Bill Text: IL HB4844 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Amends the Jury Act and the Jury Commission Act. Requires employers to compensate employees at the employee's regular rate of pay for time that the employee served on jury duty.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8)

Status: (Passed) 2026-07-31 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0683 [HB4844 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB4844-Enrolled.html

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HB4844 Enrolled LRB104 17822 JRC 31256 b
AN ACT concerning courts.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Jury Act is amended by changing Section 4.1
as follows:
(705 ILCS 305/4.1) (from Ch. 78, par. 4.1)
Sec. 4.1. Jury duty; notice to employer; right to time
off.
(a) Any person who is not legally disqualified to serve on
juries, and has been duly summoned for jury duty for either
petit or grand jury service, shall be given time off from
employment to serve upon the jury for which such employee is
summoned, regardless of the employment shift such employee is
assigned to at the time of service of such summons. An employee
shall give his employer reasonable notice of required jury
service. An employer may not deny an employee time off for jury
duty because such employee is then assigned to work a night
shift of employment, that is, an employer cannot require a
night shift worker to work while such employee is doing jury
duty in the daytime.
(b) No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge,
intimidate or coerce any employee by reason of the employee's
jury service, or the attendance or scheduled attendance in

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connection with such service, in any court of this State.
(c) If an employee gives reasonable notice of required
jury service, any employer who violates the provisions of this
Section:
(1) may be charged with contempt of court. In such an
event, the State's Attorney shall file a petition for
civil contempt, criminal contempt, or both, against the
employer to be prosecuted by the State's Attorney; and
(2) shall be liable for damages for any loss of wages
or other benefits suffered by an employee by reason of the
violation; and
(3) may be enjoined from further violations of this
Section and ordered to reinstate any employee discharged
by reason of jury service.
As used in this Section, "reasonable notice of required
jury service" means that the employee summoned for jury duty
must deliver to the employer a copy of the summons within 10
days of the date of issuance of the summons to the employee.
(d) Any individual who is reinstated to a position of
employment in accordance with this Section shall be considered
as having been on furlough or leave of absence during his
period of jury service, shall be reinstated to his position of
employment without loss of seniority, and shall be entitled to
participate in insurance or other benefits offered by the
employer under established rules and practices relating to
employees on furlough or leave of absence in effect with the

HB4844 Enrolled - 3 - LRB104 17822 JRC 31256 b
employer at the time the individual entered upon jury service.
(e) In any action or proceeding under this Section, the
court may award a prevailing employee who brings the action by
retained counsel a reasonable attorney's fee.
(f) Any right or remedy provided in this Section is in
addition to any right or remedy otherwise provided by law to an
employee.
(g) Employers shall be required to compensate an employee
at their regular rate of pay for time serving on jury duty No
employer shall be obligated to compensate an employee for time
taken off for jury duty. The requirements of this subsection
do not apply to employers with 25 or fewer employees.
(h) The official responsible for issuing the summons may
advise the juror of his rights under this Act by printed insert
with the summons or on the summons itself.
(Source: P.A. 86-1395; 87-616.)
Section 10. The Jury Commission Act is amended by changing
Section 10.1 as follows:
(705 ILCS 310/10.1) (from Ch. 78, par. 33.1)
Sec. 10.1. Jury duty, notice to employer, right to time
off. (a) Any person who is not legally disqualified to serve on
juries, and has been duly summoned for jury duty for either
petit or grand jury service, shall be given time off from
employment to serve upon the jury for which such employee is

HB4844 Enrolled - 4 - LRB104 17822 JRC 31256 b
summoned, regardless of the employment shift such employee is
assigned to at the time of service of such summons. An employee
shall give his employer reasonable notice of required jury
service. An employer may not deny an employee time off for jury
duty because such employee is then assigned to work a night
shift of employment, that is, an employer cannot require a
night shift worker to work while such employee is doing jury
duty in the daytime.
(b) No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge,
intimidate or coerce any employee by reason of the employee's
jury service, or the attendance or scheduled attendance in
connection with such service, in any court of this State.
(c) If an employee gives reasonable notice of required
jury service, any employer who violates the provisions of this
Section:
(1) may be charged with contempt of court. In such an
event, the State's Attorney shall file a petition for
civil contempt, criminal contempt, or both, against the
employer to be prosecuted by the State's Attorney; and
(2) shall be liable for damages for any loss of wages
or other benefits suffered by an employee by reason of the
violation; and
(3) may be enjoined from further violations of this
Section and ordered to reinstate any employee discharged
by reason of jury service.
As used in this Section, "reasonable notice of required

HB4844 Enrolled - 5 - LRB104 17822 JRC 31256 b
jury service" means that the employee summoned for jury duty
must deliver to the employer a copy of the summons within 10
days of the date of issuance of the summons to the employee.
(d) Any individual who is reinstated to a position of
employment in accordance with this Section shall be considered
as having been on furlough or leave of absence during his
period of jury service, shall be reinstated to his position of
employment without loss of seniority, and shall be entitled to
participate in insurance or other benefits offered by the
employer under established rules and practices relating to
employees on furlough or leave of absence in effect with the
employer at the time the individual entered upon jury service.
(e) In any action or proceeding under this Section, the
court may award a prevailing employee who brings the action by
retained counsel a reasonable attorney's fee.
(f) Any right or remedy provided in this Section is in
addition to any right or remedy otherwise provided by law to an
employee.
(g) Employers are required to compensate employees at the
employee's regular rate of pay for time that the employee
served on jury duty No employer shall be obligated to
compensate an employee for time taken off for jury duty. The
requirements of this subsection do not apply to employers with
25 or fewer employees.
(h) The official responsible for issuing the summons may
advise the juror of his rights under this Act by printed insert

HB4844 Enrolled - 6 - LRB104 17822 JRC 31256 b
with the summons or on the summons itself.
(Source: P.A. 86-1395; 87-616.)