Glowiak Hilton law ensures families of fallen heroes receive accurate benefits

SPRINGFIELD – A new law sponsored by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton will help families of our fallen heroes in securing survivor benefits.

“Our nation’s military families have made life-changing sacrifices to serve our communities,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “This new law will create clarity to ensure the families of these fallen heroes will be given the financial support they are entitled to.”

House Bill 2856 will require vital records to list contributing factors behind a veteran’s death. This requirement would ensure survivor benefits and other rights are distributed if the death was caused by a service-related injury.

Read more: Glowiak Hilton law ensures families of fallen heroes receive accurate benefits

Hastings’ bipartisan measure to crack down on crime now law

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Michael E. Hastings’ measure to help police and sheriffs quickly track stolen vehicles is now law.

“This measure helps us evolve by better utilizing the latest technology to track criminal actions,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “We already know that there is technology readily available to track carjackers and kidnappers as they travel from Point A to Point B. It is essential that we empower law enforcement with these tools to successfully apprehend these criminals.”

Nationwide, carjackings are on the rise, but without formal coordination between authorities and vehicle manufacturers, law enforcement officers had little to no ability to access real-time tracking information.

Read more: Hastings’ bipartisan measure to crack down on crime now law

Castro announces $4 million for lead service line replacement in Carpentersville

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro announced that the Village of Carpentersville will receive $4 million in funding from the Illinois EPA to replace lead service lines in the community.

“Clean drinking water is a basic human right, and it’s especially important that our children have access to clean water that is lead-free,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Investing in replacing these pipes will keep harmful chemicals out of our water and give Carpentersville families, schools and businesses peace of mind that their water infrastructure is safe, healthy and upgraded.”

Read more: Castro announces $4 million for lead service line replacement in Carpentersville

Koehler law provides coverage for cancer treatment

SPRINGFIELD – To improve patient access to proton therapy, State Senator Dave Koehler led a measure that will provide coverage for cancer treatment using proton beam therapy that was signed into law Friday.

“Cancer patients deserve to have access to every available treatment,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “This high-precision radiation therapy treatment helps preserve healthy tissue, which may give folks a better outcome.”

Proton beam therapy is an advanced cancer radiation therapy that uses focused beams to target nearly the exact depth and location of cancerous cells in the body, delivering a higher dose to the tumor and less to the surrounding healthy tissue. Under Koehler’s law, cancer treatment using proton beam therapy will be covered by insurance.

Read more: Koehler law provides coverage for cancer treatment