Posted on December 6, 2018

The City of Chicago’s 2019 Budget, which passed City Council in November, includes a number of new initiatives and programs from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumers Protection (BACP). Listed below are some of the highlights from Commissioner Rosa Escareno.

Office of Labor Standards
The newly created Office of Labor Standards will serve as the dedicated labor standards bureau for the people of Chicago. This 5-person office will carry forward BACP’s efforts to enforce Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave laws.

Nights and Weekends
Over the past year, the BACP has been carrying out strategic night and weekend investigative and inspection missions as part of a pilot program to address problem businesses. A permanent night and weekend team has been established to meet business owners at their time. This team will help the BACP respond quickly and effectively to problems that arise outside of the BACP’s business hours.

Active Compliance Program
Through this pilot program, BACP investigators will conduct proactive, educational and non-disciplinary inspections of businesses in certain problem industries or locations. These inspections will provide business owners the opportunity to ask questions and learn firsthand what investigators are looking for and how to remain compliant. As part of this program, they will provide a license inspection checklist as an additional tool for businesses to remain complaint and fully understand the requirements.

Tobacco Enforcement Enhancement
Cracking down on illegal tobacco operators, particularly those that sell e-cigarettes and tobacco to minors, is an ongoing priority of BACP. In 2019, BACP will be enhancing these efforts by:
– Adding two new investigators to focus on tobacco enforcement
– Doubling the license fee for tobacco licenses
– Expanding their ability to target all businesses for tobacco violations, not just those with a tobacco license

Public Passenger Vehicle Advertisement
Beginning in 2019, all public vehicles in Chicago, including rideshare vehicles, will have the opportunity to purchase a permit for interior and exterior advertising

Pre-Pay Violations
In June 2018, BACP began a program to allow for the pre-payment of certain tickets. Code changes in the 2019 budget will allow BACP to expand this successful program to cover additional code sections.

For more information about BACP including free workshops, click here to visit their website.

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