ISDC

Details

hospital bed with teddy bear

SPRINGFIELD – Private insurance will now cover specialized care for children living with serious illnesses while allowing the child to seek additional treatments, thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) that was recently signed into law.

“In Illinois, seriously ill children deserve consistency in high quality, child-centered care regardless of where they live and whether they have public or private health insurance,” Fine said. “This law will allow for more families to access this critical care without having to worry whether or not their insurance will cover the treatments.”

Under Fine’s law, patients with private insurance will now be covered for pediatric palliative care. Palliative care is a specialized medical care for people living with serious illnesses focused on providing relief from symptoms and improving quality of life with the medical condition. Some forms of this care include expert management of physical and emotional symptoms, as well as patient and family counseling.

Details

vocational training

ELGIN – A new law will create a program to help ensure people enrolled in apprenticeship or work-based learning programs have the financial resources they need to succeed. The law, signed Friday, was supported by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin).

“This new pilot program will do wonders for encouraging people to get into the trades and helping those already enrolled in apprenticeship programs,” said Castro, a longtime advocate for career training and apprenticeships. “Reducing financial barriers will get more people into these programs and the workforce.”

The new law, formerly House Bill 5225, creates the Job Training Assistance and Support Services Pilot Program through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The program will award grants to organizations to distribute subsidies to individuals participating in an apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, or work-based learning program.

Details

Library books

SPRINGFIELD – Children living in unincorporated areas will no longer have to pay large non-resident fees to access resources in libraries outside of their district, thanks to a law led by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).

“It is long past time to increase access to library materials for our children who need to succeed and learn by reading,” Murphy said. “This law will ensure all children—regardless of where they live—will be able to gain knowledge through their local libraries.”

Currently, children who want to access resources from a library outside of their district must pay a non-resident fee. These fees are determined by each library’s board of trustees, and typically are at least equal to the cost paid by the residents of the district. However, the fees are often far too expensive for children who want to access resources, like reading materials or computers, during their school breaks. Murphy aims to address these disparities by waiving non-resident library fees for kids who want to expand their horizons through reading. 

Details

Faucet

CHICAGO - To protect communities across Illinois from the deadly impact of lead, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) passed a law signed on Friday to strengthen lead mitigation procedures.

“Almost every community across the state is affected by lead in the water supply,” said Simmons. “This law provides an effective and expeditious solution to a decades-long problem that systemically affects low-income communities and communities of color.”

House Bill 4369 will require the Illinois Department of Public Health to follow up on lead mitigation notices by carrying out inspections to ensure the work has been completed. The past law merely permitted an inspection, while this measure will require and enforce lead mitigation efforts.

More Articles …

  1. Loughran Cappel’s measure to reduce vehicle registration fee becomes law
  2. FFA Chapters get a boost thanks to Senator Joyce
  3. Gold Star Families to receive expanded recognition, support under Ellman law
  4. New Belt law prioritizes student safety in case of a threat

Page 278 of 612

Follow ILSenDems

Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube

Sign up for the Majority Report

Laws Going Into Effect 2024

Employment Opportunities

Find Your Senator

Senate Schedule

Bills & Resolutions

Member News

SPRINGFIELD OFFICE

phone(217) 782-2728

phone309 State House
Springfield, IL 62706

Senate Floor, Michael J. Howlett Building, Springfield, IL

Senate President Don Harmon © 2024 Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus
FacebookInstagramTwitterYouTube
CHICAGO OFFICE

phone(312) 814-2075

phone160 N. LaSalle St., Ste. 720
Chicago, IL 60601