Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Makes it discretionary rather than mandatory that the Department of Human Rights conduct a fact-finding conference. Provides that the amendatory applies to charges pending or filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act.
House Committee Amendment No. 1: Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes. Provides for the imposition of a civil penalty that may be imposed for each specific act constituting a civil rights violation as defined in the Act. Provides a penalty for each aggrieved party injured by the civil rights violation (i) in an amount not exceeding $16,000 if the respondent has not been adjudged to have committed any prior civil rights violation under the Act; (ii) in an amount not exceeding $42,500 if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed one other civil rights violation under the Act during the 5-year period ending on the date of the filing of the charge; and (iii) in an amount not exceeding $70,000 if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed 2 or more civil rights violations under the Act during the 7-year period ending on the date of the filing of the charge. Provides that if the acts constituting the civil rights violation that is the object of the charge are committed by the same natural person who has been previously adjudged to have committed acts constituting a civil rights violation under the Act, then the civil penalties set forth in (ii) and (iii) may be imposed without regard to the period of time within which any subsequent civil rights violation under this Act occurred.
House Floor Amendment No. 2: Provides that the Department, in its discretion may conduct a fact finding conference. Provides that if the complainant and respondent both submit a written request for a fact finding conference prior to 90 days after the date on which the charge was filed, the Department shall conduct a fact finding conference unless prior to the Department's receipt of both requests, the Department has issued its report. Provides that any request for a fact finding conference must include the party's written agreement to grant an extension of 120 days to the time period if requested by the Department to issue its report.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 775 ILCS 5/7
Engrossed: 775 ILCS 5/7
Enrolled: 775 ILCS 5/7, 775 ILCS 5/8