Illinois · House Bill 5071 · 103rd General Assembly

WORK WITHOUT FEAR ACT

HB 5071 Sponsored by Lilian Jiménez Died in committee

  1. Introduced Feb 8, 2024
  2. In committee Feb 8, 2024
  3. Died  
  4. Passed the Senate  
  5. To the governor  
  6. Became law  

What it does

The legislature's own summary of the bill, or its official long title.

Creates the Work Without Fear Act. Provides that it is unlawful for any person to engage in, or to direct another person to engage in, immigration-related retaliation against any person or his or her family member or household member for the purpose of, or with the effect of, retaliating against any person for exercising any right protected under State employment laws or by any local employment ordinance. Sets forth…

Read the full title (259 words)

Creates the Work Without Fear Act. Provides that it is unlawful for any person to engage in, or to direct another person to engage in, immigration-related retaliation against any person or his or her family member or household member for the purpose of, or with the effect of, retaliating against any person for exercising any right protected under State employment laws or by any local employment ordinance. Sets forth the duties and powers of the Department of Labor under the Act. Allows the Attorney General to initiate or intervene in a civil action to obtain appropriate relief if the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that any person has violated the Act. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to prevent any person from making complaint or prosecuting his or her own claim for damages caused by retaliation. Allows a person who is the subject of retaliation prohibited by the Act to bring a civil action for: (1) back pay, with interest, and front pay, or, in lieu of actual damages, liquidated damages of $30,000; (2) a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $10,000; (3) reasonable attorney's fees and court costs; and (4) equitable relief as the court may deem appropriate and just. Provides that a person that violates any provision of the Act shall be subject to an additional civil penalty in an amount of $25,000 for each violation, or $50,000 for each repeat violation within a 5-year period. Sets forth license suspension penalties for violations of the Act. Effective January 1, 2025.

Every action

36 steps, oldest first, as the legislature records them.

Show the 28 earlier steps
  1. HouseFiled with the Clerk by Rep. Lilian Jiménez
  2. HouseFirst Reading
  3. CommitteeReferred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  4. HouseAdded Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Kevin John Olickal
  5. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Rita Mayfield
  6. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Dagmara Avelar
  7. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Michelle Mussman
  8. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock
  9. CommitteeAssigned to Judiciary - Civil Committee · House Judiciary - Civil
  10. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Lindsey LaPointe
  11. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Anna Moeller
  12. HouseRemoved Co-Sponsor Rep. Anna Moeller
  13. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Hoan Huynh
  14. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Aarón M. Ortíz
  15. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid
  16. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Nabeela Syed
  17. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah
  18. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary Beth Canty
  19. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias
  20. HouseAdded Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Norma Hernandez
  21. HouseAdded Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Anna Moeller
  22. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy
  23. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr.
  24. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Edgar González, Jr.
  25. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Will Guzzardi
  26. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Barbara Hernández
  27. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Gregg Johnson
  28. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Joyce Mason
  1. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Cyril Nichols
  2. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Justin Slaughter
  3. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Anne Stava-Murray
  4. HouseAdded Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Ammons
  5. HouseHouse Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Lilian Jiménez
  6. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  7. CommitteeRule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  8. HouseSession Sine Die

Roll calls

No recorded votes on this bill yet.

Sponsors

The member who introduced it, joined by 26 cosponsors: 26 Democrats.

All 26 cosponsors

From Illinois's official records (www.ilga.gov), checked Nov 13, 2026. Text links go to the official versions; LegiList does not copy bill text.