265, 268 and 42 C.F.R. . If you are concerned that your employer is not adhering to the required state COVID-19 workplace safety guidelines, you may contact the Workplace Rights Bureau of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General at (844) 740-5076 or [email protected] With 2022 upon us, here are some of the new laws that went into effect January 1. Region 10, Suburban Cook County, has had eight consecutive days of increases in test positivity and seven days of increased hospital admissions. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 extended many of the telehealth flexibilities authorized during the COVID-19 public health emergency through December 31, 2024. Employees in all of these situations may be entitled to paid time off under their employers existing leave program as well as under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), public law 116-127, or a local paid sick leave ordinance. Employees who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 can be asked to leave the workplace and stay at home until it has been 10 days since their symptoms first appeared and 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications) and other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving.3An employee with a medical condition that causes symptoms similar to COVID-19 may provide their employer with medical documentation that their symptoms are due to a different condition in order to continue reporting to work. Employers have an obligation to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. HB 376, also known as the Teaching Equitable Asian American History Act, requires that all public elementary and high schools must include a unit that teaches the contributions of Asian American communities and individuals to the history of the United States and the Midwest, including the arts, science, politics and civil rights. Murders peaked in 2021 with 799 homicidesthe most since 1996and in 2022, remains 39% higher than in 2019. However, if possible, they must try to make reasonable accommodations for an employee who requests one. Suspends requiring internships for endorsements on professional educator licenses. No. Guidance For Employers and Employees on Workers' Rights and Safety, What Expect When Getting Vaccinated Guidance, Long-term care Frequently Asked Questions, Guidance for Pre-K-12 Schools and Day Care Programs for Addressing COVID-19, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, Long Term Care COVID-19 Facility Level Data, Governor Pritzker's Executive Orders and Rules, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Children, Guidance on the Use of Masks by the General Public, Private Laboratory COVID-19 Testing Options for Illinois Long-term Care Facilities, Long-Term Care COVID-19 Testing Requirements, Modifications for Other Long-Term Care Facilities and Programs, https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/Pages/default.aspx, https://www2.illinois.gov/idol/Laws-Rules/safety/Pages/Hazards.aspx, https://www2.illinois.gov/dhr/AboutUs/Pages/contact_IDHR.aspx, https://www2.illinois.gov/idol/Pages/contact.aspx. Following the passage of the bill, former Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope resigned in protest, warning that her office had no power to highlight ethics violations and that lawmakers had shown that "true ethics reform is not a priority. However, employers are required to ensure the confidentiality of any medical information provided by an employee. If an employee believes they have been fired, demoted, or harassed because they are being treated for, or recovering from, COVID- 19, they may file a charge with IDHR. Any bids received by a school district for construction purposes may be communicated and accepted electronically. For further information or to contact the Illinois Department of Labor, visit: https://www2.illinois.gov/idol/Pages/contact.aspx. You shouldn't be on the hook for tickets when your car gets stolen. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday morning. Those who agree to fingerprinting are granted streamlined processes for renewing FOID and CCL cards. This shall not be construed as relieving any individual of the obligation to pay rent or comply with a lease or rental agreement. Restaurants may serve other beverages upon request. Employees can contact their local health department or IDPH at 1-800-889-3931 or by emailing [email protected]. HB 395 changes the Ivory Ban Act into the Animal Parts and Products Ban Act. SB 01681: Adds probation officers to the list of individuals that qualify for death benefits if they are killed in the line of study. Allows ISBE to implement rules regarding remote learning. Related: Illinois 1st State To Ban Lying To Minors During Interrogation. HB 3262 allows for civil lawsuits to be filed by anyone who has suffered an injury, damage or intimidation from a hate crime consisting of a false police report or 911 call, regardless of whether criminal charges were filed in connection with the incident. Employers should not assume that an older employee, or an employee with an underlying health condition, is in need of special protection or accommodation. K-12 SCHOOLS CLARIFICATION All public and private schools must close for educational purposes, but schools operated by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, the Illinois State Board of Education or the Illinois Department of Human Services may remain open. All workplace safety policies, including required face coverings, must be applied and enforced equally for all employees in the workplace, except for those employees who have informed the employer of a medical condition or disability that prevents them from safely wearing a face covering. AMENDS PROVISIONS IN THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL CODE Suspends provisions in the teacher preparation programs. to the workplace can practice social distancing. ISP will now have a public database of all guns reported stolen that can be checked prior to the transfer of any firearm to prevent inadvertent transfers of stolen weapons. However, the positivity rate has continued to significantly increase in these regions. Find your nearest vaccination location at. HB 3914, the Positive Action Act, requires the director of the Central Management Services Department to strive to identify and modify laws and policies that make it harder for minorities and marginalized people to get state jobs. HEALTH CARE FACILITIES, PROFESSIONALS, AND VOLUNTEERS Defines healthcare facilities, health care professionals and health care volunteers. Therefore, the regions will move out of Tier 3 of the States Mitigation Plan and into the less restrictive Tier 2, effective January 15, 2021. In the Health Care Worker Background Check Act, suspends the time period for designated students, applicants, and employees to have their fingerprints collected electronically. SB 00512: The Preventing Youth Vaping Act aims to prevent vaping by children, placing additional restrictions on e-cigarettes, including imposing additional civil and criminal penalties. Health and safety laws apply to all employees, regardless of immigration status. Shooting incidents are also 32% higher than they . Executive Order 2021-24 has been amended by Executive Order 2021-25. Reissues previous Executive Orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic through October 15, 2022. When families of fallen Illinois service members who died during state or federal active duty are honored, their next of kin will be presented an Illinois state flag. REVISES ELECTIVE SURGERIES Defines and renders assistance in support of the States response to hospitals, health care facilities, health care professionals, and health care volunteers. Failure to comply with the new law is punishable by a civil penalty of $10,000. If an employee reports having any COVID-19 related symptoms, the employer should encourage the employee to contact their health care provider. The bill also adds Muhammad Ali's birthday, Jan. 17, as the law's eighth commemorative holiday. J.B. Pritzker's office announced Monday night he signed into law changes to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act. In response, additional public health restrictions and mitigations are instituted for Regions 5, 7, and 8, such as a tighter gathering cap of 10 individuals rather than 25 and new table caps of six rather than 10 at restaurants and bars. According to both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, the laws include everything from excused mental. The order expands the use of available emergency relief dollars for Illinois utility customers currently at risk of service disconnections following the end of the winter moratorium, and maximizes the number of households eligible for relief. Among other things, they are not considered able and available to work under unemployment insurance law. Minimum wage increases Many states have moved in recent years to increase their minimum wage requirements.. school personnel, higher education personnel, and higher education students must receive their first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or a single dose vaccine by September 19, 2021, and if applicable, receive the second dose in a two-dose vaccine . Suspends requiring certain courses as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma for twelfth grade students who are unable to complete coursework as a result of the suspension of in-person instruction due to COVID-19. Employers should provide face coverings at no charge to employees who are not able to maintain a minimum 6-foot social distance at all times; Ensure that all spaces where employees may gather, including locker rooms and lunchrooms, allow for social distancing; Ensure that all visitors (customers, vendors, etc.) Illinois reports 2,762 new COVID-19 cases, 4 new deaths. Employers are further prohibited from retaliating against an employee when the employee discloses information that they have reasonable cause to believe is a violation of a state or federal law, rule, or regulation. The ISP can now issue combined FOID and CCL cards to qualified applicants. MODIFIES REGIONAL MITIGATION METRICS Defines the metrics for any of the 11 regions to move to less or more restrictive mitigation measures. More information on the use of face coverings is available on the Illinois Department of Human Rights website. All officers in the state will be required to wear them by the beginning of 2025. Another law, HB 4271, requires state-regulated private insurance to cover medically necessary breast reduction surgery. Individuals with Green Cards issued by the federal government are generally able and available to work and may be eligible for unemployment benefits. Requires schools to exclude students and school personnel who are confirmed cases, probable cases, or close contacts. Under the latter bill, feminine hygiene products will now be available for free at homeless shelters that provide housing assistance to women and youth. REGION 1 MITIGATIONS Region 1 has reported three consecutive days of a test positivity rate of 8 percent or higher. REGION 7 MITIGATIONS Region 7 has reported three consecutive days of a test positivity rate of 8 percent or higher. Illinois' ban on assault weapons comes after last year's Highland Park shooting, as well as the rising violent crime in Chicago, which experienced a 41% overall increase in 2022. SB 01600: Requires restaurants and truck stops to provide employees with training in the recognition of human trafficking, and protocols for reporting observed human trafficking to proper authorities. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. All valid registry identification cards that expire between October 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021 will be granted a one-year renewal or extension. Provides the authority for the governor to sign additional executive orders to extend the Stay at Home order. This year, the minimum wage will increase to $12 per hour. REISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDERS - Reissues several executive orders, extending a majority of the provisions through January 8, 2022. REISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDERS - Reissues several executive orders, extending a majority of the provisions through November 13, 2021. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. Such holidays are regular school days. This Executive Order supersedes Executive Order 2020-72. CANNABIS APPLICATIONS The deadline for cannabis grower, infuser and transporter license applications is extended, and applicants are now allowed to mail completed applications, rather than submitting in person. All employees are entitled to their promised wages for all hours of work performed, regardless of immigration status. Have new flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, or shortness of breath (excluding such symptoms caused by chronic conditions); . The IHRA and federal law prohibit employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of a disability or perceived disability. Re-issues the following previously issued executive orders: 2020-04, 2020-09, 2020-11, 2020-12, 2020-15, 2020-20, 2020-21, 2020-23, 2020-24, 2020-26, 2020-27, 2020-30, 2020-36, 2020-45, 2020-50, 2020-68, 2021-03, 2021-12, 2021-18, 2021-22, 2021-28, 2021-31, and 2022-06. The offices will not conduct in-person transactions from Jan. 3 through Jan. 17, 2022, though online services will remain open on the Illinois Secretary of State website, officials said.