Bill Text: IL HB0905 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Private Sector Workplace Anti-Harassment Task Force Act. Creates the Private Sector Workplace Anti-Harassment Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall create model policies and best practices to keep workplaces safe from sexual harassment. Provides that the Department of Human Rights shall provide administrative support to the Task Force. Provides that the model policies and best practices shall be finalized by March 1, 2020 and posted on the Department of Human Rights' website within 30 days after finalization. Repeals the Act on March 1, 2021. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-12 - House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB0905 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HB0905-Introduced.html

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101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2019 and 2020 HB0905 Introduced , by Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
Creates the Private Sector Workplace Anti-Harassment Task Force Act. Creates the Private Sector Workplace Anti-Harassment Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall create model policies and best practices to keep workplaces safe from sexual harassment. Provides that the Department of Human Rights shall provide administrative support to the Task Force. Provides that the model policies and best practices shall be finalized by March 1, 2020 and posted on the Department of Human Rights' website within 30 days after finalization. Repeals the Act on March 1, 2021. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning human rights.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Private Sector Workplace Anti-Harassment Task Force Act.
Section 5. Legislative intent. It is the General Assembly's
intent to facilitate the development of model policies and best
practices to keep workplaces safe from sexual harassment and
encourage employers not only to adopt such policies and
practices, but also to be included in their development. These
include, but are not limited to, policies and practices that go
beyond strict legal prohibitions focusing on creating a work
environment that is free from harassment in any form.
The Private Sector Workplace Anti-Harassment Task Force
shall focus on vulnerable and underserved persons in the
private sector who may be at higher risk of sexual harassment
on the job for reasons including, but not limited to, race,
immigration status, gender nonconformity, sexual orientation,
nontraditional employment relationships, minimum-wage or
tipped work, service industry work, or work in traditionally
male-dominated fields.
Section 10. The Private Sector Workplace Anti-Harassment

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Task Force.
(a) The Private Sector Workplace Anti-Harassment Task
Force is created and shall include the following members:
(1) the chief legal counsel for the Department of Human
Rights, or his or her designee;
(2) 2 State representatives from the majority party,
appointed by the Speaker of the House;
(3) 2 State representatives from the minority party,
appointed by the Minority Leader of the House;
(4) 2 State senators from the majority party, appointed
by the President of the Senate;
(5) 2 State senators from the minority party, appointed
by the Minority Leader of the Senate;
(6) a representative from the business community;
(7) a representative from a statewide organization
representing manufacturers;
(8) a representative from a statewide organization
representing retail merchants;
(9) a representative from an organization advocating
for persons who have experienced sexual harassment;
(10) a representative from a statewide organization
advocating for survivors of sexual assault or domestic
violence;
(11) a representative from the food service industry;
(12) a representative from an organization
representing trade unions;

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(13) a representative from an organization
representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or
questioning, intersex, and asexual or allied persons;
(14) a representative from an organization
representing immigrants;
(15) a representative from an organization focused on
the advancement of minorities in the workplace; and
(16) a representative from an organization
representing minimum-wage or tipped workers.
(b) The Task Force shall create model policies and best
practices to keep workplaces safe from sexual harassment that
may include, but are not limited to:
(1) methods of creating and protecting internal
anonymous reporting channels for employees to raise
concerns about misconduct;
(2) how to protect against retaliation for persons
alleging harassment and those who participate in
investigations;
(3) ways to empower human resources departments to go
beyond compliance and help create a culture of workplace
civility; and
(4) working with the Department of Human Rights'
Institute for Training and Development to establish survey
questions and trainings targeted to the vulnerable and
underserved persons on whom the Task Force is focused.
(c) In developing model policies and best practices, the

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Task Force may consider:
(1) how workplace leaders can signal commitment to
stopping sexual harassment, even when it may not rise to
the level of liability;
(2) how to ensure accountability in human resource
departments for enforcing policies, encouraging reporting
and aiding people who speak out;
(3) how to ensure employees have clear and confidential
communication with human resource departments or other
persons not directly in the employee's chain of command,
especially where the human resource professionals are not
physically near where employees work or could be exposed to
harassment;
(4) establishing formal or informal mentoring
opportunities for employees;
(5) the use of exits surveys to identify the reasons
employees leave the workplace and to enhance working
conditions and promote retention and an inclusive
environment;
(6) using engagement or climate surveys to assess the
employees' perception of tolerance of workplace
harassment, and how to ensure confidentiality of employee
answers;
(7) utilizing new employee orientation to emphasize
inclusion, harassment prevention, and general civility;
and

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(8) how to evaluate executives, managers, and
supervisors on their efforts supporting an inclusive
workplace and prevent sexual harassment and harassment in
general.
(d) The Department of Human Rights shall provide
administrative support to the Task Force.
(e) The model policies and best practices shall be
finalized by March 1, 2020. Within 30 days after finalization,
the model policies and best practices shall be posted to the
Department of Human Rights' website available for the public to
access.
Section 95. Repeal. This Act is repealed on March 1, 2021.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.