CHICAGO – Chicago-area agencies are set to receive nearly $300,000 to improve local tourism efforts thanks to support from State Senator Robert Peters.

“Tourism is our way to share our history and our stories with visitors from all over the world,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “By providing funding for tourism attractions, we bolster our economies, create good-paying jobs, and strengthen the future of our communities.”

The Illinois Travel and Tourism Grant Program awarded $2.9 million in funding to 51 local governments, municipalities and nonprofit agencies for the development of tourist attractions and events. Additionally, the state will be matching funds to offset marketing expenses for expenditures such as promotional materials and production costs.

Navy Pier was awarded $100,000 to support the “Light Up the Lake” event, and the Chicago Architecture Foundation was awarded $95,032 to aid Chicago Architecture Biennial promotional efforts. Additionally, the Lookingglass Theatre Company and the Museum of Contemporary Art were awarded $100,000 and $65,000, respectively.

“People from every corner of the world visit Chicago,” Peters said. “I look forward to seeing these organizations using the funds in a way to preserve the international significance of Chicago tourism.”

To view a full list of Illinois Travel and Tourism Grant Program recipients, click here.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure carried by State Senator Robert Peters that would help connect patients to financial assistance for hospital costs passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday.

“The costs associated with health care upkeep are high, especially for those with pre-existing conditions and those who don’t have medical insurance,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “People should not have to choose between crippling debt and receiving necessary medical treatment.”

House Bill 2719 would require hospitals to screen a patient for financial assistance eligibility and exhaust all cost-reducing avenues before taking a collection action against the patient. Additionally, the measure would provide a 90-day window for a patient to apply for financial assistance or hospital-provided discounts after receiving care.

SPRINGFIELD – In response to the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence, State Senator Robert Peters is carrying a measure to create the Generative AI and Natural Language Processing Task Force.

“The recent developments in the audio and video capabilities of artificial intelligence have become alarming,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Proactively creating a task force to track and study these advancements allows Illinois to stay informed.”

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence technology that can produce various types of content including text, imagery, audio and synthetic data. Its recent rise in popularity has been driven by the simplicity of new user interfaces for creating high-quality text, graphics and videos in a matter of seconds.

Natural Language Processing is the ability of a computer program to understand human language as it is spoken and written. This helps machines process and understand human language so they can automatically perform repetitive tasks.

The task force created by House Bill 3563 would consist of 20 members and should hold at least five public meetings in Chicago, Springfield, Metro East, Quad Cities and Southern Illinois.

“To be clear, there are benefits to artificial intelligence,” Peters said. “This measure seeks to maintain understanding and awareness and will help safeguard the interests of all Illinoisans.”

House Bill 3563 passed the Senate State Government Committee and will now head to the Senate floor for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – With the intention of addressing the No Representation Without Population Act, State Senator Robert Peters carried a measure to ensure the master record file of the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice contains the racial background and the last known complete street address of an individual prior to their incarceration.

“The creation of the No Representation Without Population Act was a great start at ending prison gerrymandering,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Expanding on that legislation to guarantee we have the correct addresses for those impacted by the justice system will ensure its effectiveness to the fullest extent.”

SPRINGFIELD – A measure increasing the baseline financial penalty for civil rights violations sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

“Discrimination has unfortunately been on the rise,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Victims of civil rights violations don’t ask to be discriminated against and deserve every bit of compensation they can get.”

House Bill 2248 would allow state claims for violations of federal civil rights acts to be heard in any court with jurisdiction. The measure also provides that Illinois courts may award no less than $4,000 in damages.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Peters’ measure broadening the civil liberties of individuals on probation passed the Senate Thursday.

“Individuals sentenced to probation are under vigilant supervision at any given time,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Conditions of probation should not include restrictions that prevent a person from readjusting back into modern society.”

Senate Bill 1886 provides that if a court orders testing for cannabis or alcohol, a statement detailing the relation between the condition of probation and the crime must be provided. Under the measure, individuals on probation will not be charged for costs associated with mandatory testing.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Peters’ measure to discontinue juvenile court service fees passed the Senate Wednesday.

“Young people impacted by the justice system, particularly low-income youth of color, are negatively impacted by inequitable court fees,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Youth and families impacted by the justice system should not have to worry about how they are going to pay for service fees for things like probation supervision when they are court-ordered.”

Senate Bill 1463 stipulates that courts cannot deny and prosecutors cannot object to sentencing conditions or placement of minors on probation, conditional discharge or supervision based on their inability to pay fees.

The measure requires any judgment to pay assessments prior to the effective date of this legislation to be null, void and not collectible. Additionally, if community service is ordered by the court, it must not interfere with school hours.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Peters’ measure to expand on domestic violence laws is on its way to the House.

“Unclear language in current domestic violence laws are undermining victims instead of progressing social justice,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Reexamining current domestic violence laws and improving protections for survivors of gender-based violence will undoubtedly root out loopholes that delay due process for survivors.”

Senate Bill 2260 builds on current domestic violence laws that created procedures to request resentencing for incarcerated survivors of domestic violence. Ambiguity in the language of current statutes has caused inconsistent interpretations and outcomes for survivors.