Brandun Schweizer, Illinois State Representative from the 104th District | Illinois General Assembly
Brandun Schweizer, Illinois State Representative from the 104th District | Illinois General Assembly
According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "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."
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act by expanding employment protections for volunteer emergency workers to include participation in required training, prohibiting termination and any form of penalization. It also prevents employers from mandating that these workers use vacation or compensatory time to respond to emergencies or attend training. Employers with a workforce in municipalities with populations of 15,000 or more are exempt from this Act. Additionally, workers can be charged against their regular pay for any time lost due to their volunteer duties, but they must notify employers if they expect to be absent or late. If terminated or penalized, employees have the right to file a civil lawsuit for reinstatement, back wages, and other benefits within a year of the violation.
Brandun Schweizer is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 104th House District. He replaced previous state representative Mike Marron in 2023.
Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.
You can read more about bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB1353 | 01/14/2025 | 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. |
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