Lawmakers filed several thousand pieces of legislation before the Feb. 16 deadline. Here’s a look at some of the bills that would affect small businesses:
NFIB Supports:
HB 4219 (Rep. Avery Bourne) Repeals the Illinois estate tax. Status: Unassigned.
HB 4500 (Rep. Keith Wheeler) Revenue estimate requirement would force the General Assembly to come up with a real revenue estimate prior to passing any spending bills. Status: Unassigned.
HB 4788 (Rep. Brian Steward) Prevailing Wage Waiver Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that the Act does not apply to a public works project with a total cost of $20,000 or less if the public body notifies the Department of Labor of each project. Status: Unassigned.
HB 5050 (Rep. Peter Breen) Workers’ Comp: Max Rate Shoulder provides that compensation for certain shoulder injuries is limited to 253 weeks. Status: Unassigned.
Bills NFIB Opposes:
HB 2771 (Rep. Christian Mitchell) Healthy Workplace Act would require employers to provide up to 40 hours of sick leave annually to employees. Any full or part-time employee may earn sick days. NFIB will request a governor’s veto if it passes.
HB 4163 (Rep. Anna Moeller) Equal pay legislation would prohibit an employer from screening job applicants based on their wage or salary history as a condition of being interviewed/considered for employment. Status: Passed committee and now on the House floor for consideration.
HB 4293 (Rep. Chris Welch) Imposes a privilege tax on partnerships and S corporations engaged in the business of conducting investment management services. Provides that the tax shall be imposed at the rate of 20% of the fees calculated by reference to the performance of the investment portfolio funds and not from the investment itself.
HB 4324 (Rep. Chris Welch) Wage Lien Act legislation would allow workers to put liens on personal and business property of business owners and corporate officers for failure to pay wages under the wage payment and collection using civil legal procedures. Status: Assigned to House Labor committee.
HB 5046 (Rep. Chris Welch) “Un” Fair Scheduling Act would require employers to provide work schedules to employees at least 72 hours before the start of the first shift of the work schedule. Provides for reporting pay when an employee’s work shift is canceled or reduced within 72 of the beginning of the shift. Authorizes lawsuits against employers for violations. Status: Unassigned.
HB 4572 (Rep. Will Guzzardi) Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to redefine “employer” to include any person employing one (currently 15) or more employees within Illinois during 20 or more calendar weeks within the calendar year of or preceding the alleged violation. Status: House Labor Committee
HB 5334 (Rep. Sonya Harper) Creates the Employee Background Fairness Act. Provides that an employer may not refuse to hire an individual and may not discharge an individual because of the individual’s criminal history unless the individual has one or more convictions and there is a direct relationship between one of more of an individual’s convictions and the specific employment sought. Status: Unassigned.
