SB0593 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 08838 AJO 29024 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0593

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. John J. Cullerton

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

775 ILCS 5/1-102	from Ch. 68, par. 1-102
775 ILCS 5/1-103	from Ch. 68, par. 1-103
775 ILCS 5/3-102.1	from Ch. 68, par. 3-102.1
775 ILCS 5/3-104.1	from Ch. 68, par. 3-104.1
775 ILCS 5/5-101	from Ch. 68, par. 5-101
775 ILCS 5/5-102	from Ch. 68, par. 5-102
775 ILCS 5/5-102.1 new

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that references throughout the Act to people with a disability will be by use of the term "person with a disability" or the term "disabled" (at present, "handicapped"). In the definition of "place of public accommodation", deletes the existing examples and inserts language listing facilities that are considered public accommodations for purposes of the Article. Provides that it is a civil rights violation to deny or refuse full and equal enjoyment of goods of any place of public accommodation. Provides that it is not a civil rights violation for a health care professional to respond to a person protected under the Act by referring the person to another professional or to refuse to treat or provide services to that person, if in the normal exercise of his or her profession the health care professional would for the same reason respond in the same way to an individual who is not protected under the Act who seeks or requires the same or similar treatment or services. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning civil law.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by changing Sections 1-102, 1-103, 3-102.1, 3-104.1, 5-101, and 5-102 and by adding Section 5-102.1 as follows:

(775 ILCS 5/1-102) (from Ch. 68, par. 1-102)

Sec. 1-102. Declaration of Policy. It is the public policy of this State:

(A) Freedom from Unlawful Discrimination. To secure for all individuals within Illinois the freedom from discrimination against any individual because of his or her race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability handicap, military status, sexual orientation, or unfavorable discharge from military service in connection with employment, real estate transactions, access to financial credit, and the availability of public accommodations.

(B) Freedom from Sexual Harassment-Employment and Higher Education. To prevent sexual harassment in employment and sexual harassment in higher education.

(C) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Citizenship Status-Employment. To prevent discrimination based on citizenship status in employment.

(D) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Familial Status-Real Estate Transactions. To prevent discrimination based on familial status in real estate transactions.

(E) Public Health, Welfare and Safety. To promote the public health, welfare and safety by protecting the interest of all people in Illinois in maintaining personal dignity, in realizing their full productive capacities, and in furthering their interests, rights and privileges as citizens of this State.

(F) Implementation of Constitutional Guarantees. To secure and guarantee the rights established by Sections 17, 18 and 19 of Article I of the Illinois Constitution of 1970.

(G) Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action. To establish Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action as the policies of this State in all of its decisions, programs and activities, and to assure that all State departments, boards, commissions and instrumentalities rigorously take affirmative action to provide equality of opportunity and eliminate the effects of past discrimination in the internal affairs of State government and in their relations with the public.

(H) Unfounded Charges. To protect citizens of this State against unfounded charges of unlawful discrimination, sexual harassment in employment and sexual harassment in higher education, and discrimination based on citizenship status in employment.

(Source: P.A. 93-1078, eff. 1-1-06.)

(775 ILCS 5/1-103) (from Ch. 68, par. 1-103)

Sec. 1-103. General Definitions. When used in this Act, unless the context requires otherwise, the term:

(A) Age. "Age" means the chronological age of a person who is at least 40 years old, except with regard to any practice described in Section 2-102, insofar as that practice concerns training or apprenticeship programs. In the case of training or apprenticeship programs, for the purposes of Section 2-102, "age" means the chronological age of a person who is 18 but not yet 40 years old.

(B) Aggrieved Party. "Aggrieved party" means a person who is alleged or proved to have been injured by a civil rights violation or believes he or she will be injured by a civil rights violation under Article 3 that is about to occur.

(C) Charge. "Charge" means an allegation filed with the Department by an aggrieved party or initiated by the Department under its authority.

(D) Civil Rights Violation. "Civil rights violation" includes and shall be limited to only those specific acts set forth in Sections 2-102, 2-103, 2-105, 3-102, 3-103, 3-104, 3-104.1, 3-105, 4-102, 4-103, 5-102, 5A-102 and 6-101 of this Act.

(E) Commission. "Commission" means the Human Rights Commission created by this Act.

(F) Complaint. "Complaint" means the formal pleading filed by the Department with the Commission following an investigation and finding of substantial evidence of a civil rights violation.

(G) Complainant. "Complainant" means a person including the Department who files a charge of civil rights violation with the Department or the Commission.

(H) Department. "Department" means the Department of Human Rights created by this Act.

(I) Disability Handicap. "Disability" "Handicap" means a determinable physical or mental characteristic of a person, including, but not limited to, a determinable physical characteristic which necessitates the person's use of a guide, hearing or support dog, the history of such characteristic, or the perception of such characteristic by the person complained against, which may result from disease, injury, congenital condition of birth or functional disorder and which characteristic:

(1) For purposes of Article 2 is unrelated to the person's ability to perform the duties of a particular job or position and, pursuant to Section 2-104 of this Act, a person's illegal use of drugs or alcohol is not a disability handicap;

(2) For purposes of Article 3, is unrelated to the person's ability to acquire, rent or maintain a housing accommodation;

(3) For purposes of Article 4, is unrelated to a person's ability to repay;

(4) For purposes of Article 5, is unrelated to a person's ability to utilize and benefit from a place of public accommodation.

(J) Marital Status. "Marital status" means the legal status of being married, single, separated, divorced or widowed.

(J-1) Military Status. "Military status" means a person's status on active duty in or status as a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, status as a current member or veteran of any reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the United States Army Reserve, United States Marine Corps Reserve, United States Navy Reserve, United States Air Force Reserve, and United States Coast Guard Reserve, or status as a current member or veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard or Illinois Air National Guard.

(K) National Origin. "National origin" means the place in which a person or one of his or her ancestors was born.

(L) Person. "Person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations or organizations, labor organizations, labor unions, joint apprenticeship committees, or union labor associations, corporations, the State of Illinois and its instrumentalities, political subdivisions, units of local government, legal representatives, trustees in bankruptcy or receivers.

(M) Public Contract. "Public contract" includes every contract to which the State, any of its political subdivisions or any municipal corporation is a party.

(N) Religion. "Religion" includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief, except that with respect to employers, for the purposes of Article 2, "religion" has the meaning ascribed to it in paragraph (F) of Section 2-101.

(O) Sex. "Sex" means the status of being male or female.

(O-1) Sexual orientation. "Sexual orientation" means actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or gender-related identity, whether or not traditionally associated with the person's designated sex at birth. "Sexual orientation" does not include a physical or sexual attraction to a minor by an adult.

(P) Unfavorable Military Discharge. "Unfavorable military discharge" includes discharges from the Armed Forces of the United States, their Reserve components or any National Guard or Naval Militia which are classified as RE-3 or the equivalent thereof, but does not include those characterized as RE-4 or "Dishonorable".

(Q) Unlawful Discrimination. "Unlawful discrimination" means discrimination against a person because of his or her race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, disability handicap, military status, sexual orientation, or unfavorable discharge from military service as those terms are defined in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 93-941, eff. 8-16-04; 93-1078, eff. 1-1-06; 94-803, eff. 5-26-06.)

(775 ILCS 5/3-102.1) (from Ch. 68, par. 3-102.1)

Sec. 3-102.1. Disability Handicap. (A) It is a civil rights violation to refuse to sell or rent or to otherwise make unavailable or deny a dwelling to any buyer or renter because of a disability handicap of that buyer or renter, a disability handicap of a person residing or intending to reside in that dwelling after it is sold, rented or made available or a disability handicap of any person associated with the buyer or renter.

(B) It is a civil rights violation to alter the terms, conditions or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling or the provision of services or facilities in connection with such dwelling because of a disability of a person with a disability person's handicap or a disability handicap of any person residing or intending to reside in that dwelling after it is sold, rented or made available, or a disability handicap of any person associated with that person.

(C) It is a civil rights violation:

(1) to refuse to permit, at the expense of the handicapped person with a disability, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by such person if such modifications may be necessary to afford such person full enjoyment of the premises; except that, in the case of a rental, the landlord may, where it is reasonable to do so, condition permission for a modification on the renter agreeing to restore the interior of the premises to the condition that existed before modifications, reasonable wear and tear excepted. The landlord may not increase for handicapped persons with a disability any customarily required security deposit. However, where it is necessary in order to ensure with reasonable certainty that funds will be available to pay for the restorations at the end of the tenancy, the landlord may negotiate as part of such a restoration agreement a provision requiring that the tenant pay into an interest bearing escrow account, over a reasonable period, a reasonable amount of money not to exceed the cost of the restorations. The interest in any such account shall accrue to the benefit of the tenant. A landlord may condition permission for a modification on the renter providing a reasonable description of the proposed modifications as well as reasonable assurances that the work will be done in a workmanlike manner and that any required building permits will be obtained;

(2) to refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling; or

(3) in connection with the design and construction of covered multifamily dwellings for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, to fail to design and construct those dwellings in such a manner that:

(a) the public use and common use portions of such dwellings are readily accessible to and usable by handicapped persons with a disability;

(b) all the doors designed to allow passage into and within all premises within such dwellings are sufficiently wide to allow passage by handicapped persons with a disability in wheelchairs; and

(c) all premises within such dwellings contain the following features of adaptive design:

(i) an accessible route into and through the dwelling;

(ii) light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other environmental controls in accessible locations;

(iii) reinforcements in bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab bars; and

(iv) usable kitchens and bathrooms such that an individual in a wheelchair can maneuver about the space.

(D) Compliance with the appropriate standards of the Illinois Accessibility Code for adaptable dwelling units (71 Illinois Administrative Code Section 400.350 (e) 1-6) suffices to satisfy the requirements of subsection (C)(3)(c).

(E) If a unit of local government has incorporated into its law the requirements set forth in subsection (C) (3), compliance with its law shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of that subsection.

(F) A unit of local government may review and approve newly constructed covered multifamily dwellings for the purpose of making determinations as to whether the design and construction requirements of subsection (C)(3) are met.

(G) The Department shall encourage, but may not require, units of local government to include in their existing procedures for the review and approval of newly constructed covered multifamily dwellings, determinations as to whether the design and construction of such dwellings are consistent with subsection (C)(3), and shall provide technical assistance to units of local government and other persons to implement the requirements of subsection (C)(3).

(H) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require the Department to review or approve the plans, designs or construction of all covered multifamily dwellings to determine whether the design and construction of such dwellings are consistent with the requirements of subsection (C)(3).

(I) Nothing in subsections (E), (F), (G) or (H) shall be construed to affect the authority and responsibility of the Department to receive and process complaints or otherwise engage in enforcement activities under State and local law.

(J) Determinations by a unit of local government under subsections (E) and (F) shall not be conclusive in enforcement proceedings under this Act if those determinations are not in accord with the terms of this Act.

(K) Nothing in this Section requires that a dwelling be made available to an individual whose tenancy would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of others or would result in substantial physical damage to the property of others.

(Source: P.A. 86-910.)

(775 ILCS 5/3-104.1) (from Ch. 68, par. 3-104.1)

Sec. 3-104.1. Refusal to sell or rent because a person has a guide, hearing or support dog. It is a civil rights violation for the owner or agent of any housing accommodation to:

(A) refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bonafide offer, or to refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny property to any blind, hearing impaired or physically disabled handicapped person because he has a guide, hearing or support dog; or

(B) discriminate against any blind, hearing impaired or physically disabled handicapped person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental property, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith, because he has a guide, hearing or support dog; or

(C) require, because a blind, hearing impaired or physically disabled handicapped person has a guide, hearing or support dog, an extra charge in a lease, rental agreement, or contract of purchase or sale, other than for actual damage done to the premises by the dog.

(Source: P.A. 83-93.)

(775 ILCS 5/5-101) (from Ch. 68, par. 5-101)

Sec. 5-101. Definitions) The following definitions are applicable strictly in the context of this Article:

(A) Place of Public Accommodation. (1) "Place of public accommodation" means: a business, accommodation, refreshment, entertainment, recreation, or transportation facility of any kind, whether licensed or not, whose goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations are extended, offered, sold, or otherwise made available to the public.

(1) an inn, hotel, motel, or other place of lodging, except for an establishment located within a building that contains not more than 5 rooms for rent or hire and that is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as the residence of such proprietor;

(2) a restaurant, bar, or other establishment serving food or drink;

(3) a motion picture house, theater, concert hall, stadium, or other place of exhibition or entertainment;

(4) an auditorium, convention center, lecture hall, or other place of public gathering;

(5) a bakery, grocery store, clothing store, hardware store, shopping center, or other sales or rental establishment;

(6) a laundromat, dry-cleaner, bank, barber shop, beauty shop, travel service, shoe repair service, funeral parlor, gas station, office of an accountant or lawyer, pharmacy, insurance office, professional office of a health care provider, hospital, or other service establishment;

(7) public conveyances on air, water, or land;

(8) a terminal, depot, or other station used for specified public transportation;

(9) a museum, library, gallery, or other place of public display or collection;

(10) a park, zoo, amusement park, or other place of recreation;

(11) a non-sectarian nursery, day care center, elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate school, or other place of education;

(12) a senior citizen center, homeless shelter, food bank, adoption agency, or other social service center establishment; and

(13) a gymnasium, health spa, bowling alley, golf course, or other place of exercise or recreation.

(2) By way of example, but not of limitation, "place of public accommodation" includes facilities of the following types: inns, restaurants, eating houses, hotels, soda fountains, soft drink parlors, taverns, roadhouses, barber shops, department stores, clothing stores, hat stores, shoe stores, bathrooms, restrooms, theatres, skating rinks, public golf courses, public golf driving ranges, concerts, cafes, bicycle rinks, elevators, ice cream parlors or rooms, railroads, omnibuses, busses, stages, airplanes, street cars, boats, funeral hearses, crematories, cemeteries, and public conveyances on land, water, or air, public swimming pools and other places of public accommodation and amusement.

(B) Operator. "Operator" means any owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent, or occupant of a place of public accommodation or an employee of any such person or persons.

(C) Public Official. "Public official" means any officer or employee of the state or any agency thereof, including state political subdivisions, municipal corporations, park districts, forest preserve districts, educational institutions and schools.

(Source: P.A. 81-1267.)

(775 ILCS 5/5-102) (from Ch. 68, par. 5-102)

Sec. 5-102. Civil Rights Violations: Public Accommodations. It is a civil rights violation for any person on the basis of unlawful discrimination to:

(A) Enjoyment of Facilities, Goods, and Services. Deny or refuse to another the full and equal enjoyment of the facilities, goods, and services of any public place of accommodation;

(B) Written Communications. Directly or indirectly, as the operator of a place of public accommodation, publish, circulate, display or mail any written communication, except a private communication sent in response to a specific inquiry, which the operator knows is to the effect that any of the facilities of the place of public accommodation will be denied to any person or that any person is unwelcome, objectionable or unacceptable because of unlawful discrimination;

(C) Public Officials. Deny or refuse to another, as a public official, the full and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantage, facilities or privileges of the official's office or services or of any property under the official's care because of unlawful discrimination.

(Source: P.A. 81-1216.)

(775 ILCS 5/5-102.1 new)

Sec. 5-102.1. No Civil Rights Violation: Public Accommodations. It is not a civil rights violation for a medical, dental, or other health care professional to refer or to refuse to treat or provide services to an individual protected under this Act for any non-discriminatory reason if, in the normal course of his or her operations, the medical, dental, or other health care professional would for the same reason refer or refuse to treat or provide services to an individual who is not protected under this Act and seeks or requires the same or similar treatment or services.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.