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91_HB2598
LRB9101474SMpr
1 AN ACT to amend the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
2 by adding Section 46.70.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
6 amended by adding Section 46.70 as follows:
7 (20 ILCS 605/46.70 new)
8 Sec. 46.70. Model domestic violence employee awareness
9 and assistance policy.
10 (a) The Department shall convene a task force including
11 members of the business community, employees, employee
12 organizations, representatives from the Department of Labor,
13 and directors of domestic violence programs, including
14 representatives of statewide advocacy organizations for the
15 prevention of domestic violence, to develop a model domestic
16 violence employee awareness and assistance policy for
17 businesses.
18 The Department shall give due consideration to the
19 recommendations of the Governor, the President of the Senate,
20 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for
21 participation by any person on the task force, and shall make
22 reasonable efforts to assure regional balance in membership.
23 (b) The purpose of the model employee awareness and
24 assistance policy shall be to provide businesses with the
25 best practices, policies, protocols, and procedures in order
26 that they ascertain domestic violence awareness in the
27 workplace, assist affected employees, and provide a safe and
28 helpful working environment for employees currently or
29 potentially experiencing the effects of domestic violence.
30 The model plan shall include but not be limited to:
31 (1) the establishment of a definite corporate policy
-2- LRB9101474SMpr
1 statement recognizing domestic violence as a workplace
2 issue as well as promoting the need to maintain job
3 security for those employees currently involved in
4 domestic violence disputes;
5 (2) policy and service publication requirements,
6 including posting these policies and service availability
7 pamphlets in break rooms, on bulletin boards, in
8 restrooms, and transmitting them through other
9 communication methods;
10 (3) a listing of current domestic violence community
11 resources such as shelters, crisis intervention programs,
12 counseling and case management programs, and legal
13 assistance and advocacy opportunities for affected
14 employees;
15 (4) measures to ensure workplace safety including,
16 where appropriate, designated parking areas, escort
17 services and other affirmative safeguards;
18 (5) training programs and protocols designed to
19 educate employees and managers in how to recognize,
20 approach, and assist employees experiencing domestic
21 violence, including both victims and batterers; and
22 (6) other issues as shall be appropriate and
23 relevant for the task force in developing the model
24 policy.
25 (c) The model policy shall be reviewed by the task force
26 to assure consistency with existing law and shall be made the
27 subject of public hearings convened by the Department
28 throughout the State at places and at times which are
29 convenient for attendance by the public, after which the
30 policy shall be reviewed by the task force and amended as
31 necessary to reflect concerns raised at the hearings. If
32 approved by the task force, the model policy shall be
33 provided as approved with explanation of its provisions to
34 the Governor and the General Assembly not later than one year
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1 after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st
2 General Assembly. The Department shall make every effort to
3 notify businesses of the availability of the model domestic
4 violence employee awareness and assistance policy.
5 (d) The Department, in consultation with the task force,
6 providers of services, the advisory council, the Department
7 of Labor, and representatives of statewide advocacy
8 organizations for the prevention of domestic violence, shall
9 provide technical support, information, and encouragement to
10 businesses to implement the provisions of the model.
11 (e) Nothing contained in this Section shall be deemed to
12 prevent businesses from adopting their own domestic violence
13 employee awareness and assistance policy.
14 (f) The Department shall survey businesses within 4 years
15 of the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1999 to
16 determine the level of model policy adoption amongst
17 businesses and shall take steps necessary to promote the
18 further adoption of such policy.