Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.

( )

740 ILCS 82/1

(740 ILCS 82/1)

Sec. 1.

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the
Gender Violence Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-416, eff. 1-1-04.)

740 ILCS 82/5

    (740 ILCS 82/5)
    Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Employee" has the meaning provided in Section 2-101 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.
    "Employer" has the meaning provided in Section 2-101 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.
    "Gender-related violence", which is a form of sex discrimination, means the following:
        (1) One or more acts of violence or physical

aggression satisfying the elements of battery under the laws of Illinois that are committed, at least in part, on the basis of a person's sex, whether or not those acts have resulted in criminal charges, prosecution, or conviction.

(2) A physical intrusion or physical invasion of a

sexual nature under coercive conditions satisfying the elements of battery under the laws of Illinois, whether or not the act or acts resulted in criminal charges, prosecution, or conviction.

(2.5) Domestic violence, as defined in the Victims'

Economic Security and Safety Act.

(3) A threat of an act described in item (1), (2), or

(2.5) causing a realistic apprehension that the originator of the threat will commit the act.

"Workplace" means the employer's premises, including any building, real property, and parking area under the control of the employer, or any location used by an employee while in the performance of the employee's job duties. "Workplace" includes activities occurring off-premises at employer-sponsored events where an employee is not performing the employee's job duties.

(Source: P.A. 103-282, eff. 1-1-24.)

740 ILCS 82/10

(740 ILCS 82/10)

Sec. 10.

Cause of action.

Any person who has been
subjected to gender-related violence as defined in Section 5
may bring a civil action for damages, injunctive relief, or other
appropriate relief against a person or persons perpetrating
that gender-related violence. For purposes of this Section,
"perpetrating" means either personally committing the
gender-related violence or personally encouraging or
assisting the act or acts of gender-related violence.

(Source: P.A. 93-416, eff. 1-1-04.)

740 ILCS 82/11

    (740 ILCS 82/11)
    Sec. 11. Employer liability for an employee or agent.

(a) An employer is only liable for gender-related violence committed in the workplace by an employee or agent of the employer when the interaction giving rise to the gender-related violence arises out of and in the course of employment with the employer. Liability only extends to gender-related violence that occurs: (i) while the employee was directly performing the employee's job duties and the gender-related violence was the proximate cause of the injury; or (ii) while the agent of the employer was directly involved in the gender-related violence and the performance of the contracted work was the proximate cause of the injury. Proximate cause exists when the actions of the employee or the agent of the employer were a substantial factor in causing the injury.

An employer is liable if the employer has acted in a manner inconsistent with how a reasonable person would act under similar circumstances.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), an employer is only liable for gender-related violence if the employer:
(1) failed to supervise, train, or monitor the

employee who engaged in the gender-related violence. An employer providing training pursuant to Section 2-109 of the Illinois Human Rights Act shall have an affirmative defense that adequate training was provided to the employee; or

(2) failed to investigate complaints or reports

directly provided to a supervisor, manager, owner, or another person designated by the employer of similar conduct by an employee or agent of the employer and the employer failed to take remedial measures in response to the complaints or reports.

(c) Nothing in this Act precludes a person who has been the victim of gender-related violence from pursuing any other right or cause of action created by statute or common law.

(Source: P.A. 103-282, eff. 1-1-24.)

740 ILCS 82/15

(740 ILCS 82/15)

Sec. 15.

Relief.

In an action brought under this Act,
the court may award damages, injunctive relief, or other appropriate
relief. The court may award actual damages, damages for
emotional distress, or punitive damages. A judgment may
also include attorney's fees and costs.

(Source: P.A. 93-416, eff. 1-1-04.)

740 ILCS 82/20

(740 ILCS 82/20)

Sec. 20. Limitation.

An action by an individual based on gender-related violence as
defined
in
paragraph (1), (2), or (2.5) of Section 5 must be commenced within 7 years after the
cause of
action accrued, except that if the person entitled to bring the action was a
minor at the
time the cause of action accrued, the action must be commenced within 7 years
after the
person reaches the age of 18. An action based on gender-related violence as
defined in
paragraph (3) of Section 5 must be commenced within 2 years after the cause of
action
accrued, except that if the person entitled to bring the action was a minor at
the time the
cause of action accrued, the action must be commenced within 2 years after the
person
reaches the age of 18. An action against an employer pursuant to Section 11 must be commenced within 4 years after the cause of action accrued, except that if the person entitled to bring the action was a minor at the time the cause of action accrued, the action must be commenced within 4 years after the person reaches the age of 18.

(Source: P.A. 103-282, eff. 1-1-24.)

740 ILCS 82/98

(740 ILCS 82/98)

Sec. 98.

Applicability.

This Act applies only to
causes of action accruing on or after its effective date.

(Source: P.A. 93-416, eff. 1-1-04.)