Illinois Amends the Prevailing Wage Act (Again) to Delay Implementation of Full Fringe Benefit Mandate for Apprentices Until July 1, 2026

The Illinois legislature recently passed House Bill 1437 (H.B. 1437), which delays implementation of the fringe benefit payment mandates for apprentices on projects subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (“IPWA”).  As some may recall, Governor Pritzker signed House Bill 2488 (H.B. 2488) into law effective June 30, 2025.

H.B. 2488 requires the payment of “full journeyman annualized fringe benefits” to apprentices working on prevailing wage projects in Illinois, regardless of the terms in the underlying prevailing area-wide union contract. H.B. 1437 delays the date that contractors must begin paying apprentices full journeyworker fringe benefits on public works projects to July 1, 2026.