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Senator Laura Murphy

SPRINGFIELD – Medically necessary equine therapy will soon be covered by health insurance thanks to a law championed by State Senator Laura Murphy.

“There are many effective forms for therapy, but insurance roadblocks and cost barriers often leave patients without access to the care they need,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Equine therapy can support mental health and emotional growth, and soon it will be available to individuals who could benefit from this treatment but couldn’t afford it.”

Equine therapy encompasses therapies that involve interacting with horses, including specific therapies used by physical, occupational and speech therapists to engage different sensory responses for patients. It has shown positive effects for people living with PTSD, autism and many other conditions.

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Senator Karina Villa

SPRINGFIELD – A new law led by State Senator Karina Villa will address increased congenital syphilis cases in Illinois.

“This law upholds best practices to mitigate the alarming trend of rising congenital syphilis cases across Illinois,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “We must continue to support the health and safety of an expecting parent and their child every way we can.”

The law requires the second syphilis test conducted on pregnant individuals to be done between 27 and 32 weeks of pregnancy to ensure treatment can begin at least 30 days before delivery. The law also expands authorization to administer the test to health care professionals who are qualified in addition to physicians.

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Senator Cervantes

SPRINGFIELD – Thanks to a new law led by State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes, applicants for grants through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICIJA) will soon see faster turnarounds on their approvals.

“The current bureaucratic process around grading ICIJA grant applications puts an unnecessary burden on workers and can delay the grants being awarded,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This measure is a long overdue update that will ensure the grant application process is efficient for all parties.” 

ICIJA utilizes volunteer workers to score grant applications — a rule intended to keep the process unbiased. However, this can lead to lengthy delays due to dips in volunteer work, or unreliable expertise levels in the grading process.

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Halpin HB24 080125SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin’s bill to guarantee attorney’s fees to defendants in a home repair or remodeling contract has been signed into law.

“Homeowners deserve fair compensation and quality representation if they have a genuine dispute and receive a favorable ruling,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “This law ensures a resident will have one less cost barrier to enforce their rights against a contractor.”

State law already required consumer contracts in cases under $10,000 to pay out attorney’s fees to a consumer if the consumer prevails in their action. This initiative will ensure that if a home repair and remodeling contract allows attorney’s fees, then the contract will permit the award of attorney’s fees to all parties in the contract.

More Articles …

  1. Seniors protected from deceptive practices under new Turner law
  2. Simmons Passes Law to Expand the Definition of Bicycles in Illinois
  3. Retirement savings options expanded under Peters’ law
  4. New Fine law provides additional workplace support for nursing mothers

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