101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3532

 

Introduced , by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Family and Medical Leave Act. Sets forth requirements for family and medical leave to be provided to employees in Illinois. Applies to employers employing more that 20 employees. Provides for 16 workweeks of family leave for the birth of a child, placement of a child for adoption or foster care, or the care of a family member who has a serious health condition. Provides for administration by the Department of Labor. Authorizes enforcement by the Attorney General. Effective July 1, 2020.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning employment.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Family
5and Medical Leave Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions: In this Act:
7    "Department" means the Department of Labor.
8    "Employee" means any individual who has been employed by
9the same employer for one year without a break in service
10except for regular holiday, sick, or personal leave granted by
11the employer and has worked at least 1000 hours during the
1212-month period immediately preceding the request for family or
13medical leave.
14    "Employer" means an individual, partnership, corporation,
15association, business, trust, person, or entity for whom
16employees are gainfully employed in Illinois and includes the
17State of Illinois, any State officer, department, or agency,
18any unit of local government, and any school district.
19    "Employment benefit" means any benefit, other than salary
20or wages, provided or made available to an employee by an
21employer, including, but not limited to, group life, health,
22and disability insurance, sick and annual leave, and
23educational and pension benefits, regardless of whether the

 

 

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1benefit is provided by a policy or practice of an employer or
2by an employee welfare benefit plan as defined in Title 1,
3subtitle A, Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income
4Security Act of 1974, 88 Stat. 833; 29 U.S.C. 1002(1).
5    "Family member" means:
6        (A) A person to whom the employee is related by blood,
7    legal custody, or marriage;
8        (B) A child who lives with an employee and for whom the
9    employee permanently assumes and discharges parental
10    responsibility;
11        (C) A person with whom the employee shares or has
12    shared, within the last year, a mutual residence and with
13    whom the employee maintains a committed relationship; or
14        (D) A foster child.
15    "Health care provider" means any person licensed under
16federal, state, or District law to provide health care
17services.
18    "Reduced leave schedule" means leave scheduled for a fewer
19number of hours than an employee usually works during each
20workweek or workday.
21    "Serious health condition" means a physical or mental
22illness, injury, or impairment that involves:
23        (A) Inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or
24    residential health care facility; or
25        (B) Continuing treatment or supervision at home by a
26    health care provider or other competent individual.
 

 

 

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1    Section 10. Family leave requirement.
2    (a) An employee shall be entitled to a total of 16
3workweeks of family leave during any 24-month period for:
4        (1) The birth of a child of the employee;
5        (2) The placement of a child with the employee for
6    adoption or foster care;
7        (3) The placement of a child with the employee for whom
8    the employee permanently assumes and discharges parental
9    responsibility; or
10        (4) The care of a family member of the employee who has
11    a serious health condition.
12    (b) The entitlement to family leave under paragraphs (1)
13through (3) of subsection (a) shall expire 12 months after the
14birth of the child or placement of the child with the employee.
15    (c) Subject to the requirements of subsection (h), in the
16case of a family member who has a serious health condition, the
17family leave may be taken intermittently when medically
18necessary.
19    (d) Upon agreement between the employer and the employee,
20family leave may be taken on a reduced leave schedule, during
21which the 16 workweeks of family leave may be taken over a
22period not to exceed 24 consecutive workweeks.
23    (e)(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this
24subsection, family leave may consist of unpaid leave.
25        (2) Any paid family, vacation, personal, or

 

 

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1    compensatory leave provided by an employer that the
2    employee elects to use for family leave shall count against
3    the 16 workweeks of allowable family leave provided in this
4    Act.
5        (3) If an employer has a program that allows an
6    employee to use the paid leave of another employee under
7    certain conditions, and the conditions have been met, the
8    employee may use the paid leave as family leave and the
9    leave shall count against the 16 workweeks of family leave
10    provided in this Act.
11        (4) Nothing in this Section shall require an employer
12    to provide paid family leave.
13    (f) If the necessity for leave under this Section is
14foreseeable based on an expected birth or placement of a child
15with an employee, the employee shall provide the employer with
16reasonable prior notice of the expected birth or placement of a
17child with the employee.
18    (g) If the necessity for family leave under this Section is
19foreseeable based on planned medical treatment or supervision,
20an employee shall:
21        (1) provide the employer with reasonable prior notice
22    of the medical treatment or supervision; and
23        (2) make a reasonable effort to schedule the medical
24    treatment or supervision, subject to the approval of the
25    health care provider of the employee or family member, in a
26    manner that does not disrupt unduly the operations of the

 

 

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1    employer.
2    (h)(1) If 2 family members are employees of the same
3employer:
4            (A) the employer may limit to 16 workweeks during a
5        24-month period the aggregate number of family leave
6        workweeks to which the family members are entitled; and
7            (B) the employer may limit to 4 workweeks during a
8        24-month period the aggregate number of family leave
9        workweeks to which the family members are entitled to
10        take simultaneously.
11        (2) In this subsection, the term "same employer"
12    includes an office, division, subdivision, or other
13    organizational Section of an employer in which both
14    employees have the same or interrelated duties and the
15    absence of both employees would disrupt unduly the conduct
16    of the employer's business.
17    (i)(1) Information that an employee gives to an employer
18regarding a family relationship, pursuant to which the employee
19seeks to take family leave under this Section, shall be used
20only to make a decision in regard to the provisions of this
21Act. An employer shall keep any information regarding the
22family relationship confidential.
23        (2) Any employer who willfully violates this
24    subsection shall be assessed a civil penalty of $1,000 for
25    each offense.
 

 

 

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1    Section 15. Medical leave requirement.
2    (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 20, any employee
3who becomes unable to perform the functions of the employee's
4position because of a serious health condition shall be
5entitled to medical leave for as long as the employee is unable
6to perform the functions, except that the medical leave shall
7not exceed 16 workweeks during any 24-month period. The medical
8leave may be taken intermittently when medically necessary.
9    (b)(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) through (4) of
10this subsection, medical leave may consist of unpaid leave.
11        (2) Any paid medical or sick leave provided by an
12    employer that the employee elects to use for medical leave
13    shall count against the 16 workweeks of allowable medical
14    leave under this Act.
15        (3) If an employer and employee agree that an employee
16    may use paid vacation, personal, or compensatory leave as
17    medical leave, the paid vacation, personal, or
18    compensatory leave shall count against the 16 workweeks of
19    medical leave provided in this Act.
20        (4) If an employer has a program that allows an
21    employee to use the paid leave of another employee under
22    certain conditions, and the conditions have been met, the
23    employee may use the paid leave as medical leave and the
24    leave shall count against the 16 workweeks of medical leave
25    provided in this Act.
26    (c) If the need for medical leave is foreseeable based on

 

 

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1planned medical treatment or supervision, the employee shall:
2        (1) Provide the employer with prior reasonable notice
3    of the medical treatment or supervision; and
4        (2) Make a reasonable effort to schedule the medical
5    treatment or supervision, subject to the approval of the
6    health care provider of the employee, in a manner that does
7    not disrupt unduly the operations of the employer.
 
8    Section 20. Certification.
9    (a) An employer may require that a request for family leave
10under item (4) of subsection (a) of Section 10 of medical leave
11under Section 15 be supported by a certification issued by the
12health care provider of the employee or family member. The
13employee shall provide a copy of the certification to the
14employer.
15    (b) The certification provided by the employee to the
16employer shall state:
17        (1) The date on which the serious health condition
18    commenced;
19        (2) The probable duration of the condition;
20        (3) The appropriate medical facts within the knowledge
21    of the health care provider that would entitle the employee
22    to take leave under this Act; and
23        (4)(A) For purposes of medical leave under Section 15,
24    a statement that the employee is unable to perform the
25    functions of the employee's position; or

 

 

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1            (B) For purposes of family leave under items (4) of
2        subsection (a) of Section 10, an estimate of the amount
3        of time that the employee is needed to care for the
4        family member.
5    (c) For the purposes of subsection (c) of Section 25, the
6employer may request that certification issued in any case
7involving medical leave under Section 15 include an explanation
8of the extent to which the employee is unable to perform the
9functions of the employee's position.
10    (d)(1) If the employer has reason to doubt the validity of
11the certification provided under subsection (a), the employer
12may require that the employee obtain, at the expense of the
13employer, the opinion of a second health care provider approved
14by the employer, in regard to any information required to be
15certified under subsection (b).
16        (2)(A) If the second opinion provided under this
17    subsection differs from the original certification
18    provided under subsection (a), the employee may obtain the
19    opinion of a third health care provider mutually agreed
20    upon by the employer and the employee, in regard to any
21    information required to be certified under subsection (b).
22    The employer shall pay the cost of the opinion of the third
23    health care provider.
24            (B) The opinion of the third health care provider
25        in regard to the information certified under
26        subsection (b) shall be final and binding on the

 

 

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1        employer and employee.
2    (e) Any health care provider approved or mutually agreed
3upon under items (1) or (2) of subsection (d) may not be
4retained on a regular basis by the employer or employee or
5otherwise bear a close relationship to the employer or employee
6that would give the appearance that the certification is
7biased.
8    (f) The employer may require that the employee obtain
9subsequent recertifications on a reasonable basis.
10    (g)(1) Certification information requested under this
11Section shall be used only to make a decision in regard to the
12provisions of this Act. An employer shall keep any medical
13information obtained from a certification request
14confidential.
15        (2) Any employer who willfully violates this
16    subsection shall be assessed a civil penalty of $1,000 for
17    each offense.
 
18    Section 25. Employment and benefits protection.
19    (a) Any employee who takes family or medical leave under
20this Act shall not lose any employment benefit or seniority
21accrued before the date on which the family or medical leave
22commenced.
23    (b)(1) During any period in which an employee takes family
24or medical leave under Section 10 or Section 15, the employer
25shall maintain coverage under any group health plan, as defined

 

 

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1in Section 5000(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, except
2that for the purposes of this Act, the term "group health plan"
3shall include a group health plan provided by the State of
4Illinois, any State officer, department, or agency, any unit of
5local government, and any school district. The employer shall
6maintain coverage for the duration of the family or medical
7leave at the same level and under the same conditions that
8coverage would have been provided if the employee had continued
9in employment from the date the employee commenced the family
10or medical leave until the date the employee was restored to
11employment pursuant to subsection (d).
12        (2) An employer may require the employee to continue to
13    make any contribution to a group health plan that the
14    employee would have made if the employee had not taken
15    family or medical leave. If an employee is unable or
16    refuses to make the contribution to the group health plan,
17    the employee shall forfeit the health plan benefit until
18    the employee is restored to employment pursuant to
19    subsection (d) and resumes payment to the plan.
20    (c)(1) Nothing in this Act shall prohibit an employer and
21an employee with a serious health condition from agreeing
22mutually to alternative employment for the employee throughout
23the duration of the serious health condition of the employee.
24Any period of alternative employment shall not cause a
25reduction in the amount of family or medical leave to which the
26employee is entitled under Section 10 or Section 15.

 

 

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1        (2) When the employee who agreed to alternative
2    employment is able to perform the functions of the
3    employee's original position, the employee shall be
4    restored to the original position pursuant to subsection
5    (d).
6    (d) Except as provided in subsection (f), upon return from
7family or medical leave taken pursuant to Section 10 or Section
815, the employee shall be:
9        (1) restored by the employer to the position of
10    employment held by the employee when the family or medical
11    leave commenced; or
12        (2) restored to a position of employment equivalent to
13    the position held by the employee when the family or
14    medical leave commenced that includes equivalent
15    employment benefits, pay, seniority, and other terms and
16    conditions of employment.
17    (e) Except as provided in subsection (b), nothing in this
18Section shall entitle an employee restored by an employer to a
19position of employment to:
20        (1) the accrual of any seniority or employment benefit
21    during any period of family or medical leave; or
22        (2) any right, employment benefit, or position of
23    employment other than any right, employment benefit, or
24    position of employment to which the employee would have
25    been entitled had the employee not taken the family or
26    medical leave.

 

 

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1    (f)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this
2subsection, an employer in Illinois may deny restoration of
3employment to a salaried employee if the employee is among the
45 highest paid employees of an employer of fewer than 50
5persons or among the highest paid 10% of employees of an
6employer of 50 or more persons and the following conditions are
7met:
8            (A) the employer demonstrates that denial of
9        restoration of employment is necessary to prevent
10        substantial economic injury to the employer's
11        operations and the injury is not directly related to
12        the leave that the employee took pursuant to this Act;
13        and
14            (B) the employer notifies the employee of the
15        intent to deny restoration of employment and the basis
16        for the decision at the time the employer determines
17        denial of restoration of employment is necessary.
18        (2) The condition in paragraph (1) of this subsection
19    shall not apply if the following conditions have been met:
20            (A) the employer is under a contract to provide
21        work or services and the absence of the employee
22        prohibits the employer from completing the contract in
23        accordance with the terms of the contract;
24            (B) failure to complete the contract will cause
25        substantial economic injury to the employer; and
26            (C) after the employer made reasonable attempts,

 

 

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1        the employer failed to find a temporary replacement for
2        the employee.
 
3    Section 30. School employees.
4    (a) If the conditions in subsection (b) are met, a school
5district or private elementary or secondary school ("school")
6may require an employee who is employed principally in an
7instructional capacity to elect to:
8        (1) take the family or medical leave for periods of
9    particular duration not to exceed the planned medical
10    treatment or supervision; or
11        (2) transfer temporarily to an available alternative
12    position offered by the school for which the employee is
13    qualified, which has equivalent pay and benefits, and
14    better accommodates the recurring periods of leave than the
15    employee's regular employment position.
16    (b) The provisions of subsection (a) shall apply if the
17employee described in subsection (a):
18        (1) elects to take family leave pursuant to item (4) of
19    subsection (a) of Section 10 or medical leave pursuant to
20    Section 15 that is foreseeable based on planned medical
21    treatment or supervision;
22        (2) would be on leave for greater than 20% of the total
23    number of working days in the period during which leave
24    would extend; and
25        (3) complies with subsection (g) of Section 10 or

 

 

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1    subsection (c) of Section 15.
2    (c)(1) If an employee of an school who is employed
3principally in an instructional capacity begins family or
4medical leave more than 5 weeks before the end of the academic
5term, the school may require the employee to continue to take
6leave until the end of the term if:
7            (A) the leave is at least 3 weeks in duration; and
8            (B) the return to employment would occur during the
9        3-week period before the end of the academic term
10        (2) If the employee described in paragraph (1) of this
11    subsection begins leave under Section 10 or Section 15
12    during the period that commences from more than 3 weeks and
13    up to and including 5 weeks before the end of the academic
14    term, the school may require the employee to continue to
15    take leave until the end of the term if:
16            (A) the leave is greater than 2 weeks in duration;
17        and
18            (B) the return to employment would occur during the
19        2-week period before the end of the academic term.
20        (3) If the employee described in paragraph (1) of this
21    subsection begins leave under Section 10 or Section 15
22    during the period that commences 3 weeks or less before the
23    end of the academic term and the duration of the leave is
24    greater than 5 working days, the school may require the
25    employee to continue to take leave until the end of the
26    term.

 

 

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1    (d) For purposes of a restoration of employment
2determination under item (2) of subsection (d) of Section 25,
3in the case of an school, the determination shall be made on
4the basis of established school board or private school
5policies and practices and collective bargaining agreements.
 
6    Section 35. Prohibited acts.
7    (a) It is be unlawful for any person to interfere with,
8restrain, or deny the exercise of or the attempt to exercise
9any right provided by this Act.
10    (b) It is unlawful for an employer to discharge or
11discriminate in any manner against any person because the
12person:
13        (1) opposes any practice made unlawful by this Act;
14        (2) pursuant or related to this Act:
15            (A) files or attempts to file a charge;
16            (B) institutes or attempts to institute a
17        proceeding; or
18            (C) facilitates the institution of a proceeding;
19        or
20        (3) gives any information or testimony in connection
21    with an inquiry or proceeding related to this Act.
 
22    Section 40. Investigative authority.
23    (a) An employer shall develop, maintain, and make available
24to the Department records regarding the employer's activities

 

 

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1related to this Act that the Department may prescribe by rule.
2    (b) To ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act,
3the Department, may:
4        (1) investigate and gather data regarding any wage,
5    hour, condition, or practice of employment related to this
6    Act; and
7        (2) enter or inspect any place of employment or record
8    required by this Act.
9    (c) For the purpose of any investigation provided for in
10this Section, the Department may issue subpoenas.
 
11    Section 45. Administrative enforcement procedure; relief.
12    (a) The Department shall provide an administrative
13procedure pursuant to which a person claimed to be aggrieved
14under this Act may file a complaint against an employer alleged
15to have violated this Act. A complaint shall be filed within
16one year after the occurrence or discovery of the alleged
17violation of this Act.
18    (b) The administrative procedure shall include, but not be
19limited to:
20        (1) an investigation of the complaint and an attempt to
21    resolve the complaint by conference, conciliation, or
22    persuasion;
23        (2) if the complaint is not resolved, a determination
24    on the existence of probable cause to believe a violation
25    of this Act has occurred;

 

 

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1        (3) if there is a determination that probable cause
2    exists, the issuance and service of a written notice and a
3    copy of the complaint to the employer alleged to have
4    committed the violation that requires the employer to
5    answer the charges of the complaint at a formal hearing;
6        (4) a hearing conducted in accordance with Illinois
7    Administrative Procedure Act;
8        (5) a decision and order accompanied by findings of
9    fact and conclusions of law;
10        (6) if there is a determination that an employer
11    committed a violation of this Act, the issuance of an order
12    that requires the employer to pay the employee damages in
13    an amount equal to:
14            (A) any wages, salary, employment benefits, or
15        other compensation denied or lost to the employee due
16        to the violation plus interest on the amount calculated
17        at the rate prescribed in the Code of Civil Procedure
18        for judgments; and
19            (B) an amount equal to the greater of:
20                (i) the amount determined under subparagraph
21            (A) of this paragraph; or
22                (ii) consequential damages not to exceed an
23            amount equal to 3 times the amount determined under
24            subparagraph (A) of this paragraph plus any
25            medical expenses not covered by the health
26            insurance of the employee; or

 

 

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1            (C) a reduction in damages, within the discretion
2        of the trier of fact, for an employer who violates this
3        Act and proves that the violation occurred in good
4        faith and that the employer had reasonable grounds to
5        believe that the employer's action or omission was not
6        in violation of this Act; and
7        (7) a provision that authorizes the award of costs and
8    reasonable attorney's fees to the prevailing party in
9    addition to other relief awarded under this Act.
10    (c) Any person who is adversely affected or aggrieved by an
11order or decision issued pursuant to subsection (b) is entitled
12to judicial review of the order or decision in accordance with
13the Administrative Review Law.
14    (d)(1) If the Department determines that the employer has
15not complied with an order after 20 days following service of
16the order, the Department shall certify the matter to the
17Attorney General for enforcement.
18        (2) The Attorney General shall institute, in the name
19    of the Department, a civil proceeding that may include
20    seeking injunctive relief, as is necessary to obtain
21    complete compliance with the order.
22        (3) An enforcement action shall not be instituted
23    pending judicial review as provided in subsection (c).
24    (e) The entire administrative enforcement procedure
25outlined in subsections (a) and (b), including the formal
26hearing, shall take no longer than 150 days to complete from

 

 

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1the date the complaint is filed. If the Department fails to
2make a reasonable effort to comply with the deadline
3requirements of the administrative enforcement provisions
4prescribed by this subsection and the rules promulgated by the
5Department, the person who initiated the administrative
6enforcement procedure against the employer may file a civil
7action against the employer pursuant to Section 50.
 
8    Section 50. Enforcement by civil action.
9    (a) Subject to the provisions in subsection (b), an
10employee or the Department may bring a civil action against any
11employer to enforce the provisions of this Act in circuit
12court.
13    (b) No civil action may be commenced more than one year
14after the occurrence or discovery of the alleged violation of
15this Act.
16    (c) If a court determines that an employer violated any
17provision of this Act, the damages provision prescribed in
18items (6) and (7) of subsection (b) of Section 45.
 
19    Section 55. Notice.
20    (a) The Department shall devise, and an employer shall post
21and maintain in a conspicuous place, a notice that sets forth
22excerpts from or summaries of the pertinent provisions of this
23Act and information that pertains to the filing of a complaint
24under this Act.

 

 

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1    (b) An employer who willfully violates this Section shall
2be assessed a civil penalty not to exceed $100 for each day
3that employer fails to post the notice.
 
4    Section 60. Effect on other laws. Nothing in this Act shall
5supersede any provision of law that provides greater employee
6family or medical leave rights than the family or medical
7rights established under this Act.
 
8    Section 65. Effect on existing employment benefits.
9    (a) Nothing in this Act shall diminish an employer's
10obligation to comply with any collective bargaining agreement
11or any employment benefit program or plan that provides greater
12family or medical leave rights to an employee than the family
13or medical leave rights provided under this Act.
14    (b) The rights provided to an employee under this Act may
15not be diminished by any collective bargaining agreement or any
16employment benefit program or plan, except that this Act shall
17not supersede any clause on family or medical leave in any
18collective bargaining agreement in force on the effective date
19of this Act, for the time that the collective bargaining
20agreement is in effect.
21    (c) The rights provided to an employee under this Act may
22be suspended temporarily for an employee of a public safety
23agency if the employee is required by rules of the agency or by
24the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement to return

 

 

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1to duty because of an emergency declared by the agency head or
2the Department.
 
3    Section 70. Encouragement of more generous leave policies.
4Nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage an
5employer from the adoption or retention of a family and medical
6leave policy more generous than the family and medical leave
7required by this Act.
 
8    Section 75. Applicability. The rights and responsibilities
9established by this Act shall apply beginning 180 days after
10the effective date of this Act to any employer that employs 20
11or more persons in Illinois.
 
12    Section 80. Rules.
13    (a) The Department shall adopt rules to implement the
14provisions of this Act.
15    (b) The proposed rules shall include standards for:
16        (1) the definition of the term "family member";
17        (2) the reasonable notice that an employee who seeks to
18    take family or medical leave shall give to an employer; and
19        (3) the administrative enforcement procedure.
 
20    Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
212020.