The Illinois Attorney General’s office may soon have a dedicated team of lawyers working to combat wage theft and other unsafe conditions for employees.

Senate Bill 161, which passed the Senate unanimously on April 11, establishes the Worker Protection Unit and the Worker Protection Unit Task Force within the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. These new additions would be focused on ensuring that employees are properly paid and have safe workplaces. The ultimate goal is to eliminate unfair competition from businesses that aren’t following the rules. The bill is now headed to the House for a vote in that chamber.