IL SB1976

Prohibits the Illinois Department of Labor and Department of Natural Resources from adopting rules less stringent than federal wage and hour laws (Fair Labor Standards Act) or federal coal mine safety laws as they existed on April 28, 2025

Requires state agencies to adopt rules incorporating federal worker protection standards if those federal standards are repealed, revoked, or weakened through amendments or new interpretations, using the pre-change federal standards as minimum requirements

Creates the Illinois Safe and Healthy Workplace Act, requiring the Department of Labor to adopt occupational health and safety rules for private sector employers when federal OSHA standards are repealed and no federal standard exists for that issue

Establishes a private right of action allowing aggrieved employees, interested parties, or the Department of Labor to sue private employers for violations of safety rules adopted under the Act, with a 3-year statute of limitations and class action provisions

Sets civil penalties for violations: up to $1,000 per violation for standard violations, up to $10,000 per violation for repeat violations, and up to $70,000 per violation for willful violations or plain indifference to safety standards