Illinois legislation · 104th General Assembly
Illinois HB1353: VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY WORKERS
Status: Signed into law, July 24, 2026
Amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act. Provides that employment protections for volunteer emergency workers apply to volunteer emergency workers participating in required training, including a prohibition on termination and penalizing (rather than only termination). Provides that the employer may not require the employee to take vacation time or other compensatory time in order to respond to an emergency or participate in training. Provides that the Act does not apply to any employer that is a municipality with a population of 15,000 or more (currently 7,500 or more). Makes conforming changes.
What the bill says
A bill FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026HB1353Introduced 1/28/2025, by Rep. Brandun SchweizerSYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: ILCS 748/550 ILCS 748/1050 ILCS 748/20 50 ILCS 748/5 50 ILCS 748/10 50 ILCS 748/20 ILCS 748/5 ILCS 748/10 ILCS 748/20 Amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act. Providesthat employment protections for volunteer emergency workers apply tovolunteer emergency workers participating in required training, includinga prohibition on termination and penalizing (rather than onlytermination)…
From the introduced text, January 14, 2025:
A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026HB1353Introduced 1/28/2025, by Rep. Brandun SchweizerSYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: ILCS 748/550 ILCS 748/1050 ILCS 748/20 50 ILCS 748/5 50 ILCS 748/10 50 ILCS 748/20 ILCS 748/5 ILCS 748/10 ILCS 748/20 Amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act. Providesthat employment protections for volunteer emergency workers apply tovolunteer emergency workers participating in required training, includinga prohibition on termination and penalizing (rather than onlytermination). Provides that the employer may not require the employee totake vacation time or other compensatory time in order to respond to anemergency or participate in training. Provides that the Act does not applyto any employer that is a municipality with a population of 15,000 or more(currently 7,500 or more). Makes conforming changes. LRB104 05894 RTM 15925 b LRB104 05894 RTM 15925 b LRB104 05894 RTM 15925 b A BILL FOR HB1353LRB104 05894 RTM 15925 b HB1353 LRB104 05894 RTM 15925 b HB1353 LRB104 05894 RTM 15925 b AN ACT concerning government. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: Section 5.The Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act is amended by changing Sections 5, 10, and 20 as follows: (50 ILCS 748/5) Sec. 5.Volunteer emergency worker; when termination of employment prohibited. (a) No public or private employer may terminate[ADDED: or ] …