Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker Signs BIPA Amendment Into Law

Chicago, Ill. (August 5, 2024) - Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed S.B. 2979, the "BIPA Amendment," into law on Friday, August 2, 2024. The long-awaited BIPA Amendment is effective immediately, and should bring welcome relief to those doing business in the State of Illinois.

Unanimously passed by the Illinois Legislature in 2008 to no fanfare, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act ("BIPA") was championed by privacy advocates as a law that ensures individuals control access to their personal biometric data and prohibits private entities - including employers - from collecting it without providing notice and obtaining each individual's consent. Non-compliance means potentially hefty penalties, as the Act permits liquidated damages of up to $1,000 per violation if a plaintiff can prove negligent violations and up to $5,000 if a plaintiff can prove reckless or intentional violations. Because the damages provision of BIPA applies to "each violation" of the