CREATIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB5422

Select Language

×

The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein.

Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet.

The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website.

NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window.

Choose Language

English

Afrikaans

Albanian

Arabic

Armenian

Azerbaijani

Basque

Bengali

Bosnian

Catalan

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Estonian

Filipino

Finnish

French

Galician

Georgian

German

Greek

Gujarati

Haitian Creole

Hausa

Hawaiian

Hebrew

Hindi

Hungarian

Icelandic

Indonesian

Interlingua

Interlingue

Inuktitut

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Javanese

Kannada

Khmer

Korean

Latin

Latvian

Lithuanian

Luxembourgish

Macedonian

Malagasy

Malayalam

Maltese

Maori

Marathi

Myanmar

Nepali

Norwegian

Odia

Pashto

Punjabi

Romanian

Russian

Samoan

Sango

Sanskrit

Sardinian

Sindhi

Sinhala

Slovak

Slovenian

Somali

Southern Sotho

Spanish

Sundanese

Swahili

Swedish

Tamil

Telugu

Thai

Tigrinya

Tonga

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

Welsh

Xhosa

Yiddish

Yoruba

Zulu

Powered by
Translate

Close

Illinois General Assembly

Top Navigation Bar

Translate

Learn

Select General Assembly

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter search terms for legislation, members, committees, or schedules.

ILGA.GOV

LEGISLATION & LAWS

Bills & Resolutions

Public Acts

Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Constitution

Search Legislation

Glossary

Guide

Reports & Inquiry

Legislative Reports

Special Reports

FTP Site

Legislator Lookup

Capitol Complex Phone Numbers

Rules & Regulations

Illinois Register

Administrative Rules

Senate

Members

Schedules

Committees

Request for Remote Testimony

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

Senate Employment Opportunities

Media Guidelines

House

Members

Schedules

Committees

Submit testimony for House Committees

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

House Employment Opportunities

Log In

Mobile Top Bar

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter keywords to search the Illinois General Assembly website.

Full Text of HB5422

Home

Legislation

Full Text

HB5422 - 104th General Assembly

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Select Menu

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Open PDF

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5422

Introduced 2/13/2026, by Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
30 ILCS 105/5.1038 new

Creates the Illinois Creative Workforce Development Act. Establishes
a program within the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to
provide skills training, business development, financial literacy,
contract education, and career transition support for independent and
project-based creative workers. Includes a pilot program to test portable,
worker-controlled benefits without reclassifying workers. Sets minimum
compensation guidelines, timely payment requirements, and written contract
standards for publicly funded creative work. Requires regional balance,
targeted outreach to underrepresented communities, and data collection
disaggregated by race, gender, and geography. Authorizes grants for
cross-sector integration of creative skills into education, health,
technology, and tourism. Creates the Illinois Creative Workforce Fund.
Grants rulemaking authority. Makes a conforming change to the State
Finance Act.
LRB104 19041 HLH 32486 b

A BILL FOR

HB5422
LRB104 19041 HLH 32486 b
1

AN ACT concerning State government.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 1.
Short title.
This Act may be cited as the
5
Creative Workforce Development Act.

6

Section 5.
Purpose.
The General Assembly finds that
7
Illinois' creative economy relies heavily on gig, freelance,
8
and project-based laborers whose contributions are essential
9
yet whose jobs are often precarious. It is the policy of the
10
State to support the sustainability and mobility of creative
11
workers through skills training, business development
12
supports, financial and contract literacy, and between-project
13
career transition services; to test portable,
14
worker-controlled benefits without altering worker
15
classification; to set baseline protections for publicly
16
funded creative work; and to ensure equitable access across
17
regions and underrepresented communities.

18

Section 10.
Definitions.
In this Act:
19

"Creative worker" means an individual who earns income
20
primarily through independent, freelance, gig, or
21
project-based work in one or more of the following fields:
22
arts and culture; design; music; film and television; theater

HB5422
- 2 -
LRB104 19041 HLH 32486 b
1
and live events; teaching artistry; digital media and content
2
creation; creative technology; and related cultural work.
3

"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
4
Opportunity.
5

"Eligible worker" means a creative worker who is
6
determined, by Department rule, to be eligible for the pilot
7
program established under Section 45.
8

"Portable benefits" means benefits that are
9
worker-controlled; that follow a worker across projects,
10
employers, or engagements; and that are administered by an
11
eligible sponsor or qualified portable benefit administrator.
12
"Portable benefits" includes access pathways to health
13
insurance, retirement savings options, paid leave pools, and
14
workers' compensation coverage.
15

"Publicly funded creative work" means any creative
16
services, performances, productions, or deliverables procured
17
or sub-granted using State funds, including pass-through
18
federal funds administered by the State.
19

"Underrepresented communities" includes, but is not
20
limited to, communities historically marginalized by race or
21
ethnicity, low-income communities, people with disabilities,
22
LGBTQ+ communities, and geographically isolated rural areas.

23

Section 15.
Establishment; administering Department.
24

(a) The Illinois Creative Workforce Development Program is
25
established within the Department. Creative workers may apply

HB5422
- 3 -
LRB104 19041 HLH 32486 b
1
for program services under Section 20 under procedures
2
determined by the Department by rule.
3

(b) The Department shall design, administer, and
4
coordinate services statewide and may enter into interagency
5
agreements with other State agencies, the Department's Film
6
Office, the Illinois Arts Council, or other relevant entities
7
to implement this Act.
8

(c) The Department may contract with regional
9
intermediaries, community colleges, workforce boards, and
10
nonprofit organizations with demonstrated experience serving
11
creative workers.

12

Section 20.
Program services.
13

(a) The Department shall offer or fund training in digital
14
tools, creative technologies, production workflows, management
15
and entrepreneurship, compliance and safety, and project
16
administration.
17

(b) Services may include coaching, access to markets and
18
procurement, portfolio development, licensing and rights
19
education, marketing, and revenue diversification.
20

(c) Services shall include budgeting, tax compliance for
21
independent workers, contract drafting and review, negotiation
22
skills, and risk management for project-based work.
23

(d) The Department shall provide navigation services,
24
placement assistance, bridge programs, and supportive services
25
to facilitate movement between projects or into adjacent

HB5422
- 4 -
LRB104 19041 HLH 32486 b
1
high-demand fields.

2

Section 25.
Baseline protections for publicly funded
3
creative work.
4

(a) The Department shall, by rule, establish minimum
5
compensation guidelines for publicly funded creative contracts
6
that reflect fair market value, project scope, experience
7
level, prevailing standards, and inclusive access.
8

(b) The Department shall, by rule, require:
9

(1) clear written contracts with defined scope of
10

work, deliverables, timelines, ownership and rights,
11

cancellation terms, and dispute resolution;
12

(2) standardized invoicing and payment practices to
13

promote timely payment consistent with State fiscal
14

controls; and
15

(3) disclosure of grant or contract terms in plain
16

language.
17

(c) Publicly funded entities shall certify compliance as a
18
condition of award or payment.

19

Section 30.
Equity, outreach, and regional balance.
20

(a) The Department shall conduct targeted outreach to
21
underrepresented communities and workers lacking access to
22
traditional benefits.
23

(b) Program design and awards shall reflect geographic
24
balance across Chicago, suburban, downstate, and rural

HB5422
- 5 -
LRB104 19041 HLH 32486 b
1
regions, including deployment of regional intermediaries.
2

(c) The Department shall ensure accessibility of program
3
materials, facilities, and communications and shall provide
4
reasonable accommodations.

5

Section 35.
Data collection; reporting; privacy.
6

(a) The Department shall collect program data,
7
disaggregated, at a minimum, by race, ethnicity, gender,
8
disability status, if voluntarily disclosed, and geography.
9

(b) Annually, the Department shall deliver a report to the
10
General Assembly and post the report on the Department's
11
website, summarizing participation, services delivered,
12
outcomes, the adoption of compensation standards, payment
13
timelines, and pilot program results.
14

(c) Personally identifiable information shall be protected
15
and reported only in the aggregate.

16

Section 40.
Cross-sector integration grants; alignment
17
with pipelines and credentials.
18

(a) The Department may award grants or incentives to
19
integrate creative skills into other high-demand fields
20
through cross-sector partnerships, including:
21

(1) partnerships with teaching artists in education
22

and after-school programs;
23

(2) partnerships with designers and storytellers in
24

public health and community engagement;

HB5422
- 6 -
LRB104 19041 HLH 32486 b
1

(3) partnerships with digital creatives in technology
2

and manufacturing; and
3

(4) partnerships with cultural workers in tourism and
4

place-based development.
5

(b) Grants shall, if practicable, align with recognized
6
credentials, registered apprenticeships, or established
7
workforce pipelines, and they may support curriculum
8
co-development, work-based learning, and employer engagement.
9

(c) Awards under this Section are subject to
10
appropriation.

11

Section 45.
Portable benefits pilot program; report.
12

(a) The Department shall establish a pilot program to test
13
portable, worker-controlled benefits for eligible workers
14
without reclassifying workers as employees. Eligible workers
15
may apply for the pilot program under procedures determined by
16
the Department by rule.
17

(b) Subject to appropriation and available matching funds,
18
the pilot program may include:
19

(1) pathways to health insurance enrollment or
20

subsidies;
21

(2) retirement savings vehicles with automated or
22

optional contributions;
23

(3) pooled paid leave accounts usable across
24

engagements; and
25

(4) mechanisms to access workers' compensation

HB5422
- 7 -
LRB104 19041 HLH 32486 b
1

coverage for qualifying engagements where permissible
2

under law.
3

(c) Benefits may be administered by qualified portable
4
benefit administrators or licensed entities selected through a
5
competitive process. The Department may set eligibility,
6
portability, contribution, and governance standards by rule.
7

(d) Participation in the pilot program shall not be
8
construed to create an employment relationship, joint
9
employment, or agency between a worker and any contracting
10
entity.
11

(e) The Department shall include pilot program outcomes,
12
costs, worker satisfaction, and recommendations in the annual
13
report under Section 35.
14

(f) This Section is repealed 5 years after the effective
15
date of this Act.

16

Section 50.
Procurement and grant compliance.
17

(a) The Department shall incorporate the protections in
18
Section 25 into its procurement and grantmaking templates and
19
guidance.
20

(b) The Department may condition awards on adoption of
21
minimum compensation guidelines and timely-payment practices
22
and may withhold or recoup funds for material noncompliance
23
after providing notice and opportunity to cure.

24

Section 55.
Rulemaking.
The Department shall adopt rules

HB5422
- 8 -
LRB104 19041 HLH 32486 b
1
to implement and administer this Act, including, without
2
limitation, rules to establish pilot program operations,
3
compensation guidelines, and grant procedures.

4

Section 60.
Creative Workforce Fund.
The Creative
5
Workforce Fund is created as a special fund in the State
6
treasury. Subject to appropriation, moneys in the Fund shall
7
be used by the Department to carry out this Act, including
8
training, grants, pilot program benefits, evaluation, and
9
administration. The Fund may receive transfers,
10
appropriations, gifts, grants, and awards from public or
11
private sources.

12

Section 65.
Construction.
Nothing in this Act shall be
13
construed to limit the rights of workers or to preempt any more
14
protective local, State, or federal standards applicable to
15
compensation, safety, discrimination, or accessibility.

16

Section 80.
The State Finance Act is amended by adding
17
Section 5.1038 as follows:

18

(30 ILCS 105/5.1038 new)
19

Sec. 5.1038.
The Creative Workforce Fund.

Footer

Disclaimer

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.

Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn