---
type: "Bill"
title: "EQUAL PAY ACT-LIABILITY"
description: "Amends the Equal Pay Act of 2003. Provides that in addition to an individual who is deemed to be an employer, any officers of a corporation or agents of an employer who knowingly permit such employer to violate the provisions of the Act shall be deemed to be the employers of the employees."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "97th"
identifier: "SB 2847"
citation: "Illinois SB 2847 (97th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 56
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2012-01-24"
last_action: "2012-08-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c4519604-c98c-422a-b546-cacee944371a"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2847&GAID=11&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=63297&SessionID=84&GA=97"
source_hash: "d5326885316ec3c5133329e488d98034fdd7102f06b86b4499dd7337af02fd4a"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois SB 2847 (97th) — EQUAL PAY ACT-LIABILITY

Amends the Equal Pay Act of 2003. Provides that in addition to an individual who is deemed to be an employer, any officers of a corporation or agents of an employer who knowingly permit such employer to violate the provisions of the Act shall be deemed to be the employers of the employees.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700SB2847&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=63297&DocNum=2847&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700SB2847eng&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=63297&DocNum=2847&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700SB2847enr&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=63297&DocNum=2847&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **56–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **114–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Carol A. Sente — cosponsor (person)
- Fred Crespo — cosponsor (person)
- Heather A. Steans — primary (person)
- Jehan A. Gordon — cosponsor (person)
- Keith Farnham — cosponsor (person)
- Kenneth Dunkin — cosponsor (person)
- Lawrence M. Walsh, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
- Naomi D. Jakobsson — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2012-01-24** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Heather A. Steans `filing`
- **2012-01-24** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2012-01-24** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2012-01-31** Assigned to Labor `referral-committee`
- **2012-02-24** Held in Labor
- **2012-03-01** Held in Labor
- **2012-03-01** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Heather A. Steans `amendment-introduction`
- **2012-03-01** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2012-03-06** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Labor
- **2012-03-07** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson
- **2012-03-07** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2012-03-08** Do Pass as Amended Labor; 006-004-000 `committee-passage`
- **2012-03-08** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 21, 2012
- **2012-03-21** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2012-03-21** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 22, 2012
- **2012-03-28** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2012-03-28** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Iris Y. Martinez
- **2012-03-28** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Heather A. Steans `amendment-introduction`
- **2012-03-28** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2012-03-28** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Assignments Refers to Executive
- **2012-03-28** Sponsor Removed Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2012-03-29** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommend Do Adopt Executive; 012-000-000
- **2012-03-29** Recalled to Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2012-03-29** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted; Steans `amendment-passage`
- **2012-03-29** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading
- **2012-03-29** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Jacobs
- **2012-03-29** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2012-03-29** Third Reading - Passed; 056-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2012-03-29** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2012-03-30** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Robyn Gabel
- **2012-03-30** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2012-03-30** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie
- **2012-03-30** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy
- **2012-03-30** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Kimberly du Buclet
- **2012-03-30** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2012-03-30** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2012-04-04** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Daniel Biss
- **2012-04-16** Assigned to Judiciary I - Civil Law Committee `referral-committee`
- **2012-04-19** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol A. Sente
- **2012-04-19** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Keith Farnham
- **2012-04-19** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Fred Crespo
- **2012-04-24** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Jehan A. Gordon
- **2012-04-25** Do Pass / Short Debate Judiciary I - Civil Law Committee; 011-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2012-04-25** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2012-05-02** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2012-05-02** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2012-05-08** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Lawrence M. Walsh, Jr.
- **2012-05-10** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Naomi D. Jakobsson
- **2012-05-10** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Kenneth Dunkin
- **2012-05-10** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 114-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2012-05-10** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford
- **2012-05-10** Passed Both Houses
- **2012-06-08** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2012-08-06** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2012-08-06** Effective Date January 1, 2013
- **2012-08-06** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 97-0903 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c4519604-c98c-422a-b546-cacee944371a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).