State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HB4407

 
                                              LRB9111406DHmbA

 1        AN ACT in relation to gender violence.

 2        WHEREAS,  Existing  State  and  federal   laws   do   not
 3    adequately  prevent  and remedy gender-related violence, such
 4    as domestic violence,  which  is  disproportionately  visited
 5    upon  women  by men; sexual abuse, which harms many women and
 6    children without being reported or prosecuted;  and  violence
 7    against  men  and  women  for  actual or attributed sexual or
 8    gender nonconformity; therefore

 9        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
10    represented in the General Assembly:

11        Section  1.  Short  title.  This  Act may be cited as the
12    Gender Violence Act.

13        Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
14        "Sex discrimination" means any of the following:
15             (1)  One  or  more  acts  of  violence  or  physical
16        aggression on the basis of sex, gender, or sexuality.
17             (2)  A physical intrusion or physical invasion of  a
18        sexual nature under coercive conditions.
19             (3)  A  threat  of  an  act described in item (1) or
20        (2).
21        "Sex, gender, or sexuality" includes but is  not  limited
22    to:
23             (1)  Actual,   perceived,   or   attributed   sexual
24        orientation.
25             (2)  Actual,   perceived,   or   attributed   gender
26        identity.
27             (3)  Actual,  perceived, or attributed sex or gender
28        role conformity or nonconformity.

29        Section 10. Cause of action.  Any  person  who  has  been
30    subjected  to sex discrimination may bring a civil action for
 
                            -2-               LRB9111406DHmbA
 1    damages, an injunction, or other appropriate  relief  against
 2    any  person responsible for that discrimination, whether that
 3    person is an individual, a group, a corporate entity,  or  an
 4    institution.

 5        Section  15. Relief. In an action brought under this Act,
 6    the court may award  actual  damages,  compensatory  damages,
 7    punitive damages, or injunctive relief, or any combination of
 8    those,   or   any   other  relief  the  court  determines  is
 9    appropriate.  The court may also award  attorney's  fees  and
10    costs to a prevailing plaintiff.

11        Section  20. Limitation. An action under this Act must be
12    commenced within 7 years after the right to bring the  action
13    first accrued.

14        Section  98.  Applicability.  This  Act  applies  only to
15    causes of action accruing on or after its effective date.

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