97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5729

 

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. Esther Golar

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
820 ILCS 105/2  from Ch. 48, par. 1002
820 ILCS 105/5  from Ch. 48, par. 1005

    Amends the Minimum Wage Law. Provides that a lower minimum wage for individuals whose earning capacity is impaired by age or by physical or mental deficiency or injury may not be less than 70% of the basic minimum wage. Provides that a special license issued by the Director of Labor to provide for a lower minimum wage may be only for a period of 6 months unless granted for a longer period based upon a showing of good cause.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5729LRB097 19011 JLS 64250 b

1    AN ACT concerning wages.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Minimum Wage Law is amended by changing
5Sections 2 and 5 as follows:
 
6    (820 ILCS 105/2)  (from Ch. 48, par. 1002)
7    Sec. 2. The General Assembly finds that the existence in
8industries, trades or business, or branches thereof, including
9offices, mercantile establishments and all other places of
10employment in the State of Illinois covered by this Act, of
11conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum
12standard of living necessary for the health, efficiency and
13general well-being of workers, leads to labor disputes, and
14places burdens on the State, and all other subordinate
15political bodies thereof, to assist and supply necessary moneys
16and goods to workers and their families to aid them to exist on
17a minimum budget for their needs, and thus places an
18unnecessary burden on the taxpayers of this State. The General
19Assembly also finds that employees with disabilities, when
20provided the proper supported and customized services,
21training, and tools, can be as productive as non-disabled
22employees. Even those individuals who are severely disabled
23have been able to successfully obtain employment earning

 

 

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1minimum wage or higher and have been found to be very loyal
2employees. Disability should in no way diminish the opportunity
3of citizens to be independent and economically
4self-sufficient. People with disabilities should enjoy a
5presumption that they can achieve integrated, non-segregated,
6employment. "Integrated employment" means work compensated at
7the greater of minimum or competitive wage with related
8employment benefits occurring in a typical work setting where
9the disabled employee has the opportunity to interact
10continuously with non-disabled co-workers and has the
11opportunity for advancement and upward mobility. Therefore, it
12is the policy of this Act to establish a minimum wage standard
13for workers at a level consistent with their health, efficiency
14and general well-being; to safeguard such minimum wage against
15the unfair competition of wage and hour standards which do not
16provide such adequate standards of living; and to sustain
17purchasing power and increase employment opportunities.
18    It is against public policy for an employer to pay to his
19employees an amount less than that fixed by this Act. Payment
20of any amount less than herein fixed is an unreasonable and
21oppressive wage, and less than sufficient to meet the minimum
22cost of living necessary for health. Any contract, agreement or
23understanding for or in relation to such unreasonable and
24oppressive wage for any employment covered by this Act is void.
25(Source: P.A. 77-1451.)
 

 

 

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1    (820 ILCS 105/5)  (from Ch. 48, par. 1005)
2    Sec. 5. The Director may provide by regulation for the
3employment in any occupation of individuals whose earning
4capacity is impaired by age, or physical or mental deficiency
5or injury at such wages lower than the minimum wage rate
6provided in Section 4, subsection (a), as he may find
7appropriate to prevent curtailment of opportunities for
8employment, to avoid undue hardship, and to safeguard the
9minimum wage rate of this Act, except that no person who
10maintains a production level within the limits required of
11other employees may be paid at less than the minimum wage. No
12employee shall be employed at wages fixed pursuant to this
13Section except under a special license issued under applicable
14regulations of the Director. A special license may not
15authorize a wage that is less than 70% of the minimum wage rate
16provided in item (1) of subsection (a) of Section 4 of this
17Act. A special license may not authorize payment of less than
18the minimum wage for more than 6 months unless the Director
19authorizes a longer period based upon a showing of good cause.
20(Source: P.A. 77-1451.)