---
type: "Bill"
title: "HUMAN RTS-ORDER OF PROTECTION"
description: "Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Defines \"order of protection status\" to mean a person's status as being a person protected or previously protected under an order of protection issued under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 or an order of protection issued by a court of another state. Provides that discrimination against a person because of his or her order of protection status constitutes unlawful discrimination under the Act. Effective January 1, 2010."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "96th"
identifier: "HB 721"
citation: "Illinois HB 721 (96th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 44
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2009-02-05"
last_action: "2009-08-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ee922ee3-a719-4250-874f-56e33d13a465"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=721&GAID=10&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=41433&SessionID=76&GA=96"
source_hash: "4132fa085b14fc1acf95ae2b0527b1bbfbb75bd9f024b335b649939d81f6eba4"
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 HB 721 (96th) — HUMAN RTS-ORDER OF PROTECTION

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Defines "order of protection status" to mean a person's status as being a person protected or previously protected under an order of protection issued under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 or an order of protection issued by a court of another state. Provides that discrimination against a person because of his or her order of protection status constitutes unlawful discrimination under the Act. Effective January 1, 2010.

## 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=09600HB0721&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=41433&DocNum=721&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600HB0721eng&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=41433&DocNum=721&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600HB0721enr&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=41433&DocNum=721&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **58–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **113–4** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Mike Fortner — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2009-02-05** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Mike Fortner `filing`
- **2009-02-06** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2009-02-06** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2009-02-11** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Kenneth Dunkin
- **2009-02-11** Assigned to Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee `referral-committee`
- **2009-02-20** Do Pass / Short Debate Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee; 007-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2009-02-20** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2009-02-24** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2009-02-24** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2009-03-19** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Coulson
- **2009-03-19** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Susana A. Mendoza
- **2009-03-24** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Mike Fortner `amendment-introduction`
- **2009-03-24** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2009-03-26** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Rules Committee; 005-000-000 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2009-03-26** Recalled to Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2009-03-26** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2009-03-26** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2009-03-31** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
- **2009-04-01** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Randy Ramey, Jr.
- **2009-04-01** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Patricia R. Bellock
- **2009-04-01** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Mark H. Beaubien, Jr.
- **2009-04-01** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Sandy Cole
- **2009-04-01** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Paul D. Froehlich
- **2009-04-01** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Cynthia Soto
- **2009-04-01** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Constance A. Howard
- **2009-04-01** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Elaine Nekritz
- **2009-04-02** Co-Sponsor Rep. Karen May
- **2009-04-02** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 113-004-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2009-04-02** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2009-04-02** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2009-04-02** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Kirk W. Dillard
- **2009-04-15** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2009-04-15** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2009-04-22** Assigned to Criminal Law `referral-committee`
- **2009-04-30** Do Pass Criminal Law; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2009-04-30** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 5, 2009
- **2009-05-07** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2009-05-07** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading ** May 18, 2009
- **2009-05-19** Third Reading - Passed; 058-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2009-05-19** Passed Both Houses
- **2009-06-17** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2009-08-14** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2009-08-14** Effective Date January 1, 2010
- **2009-08-14** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-0447 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ee922ee3-a719-4250-874f-56e33d13a465`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).