SPRINGFIELD – To further educate young people on the dangers of drug overdose, State Senator Laura Fine led a measure that improves our state’s curriculum on substance abuse for school-age students. This initiative, formerly known as SB 2223, was signed into law on Friday.

“Research has shown that the current school curriculum around substance abuse is insufficient; too many young people are finding themselves in danger of overdose without knowing what they need to do to save their life or help a friend,” said State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview). “We need to improve harm reduction strategies to better support young people in our state.”

The legislation is also known as Louie’s law.  It is named after a suburban youth who died as a result of an overdose. Senate Bill 2223 requires ISBE to develop a standardized curriculum around the dangers of substance abuse with an emphasis on harm reduction and cultural competency. In addition to prevention, the curriculum will provide information on how to get support and medical assistance for people who may otherwise find themselves in a dangerous situation. Based on expert research and similar programs in other states, the goal of this initiative is to help prevent young people from overdosing and save lives.

“With this initiative, young people will have access to vital information to keep them safe, by reducing potential harm,” said Fine. “This will prevent other families from experiencing the same pain and loss as Louie’s family.”

Senate Bill 2223 was signed into law on Friday. 

SPRINGFIELD – During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people began utilizing mental health counseling via telehealth appointments. With many Illinoisans still benefiting from this form of treatment, State Senator Laura Fine passed legislation to ensure these telehealth appointments will continue to be covered under Medicaid insurance plans even though COVID-19-related telehealth policies are expiring. 

“Patients prefer telehealth appointments for a variety of reasons, including time-saving convenience or having the opportunity to get treatment from a specialist who is not locally available,” said Fine (D-Glenview).  “This initiative will ensure Medicaid patients are still able to access this care with their insurance.”

SPRINGFIELD – With growing demands for mental health providers to support patients struggling with substance use, State Senator Laura Fine is encouraging people to become recovery support specialists through a new initiative expanding the behavioral health workforce student loan forgiveness program.

“If we want people struggling with alcohol and substance abuse to receive the help they need to recover, we need to invest in the people working to become recovery support specialists,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “Thanks to this law, professionals will be able to get assistance for debts they took on while studying to become counselors, providing them financial relief and encouragement to enter this vital field.”  

SPRINGFIELD – Between 2013 and 2021, health care costs increased by 25% causing Illinoisans to spend, on average, over $7,000 on healthcare per person. In order to protect consumers and small businesses from excessive insurance premium increases, State Senator Laura Fine sponsored House Bill 2296, which would require the state to review and approve health insurance rate changes and make the process more transparent.

“Since becoming a legislator, I have been a fierce consumer advocate to provide quality, affordable healthcare to Illinois residents,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This initiative empowers the Department of Insurance to reject unsubstantiated increases in insurance premiums and provides essential transparency to the process.”

House Bill 2296 protects consumers by giving the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) the authority to approve, modify, or deny excessive premium rate increases for individuals and small businesses. The legislation would also provide transparency on the process of insurance plans changing their rates by requiring DOI to post proposed rates on their website with space for members of the public to comment.

SPRINGFIELD – To encourage Illinoisans to take care of their mental health and explore our state’s natural resources, State Senator Laura Fine is sponsoring a resolution declaring July 15 “Unplug Illinois Day.”

“It is  so easy to get caught up in our phones and electronics that we forget to take time to take care of our mental health and connect with nature,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “Having a day dedicated to unplugging from our devices will help us reconnect with our environment, our friends and ourselves.”

Unplug Illinois Day is a public service campaign by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association to highlight the value of “unplugging,” or taking a break from electronic devices to enjoy the outdoors. It aims to bring awareness to the staggering amount of time people spend on their phones or computers, and the positive impact unplugging can have on people’s health.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Fine, chair of the Senate Behavioral and Mental Health Committee, is leading a measure to ensure Illinoisans can have annual mental health wellness visits covered under their insurance at no additional cost.

“Just as people need yearly physical checkups to make sure their health is in order, people need annual checkups for their mental health,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “Covering these annual visits will encourage people to seek necessary treatment for their mental health.”

House Bill 2847 would require health insurance plans under the Insurance Code, State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, and the School Code to cover annual mental health checkups and wellness visits starting in 2025. It also encourages the Illinois Department of Public Health to engage in an educational campaign to bring awareness to the public regarding mental health and wellness. These initiatives will continue to normalize prioritizing and treating mental health concerns, leading to greater well-being throughout the state.

SPRINGFIELD – PFAs, also known as “forever chemicals”,  are of great concern to the environment and people’s health. To prevent these chemicals from further contaminating our environment, State Senator Laura Fine is leading a measure that will establish a “take-back” program for existing firefighting foams that contain these hazardous substances. 

In 2021, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 561, which ends the manufacture and sales of firefighting foam with PFAs by January 2025. To further protect from these chemicals, Fine sponsored House Bill 3508, which will establish a take-back program for firefighting foam that contains PFAS. This program will run for five years or until the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal finds that no more firefighting foam contains PFAS. This is an important step to protect our environment and our ecosystem.

“Research has shown that the PFAs in firefighting foam can seep into our water supply and cannot be removed in the water treatment process,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “It is vital to stop the ongoing use of products with PFAS to preserve our environment and prevent adverse health effects.”

SPRINGFIELD – In order to make the 988 hotline as effective as possible for hotline operators and people experiencing a mental health crisis, State Senator Laura Fine is launching an initiative to review data from the first year of operations and recommend updates for the future.

“As the 988 hotline is the most accessible form of mental health care in Illinois, it is imperative that we are operating it in the most effective way to provide the best care for Illinoisans struggling with their mental health,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This study will provide more insight into where we can grow and adjust our operations to better serve people experiencing a mental health crisis.”

Last year, Illinois launched the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a three-digit dialing code for a national suicide prevention and mental health hotline, offering 24/7 access to trained counselors who can help people experiencing a mental health-related crisis. The hotline has been beneficial to many Illinoisans, and this study will ensure we continue to improve the 988 system.