94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
SB1632

 

Introduced 2/23/2005, by Sen. Bill Brady

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
775 ILCS 5/2-104   from Ch. 68, par. 2-104

    Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. In the Employment Article, provides that the Act does not apply to a religious organization, association, or society or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society with respect to employment qualifications based on religion or sexual orientation. Effective January 1, 2006.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning human rights.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by
5 changing Section 2-104 as follows:
 
6     (775 ILCS 5/2-104)  (from Ch. 68, par. 2-104)
7     Sec. 2-104. Exemptions.
8     (A) Nothing contained in this Act shall prohibit an
9 employer, employment agency or labor organization from:
10         (1) Bona Fide Qualification. Hiring or selecting
11     between persons for bona fide occupational qualifications
12     or any reason except those civil-rights violations
13     specifically identified in this Article.
14         (2) Veterans. Giving preferential treatment to
15     veterans and their relatives as required by the laws or
16     regulations of the United States or this State or a unit of
17     local government.
18         (3) Unfavorable Discharge From Military Service. Using
19     unfavorable discharge from military service as a valid
20     employment criterion when authorized by federal law or
21     regulation or when a position of employment involves the
22     exercise of fiduciary responsibilities as defined by rules
23     and regulations which the Department shall adopt.
24         (4) Ability Tests. Giving or acting upon the results of
25     any professionally developed ability test provided that
26     such test, its administration, or action upon the results,
27     is not used as a subterfuge for or does not have the effect
28     of unlawful discrimination.
29         (5) Merit and Retirement Systems.
30             (a) Applying different standards of compensation,
31         or different terms, conditions or privileges of
32         employment pursuant to a merit or retirement system

 

 

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1         provided that such system or its administration is not
2         used as a subterfuge for or does not have the effect of
3         unlawful discrimination.
4             (b) Effecting compulsory retirement of any
5         employee who has attained 65 years of age and who, for
6         the 2-year period immediately preceding retirement, is
7         employed in a bona fide executive or a high
8         policymaking position, if such employee is entitled to
9         an immediate nonforfeitable annual retirement benefit
10         from a pension, profit-sharing, savings, or deferred
11         compensation plan, or any combination of such plans of
12         the employer of such employee, which equals, in the
13         aggregate, at least $44,000. If any such retirement
14         benefit is in a form other than a straight life annuity
15         (with no ancillary benefits) or if the employees
16         contribute to any such plan or make rollover
17         contributions, the retirement benefit shall be
18         adjusted in accordance with regulations prescribed by
19         the Department, so that the benefit is the equivalent
20         of a straight life annuity (with no ancillary benefits)
21         under a plan to which employees do not contribute and
22         under which no rollover contributions are made.
23             (c) Until January 1, 1994, effecting compulsory
24         retirement of any employee who has attained 70 years of
25         age, and who is serving under a contract of unlimited
26         tenure (or similar arrangement providing for unlimited
27         tenure) at an institution of higher education as
28         defined by Section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act
29         of 1965.
30         (6) Training and Apprenticeship programs. Establishing
31     an educational requirement as a prerequisite to selection
32     for a training or apprenticeship program, provided such
33     requirement does not operate to discriminate on the basis
34     of any prohibited classification except age.
35         (7) Police and Firefighter/Paramedic Retirement.
36     Imposing a mandatory retirement age for

 

 

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1     firefighters/paramedics or law enforcement officers and
2     discharging or retiring such individuals pursuant to the
3     mandatory retirement age if such action is taken pursuant
4     to a bona fide retirement plan provided that the law
5     enforcement officer or firefighter/paramedic has attained:
6             (a) the age of retirement in effect under
7         applicable State or local law on March 3, 1983; or
8             (b) if the applicable State or local law was
9         enacted after the date of enactment of the federal Age
10         Discrimination in Employment Act Amendments of 1996
11         (P.L. 104-208), the age of retirement in effect on the
12         date of such discharge under such law.
13         This paragraph (7) shall not apply with respect to any
14     cause of action arising under the Illinois Human Rights Act
15     as in effect prior to the effective date of this amendatory
16     Act of 1997.
17         (8) Police and Firefighter/Paramedic Appointment.
18     Failing or refusing to hire any individual because of such
19     individual's age if such action is taken with respect to
20     the employment of an individual as a firefighter/paramedic
21     or as a law enforcement officer and the individual has
22     attained:
23             (a) the age of hiring or appointment in effect
24         under applicable State or local law on March 3, 1983;
25         or
26             (b) the age of hiring in effect on the date of such
27         failure or refusal to hire under applicable State or
28         local law enacted after the date of enactment of the
29         federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act
30         Amendments of 1996 (P.L. 104-208).
31         As used in paragraph (7) or (8):
32          "Firefighter/paramedic" means an employee, the duties
33     of whose position are primarily to perform work directly
34     connected with the control and extinguishment of fires or
35     the maintenance and use of firefighting apparatus and
36     equipment, or to provide emergency medical services,

 

 

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1     including an employee engaged in this activity who is
2     transferred to a supervisory or administrative position.
3          "Law enforcement officer" means an employee, the
4     duties of whose position are primarily the investigation,
5     apprehension, or detention of individuals suspected or
6     convicted of criminal offenses, including an employee
7     engaged in this activity who is transferred to a
8     supervisory or administrative position.
9         (9) Citizenship Status. Making legitimate distinctions
10     based on citizenship status if specifically authorized or
11     required by State or federal law.
12         
13     (B) With respect to any employee who is subject to a
14 collective bargaining agreement:
15         (a) which is in effect on June 30, 1986,
16         (b) which terminates after January 1, 1987,
17         (c) any provision of which was entered into by a labor
18     organization as defined by Section 6(d)(4) of the Fair
19     Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)(4)), and
20         (d) which contains any provision that would be
21     superseded by this amendatory Act of 1987 (Public Act
22     85-748),
23 such amendatory Act of 1987 shall not apply until the
24 termination of such collective bargaining agreement or January
25 1, 1990, whichever occurs first.
26     (C)(1) For purposes of this Act, the term "handicap" shall
27 not include any employee or applicant who is currently engaging
28 in the illegal use of drugs, when an employer acts on the basis
29 of such use.
30     (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply where an employee or
31 applicant for employment:
32         (a) has successfully completed a supervised drug
33     rehabilitation program and is no longer engaging in the
34     illegal use of drugs, or has otherwise been rehabilitated
35     successfully and is no longer engaging in such use;
36         (b) is participating in a supervised rehabilitation

 

 

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1     program and is no longer engaging in such use; or
2         (c) is erroneously regarded as engaging in such use,
3     but is not engaging in such use.
4     It shall not be a violation of this Act for an employer to
5 adopt or administer reasonable policies or procedures,
6 including but not limited to drug testing, designed to ensure
7 that an individual described in subparagraph (a) or (b) is no
8 longer engaging in the illegal use of drugs.
9     (3) An employer:
10         (a) may prohibit the illegal use of drugs and the use
11     of alcohol at the workplace by all employees;
12         (b) may require that employees shall not be under the
13     influence of alcohol or be engaging in the illegal use of
14     drugs at the workplace;
15         (c) may require that employees behave in conformance
16     with the requirements established under the federal
17     Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (11 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) and
18     the Drug Free Workplace Act;
19         (d) may hold an employee who engages in the illegal use
20     of drugs or who is an alcoholic to the same qualification
21     standards for employment or job performance and behavior
22     that such employer holds other employees, even if any
23     unsatisfactory performance or behavior is related to the
24     drug use or alcoholism of such employee; and
25         (e) may, with respect to federal regulations regarding
26     alcohol and the illegal use of drugs, require that:
27             (i) employees comply with the standards
28         established in such regulations of the United States
29         Department of Defense, if the employees of the employer
30         are employed in an industry subject to such
31         regulations, including complying with regulations (if
32         any) that apply to employment in sensitive positions in
33         such an industry, in the case of employees of the
34         employer who are employed in such positions (as defined
35         in the regulations of the Department of Defense);
36             (ii) employees comply with the standards

 

 

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1         established in such regulations of the Nuclear
2         Regulatory Commission, if the employees of the
3         employer are employed in an industry subject to such
4         regulations, including complying with regulations (if
5         any) that apply to employment in sensitive positions in
6         such an industry, in the case of employees of the
7         employer who are employed in such positions (as defined
8         in the regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory
9         Commission); and
10             (iii) employees comply with the standards
11         established in such regulations of the United States
12         Department of Transportation, if the employees of the
13         employer are employed in a transportation industry
14         subject to such regulations, including complying with
15         such regulations (if any) that apply to employment in
16         sensitive positions in such an industry, in the case of
17         employees of the employer who are employed in such
18         positions (as defined in the regulations of the United
19         States Department of Transportation).
20     (4) For purposes of this Act, a test to determine the
21 illegal use of drugs shall not be considered a medical
22 examination. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to
23 encourage, prohibit, or authorize the conducting of drug
24 testing for the illegal use of drugs by job applicants or
25 employees or making employment decisions based on such test
26 results.
27     (5) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to encourage,
28 prohibit, restrict, or authorize the otherwise lawful exercise
29 by an employer subject to the jurisdiction of the United States
30 Department of Transportation of authority to:
31         (a) test employees of such employer in, and applicants
32     for, positions involving safety-sensitive duties for the
33     illegal use of drugs and for on-duty impairment by alcohol;
34     and
35         (b) remove such persons who test positive for illegal
36     use of drugs and on-duty impairment by alcohol pursuant to

 

 

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1     subparagraph (a) from safety-sensitive duties in
2     implementing paragraph (3).
3     (D) The provisions of this Act do not apply to a religious
4 organization, association, or society or any nonprofit
5 institution or organization operated, supervised, or
6 controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization,
7 association, or society with respect to employment
8 qualifications based on religion or sexual orientation.
9 (Source: P.A. 90-481, eff. 8-17-97.)
 
10     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
11 1, 2006.