Bill Text: IL HB1040 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the prohibition of discrimination by units of State, county, or local government.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-23 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB1040 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HB1040-Introduced.html
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| 1 | AN ACT concerning civil law.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003 is | |||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | amended by changing Section 5 as follows:
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| 6 | (740 ILCS 23/5)
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| 7 | Sec. 5. Discrimination prohibited.
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| 8 | (a) No unit of State, county, or local government in | |||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Illinois shall:
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| 10 | (1) exclude a person from participation in, deny a | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | person the
the benefits of,
or subject a person to | |||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | discrimination under any program or activity on the
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| 13 | grounds
of that person's race, color, national origin, or | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | gender; or
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| 15 | (2) utilize criteria or methods of administration that | |||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | have the effect of
subjecting individuals to | |||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | discrimination because of their race, color,
national
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| 18 | origin, or gender.
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| 19 | (b) Any party aggrieved by conduct that violates | |||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | subsection (a) may bring a
civil lawsuit, in a federal | |||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | district court or State circuit court, against the offending | |||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | unit of
government. Any State claim brought in federal | |||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | district court shall be a supplemental claim to a federal | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | claim. This lawsuit must be brought not later than 2 years | ||||||
| 2 | after the
violation of subsection (a). If the court finds that | ||||||
| 3 | a violation of paragraph
(1) or (2) of subsection (a) has | ||||||
| 4 | occurred, the court may award to the plaintiff
actual damages. | ||||||
| 5 | The court, as it deems appropriate, may grant as
relief any | ||||||
| 6 | permanent or preliminary negative or mandatory injunction, | ||||||
| 7 | temporary restraining order, or
other order.
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| 8 | (c) Upon motion, a court shall award reasonable attorneys' | ||||||
| 9 | fees and costs,
including expert witness fees and other | ||||||
| 10 | litigation expenses, to a plaintiff who
is a prevailing party | ||||||
| 11 | in any action brought:
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| 12 | (1) pursuant to subsection (b); or
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| 13 | (2) to enforce a right arising under the Illinois | ||||||
| 14 | Constitution.
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| 15 | In awarding reasonable attorneys' fees, the court shall | ||||||
| 16 | consider the degree
to which the relief obtained relates to | ||||||
| 17 | the relief sought.
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| 18 | (d) For the purpose of this Act, the term "prevailing | ||||||
| 19 | party" includes any
party:
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| 20 | (1) who obtains some of his or her requested relief | ||||||
| 21 | through a judicial
judgment in his or her favor;
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| 22 | (2) who obtains some of his or her requested relief | ||||||
| 23 | through any settlement
agreement approved by the court; or
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| 24 | (3) whose pursuit of a non-frivolous claim was a | ||||||
| 25 | catalyst for a unilateral
change in position by the | ||||||
| 26 | opposing party relative to the relief sought.
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| 1 | (Source: P.A. 95-541, eff. 1-1-08.)
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