Last year, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed the Employee Credit Privacy Act, which took effect Jan 1, 2011. This Act prohibits Illinois employers from using credit history information when making hiring or promotion decisions, with several exceptions.
Exceptions include positions that: have custody or unsupervised access to cash over $2,500; have signatory power over business assets valued at $100 or more; and managerial positions, among others.
The provision likely creating the broadest exception is for positions with access to personal or confidential information, financial information, trade secrets, or state/national security information.