Illinois state Rep. Marie Rivas-Boucher has introduced a wide-ranging labor reform proposal that would increase enforcement against wage theft, expand protections for workers reporting unsafe conditions and set fair-scheduling standards for certain employers.

The measure, titled the Illinois Workers’ Rights, Fair Wages, and Workplace Accountability Act of 2026, was announced in a Springfield press release dated Oct. 10. Its full legislative text, specific enforcement provisions and the employers covered by its scheduling requirements were not detailed in the announcement.

According to the release, the package would also seek greater corporate accountability when businesses receive public subsidies. It proposes additional resources for labor-law enforcement and expanded workers’ rights education across Illinois.

Rivas-Boucher, a Democratic state legislator and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, framed the bill as a response to rising living costs and the gap between workers’ wages and household expenses.

“Working people built this state,” Rivas-Boucher said in the release. “Yet far too many are still working longer hours for wages that cannot keep up with the cost of living.”

The proposal combines several issues that are often addressed separately in labor policy: wage enforcement, workplace safety reporting, scheduling practices, corporate subsidy oversight and public education on employment rights. The release did not specify what new penalties, agency powers, reporting mechanisms or funding levels the bill would establish.

Its fate will depend on consideration by the combined State Legislature, where bills apply to individual states and voting is weighted against each state’s party composition. Governors are also voting members of that legislature. No vote date, co-sponsors or public positions from other lawmakers were included in the announcement.

Rivas-Boucher has made workers’ rights, collective bargaining and economic inequality central to her political profile. She is also seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, though the press release described the proposal as an Illinois-focused state measure.

The announcement arrives as cost of living remains a prominent political concern nationally. Supporters of stronger labor protections generally argue that tougher enforcement and better workplace standards can improve economic security for employees. Critics of expansive workplace regulation often raise concerns about compliance costs and effects on employers, though the release did not include a response from business groups or legislative opponents.

For now, the measure remains a proposal. Its practical scope will depend on the legislation’s final language, the level of enforcement resources lawmakers approve and whether it gains sufficient support in the State Legislature.