Illinois Governor Signs BIPA Amendment Into Law

On August 2, 2024, Governor Pritzker signed Senate Bill (SB) 2979, which amends the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, 740 ILCS 14/1, et seq. (BIPA). The bill, which passed both the Illinois House and Senate by an overwhelming majority, confirms that a private entity that more than once collects or discloses the same biometric identifier or biometric information from the same person via the same method of collection in violation of the Act has committed a single violation for which an aggrieved person is entitled to, at most, one recovery. SB 2979 adds the following clarifying language into Section 20 of the BIPA, which is the section of the statute that identifies the damages a prevailing party mayrecover under the Act: