Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes

Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.

235 ILCS 5/6-24a

(235 ILCS 5/6-24a) (from Ch. 43, par. 139a)

Sec. 6-24a. Display of birth defects warning signs.

(a) The General
Assembly finds that there is a need for public information about the risk of
birth defects (specifically Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) when women consume
alcoholic liquor during pregnancy.
The United States Surgeon General has recommended abstinence from alcohol
during pregnancy. Since Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and fetal alcohol effects
are preventable, the General Assembly finds that it is in the public
interest to provide warning about the risk of alcohol-related birth defects
at places where alcoholic liquors are sold.

(b) Every holder of a retail license, whether the licensee sells or
offers
for sale alcoholic liquors for use or consumption on or off the retail
license premises, shall cause a sign with the message "GOVERNMENT WARNING:
ACCORDING TO THE SURGEON GENERAL, WOMEN SHOULD NOT DRINK ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES DURING PREGNANCY BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF BIRTH DEFECTS. IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE, PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE OF ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE (OASA) AT 1-800-843-6154." to be
framed and hung in plain view. These signs shall be no larger than 8 1/2
inches by 11 inches.

(c) In the event there is no warning sign posted on the
retailer's
premises, it shall be the responsibility of the Illinois Liquor Control
Commission to furnish the retailer with a warning sign.  The retailer shall
have 30 days from receipt of the warning sign to post it on the licensed
premises.  Thereafter, a retailer who violates this Section is subject to a
written warning for the first violation.  For a second or subsequent
violation, the retailer shall pay a fine of at least $20 but not more than
$100 for each such violation.  For the third and subsequent violations,
each day the activity continues shall be a separate violation.

(Source: P.A. 96-387, eff. 1-1-10.)