Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB2471

LRB104 09507 JRC 19570 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB2471

Introduced 2/4/2025, by Rep. Paul Jacobs

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 430/5-10.5

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that any person who has successfully completed the training required under this Act is considered to have successfully completed similar training requirements for harassment and discrimination prevention that may be required for employment in Illinois or to receive a license from the State. This includes, but may not be limited to, the training required under the Illinois Human Rights Act.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning government.

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

Section 5. The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act is amended by changing Section 5-10.5 as follows:

(5 ILCS 430/5-10.5)

Sec. 5-10.5. Harassment and discrimination prevention training.

(a) Until 2020, each officer, member, and employee must complete, at least annually, a sexual harassment training program. A person who fills a vacancy in an elective or appointed position that requires training under this Section must complete his or her initial sexual harassment training program within 30 days after commencement of his or her office or employment. The training shall include, at a minimum, the following: (i) the definition, and a description, of sexual harassment utilizing examples; (ii) details on how an individual can report an allegation of sexual harassment, including options for making a confidential report to a supervisor, ethics officer, Inspector General, or the Department of Human Rights; (iii) the definition, and description of, retaliation for reporting sexual harassment allegations utilizing examples, including availability of whistleblower protections under this Act, the Whistleblower Act, and the Illinois Human Rights Act; and (iv) the consequences of a violation of the prohibition on sexual harassment and the consequences for knowingly making a false report. Proof of completion must be submitted to the applicable ethics officer. Sexual harassment training programs shall be overseen by the appropriate Ethics Commission and Inspector General appointed under this Act.

(a-5) Beginning in 2020, each officer, member, and employee must complete, at least annually, a harassment and discrimination prevention training program. A person who fills a vacancy in an elective or appointed position that requires training under this subsection must complete his or her initial harassment and discrimination prevention training program within 30 days after commencement of his or her office or employment. The training shall include, at a minimum, the following: (i) the definition and a description of sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, and harassment, including examples of each; (ii) details on how an individual can report an allegation of sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, or harassment, including options for making a confidential report to a supervisor, ethics officer, Inspector General, or the Department of Human Rights; (iii) the definition and description of retaliation for reporting sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, or harassment allegations utilizing examples, including availability of whistleblower protections under this Act, the Whistleblower Act, and the Illinois Human Rights Act; and (iv) the consequences of a violation of the prohibition on sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, and harassment and the consequences for knowingly making a false report. Proof of completion must be submitted to the applicable ethics officer. Harassment and discrimination training programs shall be overseen by the appropriate Ethics Commission and Inspector General appointed under this Act.

For the purposes of this subsection, "unlawful discrimination" and "harassment" refer to discrimination and harassment prohibited under Section 2-102 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

(a-10) Any person who has successfully completed the training required under this Act is considered to have successfully completed the training requirements for harassment and discrimination prevention that may be required for employment in Illinois or to receive a license from the State. This includes, but may not be limited to, the training required under the Illinois Human Rights Act.

(b) Each ultimate jurisdictional authority shall submit to the applicable Ethics Commission, at least annually, or more frequently as required by that Commission, a report that summarizes the harassment and discrimination prevention training program that was completed during the previous year, and lays out the plan for the training program in the coming year. The report shall include the names of individuals that failed to complete the required training program. Each Ethics Commission shall make the reports available on its website.

(Source: P.A. 100-554, eff. 11-16-17; 101-221, eff. 8-9-19; 101-617, eff. 12-20-19.)