Welcome to the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus

Guzmán advocates for Prescription Drug Affordability Board

SPRINGFIELD – With health care costs skyrocketing and drug manufacturers making billions in profit, State Senator Graciela Guzmán is carrying key legislation to create price caps for drugs in Illinois.

“Price should never be an obstacle to health care,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Taking advantage of sick people who are in need of medication for profit is condemnable and we must put a stop to this practice.”

Senate Bill 3496 is an initiative to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board in Illinois. This group would be tasked with identifying high cost drugs for consumers, conduct affordability reviews on said drugs and decide whether to limit the price of those drugs for the consumer.

Read more: Guzmán advocates for Prescription Drug Affordability Board

Belt measure removing employment barriers for people with disabilities passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt passed a measure through the Senate to reduce unfair barriers to employment for people living with disabilities.

“Everyone deserves a fair shot at employment,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Requiring a driver’s license for jobs that do not involve driving unfairly shuts people out of the workforce. This is especially true for people living with disabilities and their families.”

The legislation would prohibit employers and employment agencies from requiring applicants to have a valid driver’s license in job postings unless driving is an essential function of the position and is considered a business necessity.

Read more: Belt measure removing employment barriers for people with disabilities passes Senate

Stadelman works to protect older adults from financial exploitation

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman advanced legislation to strengthen protections for older adults by allowing courts to issue temporary restraining orders in cases involving abuse, neglect or financial exploitation.

“Older adults and vulnerable individuals are too often targeted by scammers and bad actors looking to take advantage of them financially,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This measure gives courts and law enforcement stronger tools to step in quickly, stop exploitation and protect victims before even more harm is done.”

Read more: Stadelman works to protect older adults from financial exploitation

Collins fights to strengthen protections against sexual misconduct in schools

SPRINGFIELD – To strengthen protections for students and help schools identify concerning behavior before it escalates, State Senator Lakesia Collins advanced legislation to improve reporting requirements, reinforce professional boundaries between educators and students and increase transparency regarding school misconduct policies.

“Preventing abuse starts with recognizing the warning signs before a child is harmed,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “This measure helps schools establish clear professional boundaries between staff and students, strengthens training requirements and ensures educators understand how to identify and report concerning behavior.”

Through Collins’ legislation, House Bill 4534, protections for children in schools would be expanded by redefining patterns of grooming behavior as a form of abuse under state law. The measure would also require school districts, charter schools and private schools to maintain and publicly post employee professional conduct policies, provide clear methods for reporting staff-student boundary violations, and establish expectations between school employees and students.

Read more: Collins fights to strengthen protections against sexual misconduct in schools