Statement from the Office of the Governor on the Passage of Workers' Compensation Reform

Months ago, the Governor called for a major overhaul of Illinois' broken workers compensation system. Reforms to this overwhelming burden on our businesses were crucial to maintain Illinois' economic competitiveness, which is why he made it one of his top legislative priorities this session. The Governor brought everyone to the table with a proposal to save our business over $500 million, while protecting injured workers. And today, after months of work, we have seen these reforms come to fruition.

The legislation approved by the General Assembly today will also achieve significant saving for the State of Illinois, as well as attacking fraud and abuse. We have fundamentally changed our system, allowing Illinois to become more competitive and a better place to do business.

We want to thank the members of the General Assembly - especially sponsors Rep. Bradley and Sen. Raoul - for their commitment to Illinois' businesses and workers. They have passed a package of true reforms that will have a profound effect on our state. We also express our appreciation to Director McRaith for his tireless work on this reform. This is a proud day for the State of Illinois, and, especially, for Illinois' business community and workers. The Governor looks forward to signing it into law.