SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) applauds the signing of legislation aimed at providing funding to hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new law brings an additional $450 million to safety-net hospitals, prioritizing the institutions that serve a high number of Medicaid patients.

“I thank Governor J.B. Pritzker for signing this legislation that brings certainty to health care providers and the low-income clients they serve,” Aquino said. “The additional money will be vital to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.”

The law also increases Medicaid rates for physician services to $150 million annually, an effort to incentivize more health care providers to see low-income Medicaid patients. Under the plan, 24 Safety-Net Hospitals will receive an additional $81.2 million, and 51 Critical Access Hospitals will receive an additional $14 million.

“In a time of crisis, we should respond by protecting our most vulnerable,” Aquino said. “Many Black and Brown residents are essential workers, putting them at a higher risk of being exposed to COVID-19. These Illinoisans need to know that if they need to seek care, there will be properly equipped hospitals in their communities,” Aquino said.

The Hospital Assessment Program is a $3.8 billion program that will bring $450 million in additional funding to health institutions that care for underserved clients and leverage $250 million federal dollars for the state.

CHICAGO – A comprehensive relief package aimed to support working families, small businesses, and communities heavily impacted by COVID-19 and civil unrest will be available starting this August, announced State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago).

Aquino was key in the negotiations on behalf of the Latino Caucus to assemble a $900 million funding package along with the Black Caucus, the Asian Caucus, and the Pritzker administration.

CHICAGO – Student data will be protected from unethical collection under a bill sponsored by State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) that was signed into law.

House Bill 3606 bans schools from commercially selling the meta-data of K-12 students who use school computers, and provides parents with some control over how the data may be used.

“It’s unfair to compromise children’s data before they’re even old enough to exercise their own privacy rights,” said Aquino. “There is no reason to use these students’ data for any reason other than tracking their academic progress, and this measure will keep that data safe as technology continues to develop.”

House Bill 3606 takes effect immediately.

CHICAGO – Tipped workers would be guaranteed to keep the tips they earn under a bill sponsored by State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) that was signed into law.

House Bill 3405 provides that an employer may not retain gratuities from workers who earn them, and expressly allows tip-sharing between tipped and non-tipped employees.

“This is a victory for working-class people,” said Aquino. “The jobs that servers, cooks, bartenders, cab drivers and other tipped workers do is hard and honest labor. I am glad to see Illinois will protect their wages so that they are compensated for their time and labor.”

This measure aligns state laws with federal laws that were changed in March 2018.

House Bill 3405 takes effect immediately.

CHICAGO – A measure that safeguards the voting rights of incarcerated individuals awaiting trial introduced by State Senator Aquino (D-Chicago) was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker today.

“Every citizen who is eligible to vote must be provided with the opportunity to cast their ballot,” said Aquino. “Thousands of eligible voters who are detained before trial are systematically denied that right. Coupled with a justice system that disproportionately jails people of color, there is a clear effort to suppress the vote in communities of color across the country.”

Under the Illinois Election Code, those in jail awaiting trial who have not been convicted of a crime are still eligible to vote. The new law requires election authorities to work with the county jail to provide an opportunity to vote by mail for those individuals.

CHICAGO — State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) announced today that adult literacy programs in his district will receive $110,000 in state grants.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White awarded the grants through the Adult Literacy Grant Program, which helps learners develop and enhance their reading, math, writing and English-language skills.

“The services these programs offer allow adults to develop and enhance the skills needed to be productive and successful,” said Aquino. “Education is the best predictor of future success, so I am glad to see the state making meaningful investments in adult education.”

The programs receiving funding in the 2nd District are:

• Adult Volunteer Literacy Program, Saint Joseph Services, Inc.: $35,000
• Community Literacy Program, Erie Neighborhood House: $75,000

A total of 14,352 learners will be served by adult literacy programs around the state. A total of 6,086 volunteer tutors will provide training for learners putting them on the path to lifelong learning. Adult literacy projects help adults who read below the ninth-grade level or speak English at a beginning level to improve their reading, writing, math or use of English as a new language.

CHICAGO – A bill sponsored by State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) that would allow specified people to use their SNAP benefits at participating restaurants was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker today.

House Bill 3343 would allow elderly, homeless and people living with a disability to redeem their SNAP benefits at private establishments that contract with the Department of Human Services and on hot food served in grocery stores.

“When we get older, preparing meals at home becomes increasingly difficult,” said Aquino. “I saw firsthand how hard it was when I was a case manager for the Community Care Program. Seeing that made me want to make changes to our food assistance programs so they can effectively serve the people who rely on them.”

House Bill 3343 takes effect immediately.