102nd General Assembly Comes To a Close
The Illinois General Assembly finished a five day “lame duck” session on January 10, 2023, approving legislation regarding firearms, reproductive rights, worker rights, and a host of other issues. While there were no bills that exclusively impact chiropractic, there was legislation approved that may impact all businesses, including chiropractic practices. On Monday, January 9th, Governor JB Pritzker and the other statewide constitutional officers were inaugurated for another four-year term. On Wednesday, January 11th, the members of the new 103rd General Assembly were sworn into office. All other pending legislation from the last two years is now considered “dead.” Over a thousand new bills have already been introduced in the new session.
One of the bills that the legislature approved is SB 208, or the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. SB 208 sets a minimum paid leave standard for all workers in Illinois. Every employer must provide a minimum of 40 hours of paid leave during a twelve-month period to all employees. Governor JB Pritzker is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming weeks, but it will not come into effect until January 1, 2024. The ICS will be providing more detailed information on this new requirement in the coming weeks.
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Sweeping legislation was also approved on two hot-button issues: the banning of assault weapons and additional protections regarding reproductive rights. HB 5471 prohibits the manufacture, delivery, or sale of an assault rifle; those who already possess such a firearm may keep it if they register it with the Illinois State Police. The Governor signed the bill into law on January 10, and it went into effect immediately. HB 4664 adds new protections for access to abortion in Illinois, including those who have come to Illinois from other states for a reproductive health procedure. The Governor signed the bill on January 13th and it is effective immediately. The legislature also approved a supplemental appropriations bill, incentives for renewable energy production and electric vehicle manufacturing, and revisions to the SAFE-T Act and cashless bail provisions.
The new legislature will be convening most weeks now throughout the spring, with projections for a May 19th adjournment.
