Illinois Senate Bill 2251

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: Introduced on February 7 2025 - 25% progression
Action: 2025-02-20 - Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Rachel Ventura
Pending: Senate Assignments Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Changes the Public Accommodations and Financial Credit Articles to prohibit discrimination on the basis of citizenship, primary language, or immigration status that includes discrimination against a person because of the person's actual or perceived characteristic or characteristics within the listed categories or that the person is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any particular characteristic or characteristics within the listed categories. "Citizenship" means the status of being: (i) a born U.S. citizen; (ii) a naturalized U.S. citizen; or (iii) a U.S. national. "Immigration status" means citizenship of some country other than the United States, including stateless persons, and the specific authority, or lack thereof, to reside in or otherwise to be present in the United States. "Primary language" means a person's preferred language for communication. Provides that it is not a civil rights violation to verify immigration status or any discrimination based upon verified immigration status if required by federal law. Nothing in the Act may be construed to require the provision of services or documents in a language other than English beyond that which is otherwise required by other provisions of federal, State, or local law. Provides that a civil rights violation for a violation of Articles 4 and 5 may include statutory damages of 3 times the amount of actual damages sustained or $8,000, whichever is the greater.

HUMAN RTS-LANGUAGE CITIZENSHIP

Sen. Ram Villivalam [D]

Sen. Javier Cervantes [D]

Sen. Rachel Ventura [D]

Date	Chamber	Action
2025-02-20	Senate	Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Rachel Ventura
2025-02-20	Senate	Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Javier L. Cervantes
2025-02-07	Senate	Referred to Assignments
2025-02-07	Senate	First Reading
2025-02-07	Senate	Filed with Secretary by Sen. Ram Villivalam

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
775	5	4-101	Amended Code	Citation Text
775	5	4-102	Amended Code	Citation Text
775	5	4-103	Amended Code	Citation Text
775	5	4-104	Amended Code	Citation Text
775	5	5-101	Amended Code	Citation Text
775	5	5-102	Amended Code	Citation Text
775	5	5-102.1	Amended Code	Citation Text
775	5	8A-104	Amended Code	Citation Text

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2251&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=114&GA=104
Text	https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/104/SB/10400SB2251.htm