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VenturaSPRINGFIELD – To protect renters from additional rental payment transaction fees, State Senator Rachel Ventura advanced legislation that would require landlords to be more flexible with payment options.

“As rent costs have skyrocketed across the country, residents are struggling to make ends meet and these transaction fees imposed on them by their landlord can add up quickly,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Some leases require 2-3% of rent to cover processing fees which adds a lot to an already high rent. By requiring landlords to also accept cash or check we help save Illinoisans from this unnecessary cost.”

House Bill 4206 would require landlords to allow tenants to make rental payments by delivering a paper check or cash to the landlord or their business office if the landlord uses a third-party payment portal to collect rent and has a transactional fee or other charge imposed through the portal on the rental payments.

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MorrisonSPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison is leading a measure to bring more diversity in participants of clinical trials.

“Better representation in clinical trials will improve progress and innovation in cancer care and mitigate some inequities that currently exist in health care,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest).

House Bill 5405 would require the Illinois Department of Public Health to work with the University of Illinois and other relevant organizations to conduct a study examining what demographics are currently underrepresented in clinical trials, identify barriers to participation and pinpoint ways to improve upon outreach to these communities. IDPH would report the findings of this study to the General Assembly by July 1, 2026.

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Sen. Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford is championing a proposal to require high school students to learn financial literacy.

“When young people leave high school, they are given the freedom to spend and manage their money how they see fit with little or no guidance beyond what they’ve witnessed at home,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “By requiring financial literacy instruction, we are equipping our young people with the ability to do things like manage a household budget, save for a home or be aware of financial fraud schemes. These are important life skills that every person can utilize.”

Under Lightford’s measure, high school students would learn about financial literacy as part of their consumer education requirement. The instruction would focus on basic economics, the principles of supply and demand, how to budget income responsibly, loan repayment, and the cost of high-interest short-term “payday” loans.

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CunninghamFirstRespondersSPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced two key initiatives to expand family counseling services and disability benefits for first responders.

“First responders have to overcome an enormous amount of stress on the job, and sometimes that stress can extend to the entire family,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This initiative will strengthen their access to family counseling services, which can be used as a tool to help overcome some of that work-related stress.” 

House Bill 4460 would require every self-insured county and municipality across the state to provide coverage for marriage and couples counseling for firefighters and police officers. Coverage for marriage or couples counseling is not currently required in insurance plans for first responders because it is not considered a diagnosable mental health condition.

More Articles …

  1. Stadelman champions measure to protect utility customers
  2. Senate Democrats honor fallen police officers at Springfield ceremony
  3. American Cancer Society addresses the State of Cancer in Illinois
  4. Simmons holds hearing to highlight the increase in suicide rates in Black communities across Illinois

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