The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) announced Monday that Illinois residents looking to file charges of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation will have more time to file those claims following their incident as of January 1st. Public Act 103-0973, which extends the statute of limitations for filing charges of discrimination in cases of employment, financial credit, and public services, will take effect in the new year.

The act will extend the statute of limitations from 300 days following the initial incident to two years. In cases of housing discrimination, the time to file cases remains unchanged at one year or two years to file a complaint in circuit court. The IDHR says the extension allows for those who have suffered discrimination to have their cases thoroughly investigated and reviewed before filing a claim with the state.

IDHR Director Jim Bennett says Illinois will become the 12th state to provide additional time to those seeking assistance in these discrimination cases through the Human Rights Act.