SPRINGFIELD — At-home sexual assault evidence collection kits, often sold and marketed directly to consumers, are raising concerns about their reliability and the risks they pose to survivors seeking justice. State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton is working to strengthen standards by ensuring evidence is collected by trained medical professionals.

“At-home collection kits may sound ideal for privacy reasons, but they don’t provide the same level of support or legal integrity as exams conducted by a medical professional,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “No one should be sold false hope during one of the most traumatic experiences in their life.”

SPRINGFIELD — Disasters take a physical, emotional and financial toll, which can be compounded by inflated prices of essential items during the recovery process. To protect Illinoisans in a time of need, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton is working to prevent price gouging immediately following a disaster.

“Tornados are common in Illinois — imagine one destroys your home and you go to the store to purchase diapers only to find the price has tripled. For some, that’s just not feasible,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “The affordability and availability of essential goods is vital for those rebuilding their lives.”

SPRINGFIELD — To ensure women have the information they need to make informed family planning decisions, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton is sponsoring legislation to facilitate conversations between patients and physicians.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to family planning, which is why women need to be informed of all options available to them,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “This bill is about empowering women with the knowledge they need to plan their futures.”

According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the ability for a woman to get pregnant starts to decline at age 30. To assess a woman’s likelihood of getting pregnant on their own, health care providers can use ovarian reserve testing — a blood test and ultrasound — to estimate the number of healthy eggs in a woman’s ovaries.

SPRINGFIELD – Under legislation sponsored by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton, the state’s sexual assault services voucher program would cover payment for transportation following treatment, removing barriers for survivors in a time of need.

“The aftermath of a traumatic event can be incredibly emotional, painful and challenging,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “This legislation aims to improve access to crucial services, allowing survivors to focus on healing and recovery.”

After an individual receives medical care for a sexual assault, hospitals issue a voucher that a patient can use for related health care expenses. The voucher is valid for 90 days from the date of their hospital visit and can cover costs such as ambulance rides, medical forensic or laboratory services, pharmacy expenses and follow-up health care treatment.

SPRINGFIELD – In order to make medication more accessible to Illinoisans, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton’s new law prohibits pharmacists from refusing to fill a written prescription.

“Pharmacies must accept doctors’ prescriptions for approved medication regardless of how the prescription is sent to them,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “Every Illinoisan deserves the right to their medication when they need it.”

In response to the opioid epidemic, Illinois passed a law in 2021 requiring prescriptions of controlled substance to be sent electronically. However, some pharmacists have been refusing to fill non-electronic prescriptions despite exceptions under the law. Glowiak Hilton’s new measure will clarify this process by prohibiting pharmacists from refusing to fill paper or non-electronic prescriptions.

“Denying someone of their medication could have serious medical consequences,” said Glowiak Hilton. “These are unnecessary barriers that must be addressed in our pharmacies to prevent potential harm.”

House Bill 4874 was signed into law Friday and takes effect immediately.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to recruit more nurses to work at Illinois medical facilities, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton passed a measure to extend the time nurses can practice while waiting for the review of their license application.

“Nurses should not lose out on work due to application waiting periods,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “This initiative helps address the state’s nursing shortage, provides our nurses more experience with patients and ensures application delays do not affect their ability to work.”

House Bill 5047 would allow advanced practice registered nurses with pending applications to practice under supervision for six months while waiting for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s review of their application. Under current law, this status is revoked after three months. These nurses would need to have completed at least 250 hours of continuing education in their area of certification and have at least 4,000 hours of clinical experience to be applicable for this opportunity.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to make medication more accessible to Illinoisans, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton advanced an initiative to prohibit pharmacists from refusing to fill a written prescription.

“Denying medication because of how it is sent to the pharmacy creates unnecessary complications that could cost a patient their life,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “Individuals should be able to easily access their prescriptions, not be penalized because of a technicality.”

In response to the opioid epidemic, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law in 2021 requiring prescriptions of controlled substances to be sent electronically. However, some pharmacists are now refusing to fill non-electronic prescriptions despite exceptions to the current law. House Bill 4874 would prohibit a pharmacist from refusing to fill a paper or non-electronic prescription.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to make medication more accessible to Illinoisans, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton is leading an initiative to prohibit pharmacists from refusing to fill a written prescription.

“If your doctor writes a prescription for medication you need, you should not be refused at your local pharmacy,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “All residents should be able to access their medication regardless of how the prescription is sent to the pharmacy.”

In response to the opioid epidemic, legislators in Illinois passed a law in 2021 requiring prescriptions of controlled substances to be sent electronically. However, some pharmacists are now refusing to fill non-electronic prescriptions despite exceptions to the current law. House Bill 4874 would prohibit a pharmacist from refusing to fill a paper or non-electronic prescription.