• What you need to know: The measure will strengthen Illinois’ Equal Pay Act by banning employers from asking job candidates for their salary history, which contributes to the wage gap. We’ve passed this twice before but former governor Rauner vetoed it both times. This time, however, our new governor J.B. Pritzker has committed to sign this bill into law. If you are applying for a new job after this law goes into effect, the hiring team will not be allowed to inquire about your previous earnings. They won’t be allowed to ask you in person, or on an application form. They can’t ask your current or former employers, either. They can ask for your salary expectations or provide you with the salary range for the job.

• Important Dates: This law will go into effect 60 days after Governor Pritzker signs the bill. We can expect this bill to be signed before August 6^th.

• What you need to know: This law will gradually raise the Illinois minimum wage from the current $8.25/hr—where it’s been stuck since 2010—to $15/hr by 2025. That means roughly 1.4 million working people in Illinois will get a raise!

• Important dates: The first increase to $9.25/hr goes into effect on January 1, 2020, and then the minimum wage will gradually increase to $15/hr by 2025.

• What you need to know: The law helps protects all workers against sexual harassment by strengthening trainings, investigations, and enforcement. For instance, employers will be required to provide sexual harassment prevention trainings for their staff, and will no longer be allowed to require mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment claims.

• Important Dates: This bill has passed but has not yet been signed by Governor Pritzker, and includes various measures with different effective dates. Follow us on social media at @WomenEmployed for updates.

• What you need to know: This bill creates an advisory council to ensure that colleges and universities maximize the probability that students who need to catch up in math and/or English succeed; and to accelerate their progress toward completion, leading to better opportunity and higher paying jobs.

• Important Dates: This legislation has already gone into effect and work has begun. A plan for improvements must be submitted to the legislature by July 1, 2020. A final report is due at the General Assembly on January 1, 2021.

• What you need to know: Illinois’ FY20 budget will include an increase of funding to the MAP program by $50 million to ensure that more low-income students can afford college and to bring our state closer to securing a fully-funded MAP program by FY20. This additional funding will help an additional 16,000 students afford tuition each year.

• Important Dates: This funding increase was included in the governor’s budget, which has already been signed. It will go into effect on July 1, 2019.

• What you need to know: Makes sure undocumented students in Illinois are eligible for state financial aid, including MAP grants, so that they can access the same opportunities as other Illinois residents.

• Important Dates: Governor Pritzker signed HB2691 into law on June 21^st and it goes into effect on January 1, 2020.

• What you need to know: Updates the Illinois Human Rights Act to protect more workers from employment discrimination. The law will now cover employers of any size for every protected class of worker (sex, race, color, religion, the country you came from, your age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability).

• Important Dates: Governor Pritzker has not yet signed this into law, but when he does it will go into effect on July 1, 2020.