republic-os/legislation/us/states/il/99th/sb-3163.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "IL FREEDOM TO WORK ACT"
description: "Creates the Illinois Freedom to Work Act. Provides that no employer shall enter into a covenant not to compete with any low-wage employee of the employer. Sets forth provisions providing that the Director of the Department of Labor shall adjust for inflation. Provides that in order for an employer to require an employee to enter into a covenant not to compete, the employer shall, prior to the employment of such employee and at the beginning of the process for hiring such employee, have disclosed to such employee the requirement for entering into such covenant. Sets forth provisions providing how the Director shall receive, investigate, attempt to resolve, and enforce complaints. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "99th"
identifier: "SB 3163"
citation: "Illinois SB 3163 (99th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 59
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2016-02-19"
last_action: "2016-08-19"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/8e8f4b4b-5103-4994-8cd4-e9f949c79a76"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3163&GAID=13&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=96505&SessionID=88&GA=99"
source_hash: "8f580a5841ffe8dc7186dcf0961573cfdebbadd29966ea3e3cefda49943ba124"
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 3163 (99th) — IL FREEDOM TO WORK ACT

Creates the Illinois Freedom to Work Act. Provides that no employer shall enter into a covenant not to compete with any low-wage employee of the employer. Sets forth provisions providing that the Director of the Department of Labor shall adjust for inflation. Provides that in order for an employer to require an employee to enter into a covenant not to compete, the employer shall, prior to the employment of such employee and at the beginning of the process for hiring such employee, have disclosed to such employee the requirement for entering into such covenant. Sets forth provisions providing how the Director shall receive, investigate, attempt to resolve, and enforce complaints. Effective immediately.

## 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=09900SB3163&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=96505&DocNum=3163&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900SB3163eng&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=96505&DocNum=3163&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900SB3163enr&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=96505&DocNum=3163&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Concurrence — **56–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **55–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **109–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Patricia Van Pelt — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2016-02-19** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Patricia Van Pelt `filing`
- **2016-02-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2016-02-19** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2016-03-08** Assigned to Labor `referral-committee`
- **2016-04-06** Do Pass Labor; 010-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2016-04-06** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 7, 2016
- **2016-04-13** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2016-04-22** Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 13, 2016
- **2016-05-04** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Patricia Van Pelt `amendment-introduction`
- **2016-05-04** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-04** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2016-05-04** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 5, 2016
- **2016-05-04** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Labor
- **2016-05-05** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommend Do Adopt Labor; 013-000-000
- **2016-05-05** Recalled to Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2016-05-05** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted; Van Pelt `amendment-passage`
- **2016-05-05** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading
- **2016-05-05** Third Reading - Passed; 055-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2016-05-06** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2016-05-06** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie
- **2016-05-10** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2016-05-10** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-16** Assigned to Labor & Commerce Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-16** Final Action Deadline Extended-9(b) May 27, 2016
- **2016-05-19** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie `amendment-introduction`
- **2016-05-19** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-23** House Committee Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie `amendment-introduction`
- **2016-05-23** House Committee Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-23** House Committee Amendment No. 3 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie `amendment-introduction`
- **2016-05-23** House Committee Amendment No. 3 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-24** House Committee Amendment No. 4 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie `amendment-introduction`
- **2016-05-24** House Committee Amendment No. 4 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-25** House Committee Amendment No. 4 Rules Refers to Labor & Commerce Committee
- **2016-05-25** House Committee Amendment No. 4 Adopted in Labor & Commerce Committee; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2016-05-25** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Labor & Commerce Committee; 024-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2016-05-25** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 40 `amendment-failure`
- **2016-05-25** House Committee Amendment No. 2 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 40 `amendment-failure`
- **2016-05-25** House Committee Amendment No. 3 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 40 `amendment-failure`
- **2016-05-25** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2016-05-26** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2016-05-26** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2016-05-26** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Sente
- **2016-05-27** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 109-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2016-05-27** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Ammons
- **2016-05-27** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack D. Franks
- **2016-05-27** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
- **2016-05-27** Secretary's Desk - Concurrence House Amendment(s) 4
- **2016-05-27** Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence House Amendment(s) 4 - May 29, 2016
- **2016-05-29** House Committee Amendment No. 4 Motion to Concur Filed with Secretary Sen. Patricia Van Pelt `filing`
- **2016-05-29** House Committee Amendment No. 4 Motion to Concur Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-29** House Committee Amendment No. 4 Motion to Concur Assignments Referred to Labor `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-31** House Committee Amendment No. 4 Motion To Concur Recommended Do Adopt Labor; 012-000-000
- **2016-05-31** House Committee Amendment No. 4 Senate Concurs 056-000-000
- **2016-05-31** Senate Concurs
- **2016-05-31** Passed Both Houses
- **2016-06-29** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2016-08-19** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2016-08-19** Effective Date January 1, 2017
- **2016-08-19** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 99-0860 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/8e8f4b4b-5103-4994-8cd4-e9f949c79a76`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).