In January 2021, the Illinois legislature passed Senate Bill 1480 (SB 1480) to amend the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) that would impact employers under the state’s “Ban the Box” law that prevents employers from asking job applicants about criminal histories on applications. The bill was sent to Governor J.B. Pritzker to sign into law.
SB 1480 would make using conviction records in employment-related decisions a civil rights violation unless there is a “substantial relationship” between the criminal offense and the position or involve an “unreasonable risk” to property or the safety of individuals or the general public. Employers would be required to consider these factors: