Navigating Laws and Legislation Event Provides Relevant Updates to Attendees

On February 13, 2024, Growth Dimensions Economic Development and Illinois Manufacturers' Association presented “Navigating Laws & Legislation.” The event was sponsored by NorthWest Illinois Alliance of REALTORS.

Donovan Griffith, Vice President of Government Affairs at IMA, did a wonderful job of bringing the audience up-to-date on governance and legislation in the State of Illinois, while highlighting four relevant legislative topics:

Biometrics Information Privacy Act (BIPA)

BIPA establishes standards for how companies must handle Illinois consumer and employee biometric information.¹ 
IL General Assembly: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3004&ChapterID=57

Day & Temporary Labor Services Act

In November 2023, the Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 3641, which amends the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act by delaying implementation of Section 42 of the Act until April 1, 2024. The amendment gives time for staffing agencies and the companies that use them to receive clarification regarding the Illinois Department of Labor’s interpretation of “equivalent benefits.”² 
IL General Assembly: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2417&ChapterID=68

Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

EPR is a mandatory type of Product Stewardship in which manufacturers take primary financial responsibility for the post-consumer environmental, safety, and economic impacts of their products. 
EPR Principles: https://illinoispsc.org/epr-principles/
EPR Legislation in Illinois: https://illinoispsc.org/legislation/

Paid Leave for All Workers Act

The Paid Leave for All Workers Act allows workers to earn up to 40 hours of leave from work each year. Workers can use paid leave for any reason and employers may not require workers to provide a basis for their time off request.³ 
IL General Assembly: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=4351&ChapterID=68

View the Regional Illinois Legislator Contact Guide

¹ Source: https://www.aclu-il.org/en/campaigns/biometric-information-privacy-act-bipa 
² Source: https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/illinois-legislature-amends-effective-date-of-equal-pay-provisions-of-day-and-temporary-labor-services-act/ 
³ Source: https://labor.illinois.gov/laws-rules/paidleave.html

Maria Moran with IMA Member Engagement, spoke about the benefits of being an IMA member.

Become an IMA Member

The IMA supports nearly 4000 members and locations throughout the state. Many people are surprised that the majority of IMA members have less than 250 employees. IMA work very hard to provide support with proactive communication, education and resources, in order to provide bandwidth to manufacturers, throughout the state.  Their layer of support provides proactive compliance and minimizes risks for their members. 

IMA Memberships range from $1000 - $200K.   Joining is easy and starts with a simple conversation. IMA understands that companies make decisions every day about where to invest their time and treasure and they are very proud of their 95% percent retention rate (association average is 88 percent).  Their members find value in the IMA, and they stay with them.

IMA at a Glance

Visit IMA Membership Site
 

Training Program Reimbursement

The IMA administers $5.6 million of the state-run Employee training investment program. This program reimburses manufacturers up to 50% on much of the employee training that they are already doing. It reimburses for safety training and is funded by your State tax dollars. This reimbursement works in concert with the many federal dollars that are provided by local educators and Boone County training grants. IMA does not want to see those dollars go unused!

2024 Maker's Madness: The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois

On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, IMA launched their fifth annual contest: Makers’ Madness: The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois, presented by Comcast Business. This fun competition highlights outstanding Illinois companies, great jobs, and the fantastic products made in the State of Illinois. Here's your chance to nominate amazing products made by your local companies! Nominations for products can be submitted by anyone at www.makersmadnessil.com until March 3, 2024.