IllinoisHB2978104th General Assembly (2025–2026)HouseWALLET

NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE LEAVE

Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable

Signed by Governor

Summary

Creates the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act. Provides that an employee of an employer with 16 or more employees and no more than 50 employees shall be entitled to use a maximum of 10 days of unpaid neonatal intensive care leave while any child of the employee is a patient in a neonatal intensive care unit. Provides that an employee of an employer with 51 or more employees shall be entitled to use 20 days of unpaid neonatal intensive care leave while a child of the employee is a patient in a neonatal intensive care unit. Provides that, upon the conclusion of leave taken under the Act, an employee shall be reinstated to his or her former position or a substantially equivalent one with no loss of benefits held or accrued prior to taking leave. Sets forth provisions concerning unlawful employer practices; Department of Labor responsibilities; and enforcement. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Fund.

labor & commerceassignmentsexecutive

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Unpaid leave for parents with hospitalized babies

Illinois employees get unpaid leave while their child is in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Employers with 16–50 employees must provide up to 10 days per child; employers with 51 or more provide up to 20. Illinois state employees are also covered. Leave cannot exceed the child's NICU stay. You can take leave all at once or in separate periods, with a minimum of 2 hours per period. For eligible workers, this leave follows leave taken under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and is additional leave. Employers cannot force you to use paid leave. You can choose to substitute other available paid or unpaid leave under laws, labor agreements, or benefit plans. Your employer must maintain your health insurance as though you were working. After leave, you must get your former job or a substantially equivalent job without losing previously held or accrued benefits. Your employer cannot require you to find a replacement worker. Employers can request reasonable proof of the NICU stay's length, but not information protected by medical privacy laws. Employers cannot punish you for using or seeking these rights, opposing suspected violations, or helping others exercise their rights. This includes filing cases, taking part in proceedings, and sharing information or testimony. You have 60 days after the last alleged violation to file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor or sue in circuit court. The Department administers the law, adopts rules, investigates violations, and can use subpoenas and administrative hearings. It can seek unpaid wages, damages, and penalties, with recovery costs paid by the employer. Courts can order employers to stop violations and provide other appropriate nonmonetary relief. Employers face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per affected employee for each violation. A violation continuing during one uninterrupted NICU stay counts as one violation. These penalties are not specified as payments to employees. The Attorney General can enforce penalty collection. Twenty percent of collected penalties goes into a new state Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Fund to support enforcement.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

There is no primary sponsor on record.

Cosponsors

  • Abdelnasser Rashid

    Democratic • House

  • Anna Moeller

    Democratic • House

  • Barbara Hernandez

    Democratic • House

  • Bill Cunningham

    Democratic • Senate

  • Camille Y. Lilly

    Democratic • House

  • Dagmara Avelar

    Democratic • House

  • Diane Blair-Sherlock

    Democratic • House

  • Edgar González, Jr.

    Democratic • House

  • Elizabeth "Lisa" Hernandez

    Democratic • House

  • Hoan Huynh

    Democratic • House

  • Jennifer Sanalitro

    Republican • House

  • Julie A. Morrison

    Democratic • Senate

  • Justin Slaughter

    Democratic • House

  • Kelly M. Cassidy

    Democratic • House

  • Kevin John Olickal

    Democratic • House

  • Kimberly Du Buclet

    Democratic • House

  • Laura Faver Dias

    Democratic • House

  • Martha Deuter

    Democratic • House

  • Mary Beth Canty

    Democratic • House

  • Maura Hirschauer

    Democratic • House

  • Maurice A. West, II

    Democratic • House

  • Meg Loughran Cappel

    Democratic • Senate

  • Nabeela Syed

    Democratic • House

  • Nicole La Ha

    Republican • House

  • Nicolle Grasse

    Democratic • House

  • Sonya M. Harper

    Democratic • House

  • Sue Scherer

    Democratic • House

  • Will Guzzardi

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 180 • No: 9

Senate vote • 6/1/2025

Third Reading - Passed;

Yes: 55 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/15/2025

Do Pass Executive;

Yes: 13 • No: 0

House vote • 4/7/2025

Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed

Yes: 91 • No: 7

House vote • 3/12/2025

Do Pass / Short Debate Labor & Commerce Committee;

Yes: 21 • No: 2

Actions Timeline

  1. Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0259

    8/15/2025House
  2. Effective Date June 1, 2026

    8/15/2025House
  3. Governor Approved

    8/15/2025House
  4. Sent to the Governor

    6/24/2025House
  5. Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel

    6/4/2025Senate
  6. Passed Both Houses

    6/1/2025House
  7. Third Reading - Passed; 055-000-000

    6/1/2025Senate
  8. 3/5 Vote Required

    6/1/2025Senate
  9. Rule 2-10 Third Reading/Passage Deadline Established As June 1, 2025

    5/23/2025Senate
  10. Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Julie A. Morrison

    5/21/2025Senate
  11. Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 20, 2025

    5/15/2025Senate
  12. Second Reading

    5/15/2025Senate
  13. Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading

    5/15/2025Senate
  14. Do Pass Executive; 013-000-000

    5/15/2025Senate
  15. Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 23, 2025

    5/9/2025Senate
  16. Assigned to Executive

    4/23/2025Senate
  17. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Hoan Huynh

    4/22/2025House
  18. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Camille Y. Lilly

    4/10/2025House
  19. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Sue Scherer

    4/10/2025House
  20. Referred to Assignments

    4/8/2025Senate
  21. First Reading

    4/8/2025Senate
  22. Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Bill Cunningham

    4/8/2025Senate
  23. Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading

    4/8/2025Senate
  24. Arrive in Senate

    4/8/2025Senate
  25. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Anna Moeller

    4/7/2025House

Bill Text

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