Stava-Murray casts Yes vote on HB5228 to toughen penalties for lacking workers’ comp coverage

Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81st) signaled her support for HB5228 by voting Yes on May 31, 2026, in the 104th General Assembly. The measure, which increases penalties for businesses failing to maintain mandatory workers’ compensation insurance, received a final House vote of 89-27, records from the Illinois House show.

As detailed in the bill's official text, the act is titled: "WORK COMP-STATE LICENSURE."

The next section is an overview summarizing main provisions derived from the official bill language and may include clarifying interpretation.

The legislation modifies the Workers’ Compensation Act by establishing that corporations, limited liability companies, or partnerships required to have workers’ compensation insurance as a state licensing condition—and unable to show proof of such coverage—will face civil penalties according to Section 4(d). Penalties can be avoided only if there is clear and convincing proof that the entity was not operating while its state license was valid. The focus is on tightening enforcement for businesses that maintain state licenses without carrying necessary insurance.

The legislative action recorded on HB5228 states: 'Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 House Concurs.'

Stava-Murray earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in 2008.

Stava-Murray, serving as a Democrat, began representing Illinois’s 81st House District in 2019 after taking over from former state representative David S. Olsen.

Legislation in Illinois progresses through a multi-step legislative process involving House or Senate introduction, committee consideration, floor debate, passage in both chambers, and subsequent review by the governor. The General Assembly’s biennial structure accommodates thousands of bill introductions each session, though comparatively few achieve final passage into law.