ||||||
4 | employee for refusing to participate in an activity that the | ||||||
5 | employee has a good faith belief that such participation would | ||||||
6 | result in a violation of a State or federal law, rule, or | ||||||
7 | regulation, including, but not limited to, violations of the | ||||||
8 | Freedom of Information Act. | ||||||
9 | (Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09.) | ||||||
10 | (740 ILCS 174/20.1) | ||||||
11 | Sec. 20.1. Other retaliation. Any other act or omission | ||||||
12 | not otherwise specifically set forth in this Act, whether | ||||||
13 | within or without the workplace, also constitutes retaliatory | ||||||
14 | action retaliation by an employer under this Act if the act or | ||||||
15 | omission would be materially adverse to a reasonable employee | ||||||
16 | and is because of the employee disclosing or attempting to | ||||||
17 | disclose public corruption or wrongdoing. | ||||||
18 | (Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09.) | ||||||
19 | (740 ILCS 174/20.2) | ||||||
20 | Sec. 20.2. Threatening retaliation. An employer may not | ||||||
21 | threaten any employee with any act or omission if that act or | ||||||
22 | omission would constitute retaliatory action retaliation | ||||||
23 | against the employee under this Act. | ||||||
24 | (Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09.) |
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1 | (740 ILCS 174/25) | ||||||
2 | Sec. 25. Criminal Civil penalty. Violation of this Act is | ||||||
3 | a Class A misdemeanor. | ||||||
4 | (Source: P.A. 93-544, eff. 1-1-04.) | ||||||
5 | (740 ILCS 174/30) | ||||||
6 | Sec. 30. Damages and penalties . If an employer takes any | ||||||
7 | retaliatory action against an employee in violation of Section | ||||||
8 | 15 or 20, the employee may bring a civil action against the | ||||||
9 | employer for all relief necessary to make the employee whole, | ||||||
10 | including but not limited to the following, as appropriate: | ||||||
11 | (1) permanent or preliminary injunctive relief; | ||||||
12 | (1.5) reinstatement with the same seniority status | ||||||
13 | that the employee would have had, but for the violation; | ||||||
14 | (2) back pay, with interest , and front pay, or, in | ||||||
15 | lieu of actual damages, at the employee's election, | ||||||
16 | liquidated damages of $30,000 ; and | ||||||
17 | (3) compensation for any costs incurred damages | ||||||
18 | sustained as a result of the violation, including | ||||||
19 | litigation costs, expert witness fees, and reasonable | ||||||
20 | attorney's fees. | ||||||
21 | (4) Consequential damages, where the damages are a | ||||||
22 | direct and foreseeable result of an employer's violation | ||||||
23 | of this Act. | ||||||
24 | In addition to the remedies specified in paragraphs (1) |
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1 | through (5), the Attorney General may request and the finder | ||||||
2 | of fact may impose a civil penalty in the amount of $5,000 for | ||||||
3 | each violation, or $10,000 for the second and each subsequent | ||||||
4 | violation within a 5-year period. For purposes of this | ||||||
5 | Section, each violation of this Act for each employee the | ||||||
6 | employer took or threatened to take retaliatory action against | ||||||
7 | shall constitute a separate and distinct violation. A civil | ||||||
8 | penalty imposed under this Section shall be deposited into the | ||||||
9 | Attorney General Court Ordered and Voluntary Compliance | ||||||
10 | Payment Projects Fund. | ||||||
11 | (Source: P.A. 93-544, eff. 1-1-04.) | ||||||
12 | (740 ILCS 174/31 new) | ||||||
13 | Sec. 31. Attorney General enforcement. | ||||||
14 | (a) Whenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to | ||||||
15 | believe that any person or entity ha s engaged in a practice | ||||||
16 | prohibited by this Act, the Attorney General may, pursuant to | ||||||
17 | the authority conferred by Section 6.3 of the Attorney General | ||||||
18 | Act, initiate or intervene in a civil action in the name of the | ||||||
19 | People of the State in any appropriate court to obtain | ||||||
20 | appropriate relief. | ||||||
21 | (b) Before initiating an action, the Attorney General may | ||||||
22 | conduct an investigation and may: | ||||||
23 | (1) require an individual or entity to file a | ||||||
24 | statement or report in writing, under oath or otherwise, | ||||||
25 | as to all information the Attorney General may consider |
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1 | necessary; | ||||||
2 | (2) examine under oath any person alleged to have | ||||||
3 | participated in, or with knowledge of, the alleged | ||||||
4 | violation; or | ||||||
5 | (3) issue subpoenas or conduct hearings in aid of any | ||||||
6 | investigation. | ||||||
7 | (c) Service by the Attorney General of any notice | ||||||
8 | requiring a person or entity to file a statement or report, or | ||||||
9 | of a subpoena upon any person or entity, shall be made: | ||||||
10 | (1) personally by delivery of a duly executed copy | ||||||
11 | thereof to the person to be served or, if a person is not a | ||||||
12 | natural person, in the manner provided in the Code of | ||||||
13 | Civil Procedure when a complaint is filed; or | ||||||
14 | (2) by mailing by certified mail a duly executed copy | ||||||
15 | thereof to the person to be served at his or her last known | ||||||
16 | abode or principal place of business within this State or, | ||||||
17 | if the person is not a natural person, in the manner | ||||||
18 | provided in the Code of Civil Procedure when a complaint | ||||||
19 | is filed. | ||||||
20 | The Attorney General may compel compliance with | ||||||
21 | investigative demands under this Section through an order by | ||||||
22 | any court of competent jurisdiction. | ||||||
23 | Section 90. Applicability. The changes made by this | ||||||
24 | amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly apply to claims | ||||||
25 | arising or complaints filed on or after January 1, 2025. |
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1 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January | ||||||
2 | 1, 2025. |