SPRINGFIELD – Growing and raising food for the nation is engrained in Illinois’ character, with a bountiful farming culture throughout the state. However, there are families all over Illinois who live with food insecurity every day. A measure sponsored by State Senator Linda Holmes that establishes a Farm to Food Bank Program to address that gap was signed into law today.

House Bill 2879 addresses the food insecurity needs identified by a feasibility study conducted by multiple state agencies. This program will help provide nutritious food to expand the Illinois emergency food system and assist more than a million Illinois citizens.

“Getting farmers’ surplus products into a program that will arrange for timely redistribution to food banks for local availability is a victory for everyone in the process,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “Farmers need a secondary market for off-grade and surplus products; food banks face rising food insecurity and difficulty making products available for their clients; and families need greater access to food, particularly for nutritious fresh products. This measure can fulfill those needs.”

During the past two General Assemblies, Holmes worked with numerous organizations to lay out a plan to establish this process and address the imbalance of surplus and hunger. She credits the input and guidance from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, partnered with Feed Illinois, the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Illinois Specialty Growers Association and the Department of Agriculture in this venture.

“This measure was an initiative of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Feeding Illinois, who are on the front line helping families source healthy food,” Holmes said. “It’s great to finally see this multi-year effort come to fruition.”

In 2018, 10.1% of Illinois’ population (1.3 million people) experienced food insecurity. Due to the pandemic, food insecurity increased to 12.7% of all Illinoisans in 2020 and 10.9% in 2021.

House Bill 2879 passed unanimously through the General Assembly in May; with the governor’s signature, it takes effect immediately.

For more information on the program, visit https://www.feedingillinois.org/farmers/

SPRINGFIELD – Homeowners throughout Illinois have something in their basement or garage that should be discarded, but until now, there hasn’t been a means to get rid of it safely: unused household paint. Legislation sponsored by State Senator Linda Holmes that establishes a program to dispose of household paint was signed into law by the governor Friday.

The Paint Stewardship Act creates a process for consumers to dispose of household paint in Illinois. No state resources are in place today to deal with this waste. Under this law, manufacturers of architectural paint will create and submit a plan to the Illinois EPA to establish the program.

“It is exciting to offer this service to Illinoisans with old paint taking up space in their homes,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “To get rid of it in an environmentally safe manner will give us an opportunity to make our state’s soil and water cleaner for our children and to safely produce our crops to feed the state and nation.”

Creates a framework for the Illinois EPA to approve the use of limestone residual for additional means beyond what is currently permitted

SPRINGFIELD – Limestone quarries provide a number of products encountered every day: on our roads, in our homes and businesses, and in agriculture. One such lime product is used to treat drinking water and remove particulates. Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes is the sponsor of legislation allowing the return of the limestone residual back to a limestone mine after that use, projected to save the city an estimated $7 million over 10 years. That measure was signed into law Friday by the governor.

“Aurora’s Water Treatment Plant has used limestone in its processes since it was built in 1992, but disposing of the residual product was problematic,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “The City of Aurora initiated this legislation, as it cost the city quite a bit of money to dispose of it in landfills or to apply it on farmland. Putting that material back into an underground mine cavity 250 feet below ground will save significant taxpayer dollars.”

House Bill 3095 creates a framework to allow limestone residual material to be deposited safely back into unused mines. Under this measure, the Pollution Control Board is tasked with adopting rules to ensure the material is regulated and stored in a manner that best protects the health of the environment.

“For the sake of preserving our natural world, it’s vital that we not immediately dispose of materials so reactively termed ‘waste products,’” said State Representative Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora), who sponsored the measure in the House. “As we work to build a greener future, it’s time to stop overlooking the potential to reclaim resources that can be valuable to the community.”

A measure in the works for several years with Holmes’ leadership, House Bill 3095 was signed into law Friday, and will take effect Jan. 1, 2024.

AURORA – Building upon the Illinois Department of Transportations’ Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, State Senator Linda Holmes is pleased to announce infrastructure investments of $162,156,000 in road, bridge and rail crossing improvement projects in the 42^nd District. The 31 projects in the plan for Fiscal Years 2024 – 2029 include repaving, adding lanes, rebuilding bridges, replacing culverts, improving railroad crossings and upgrading safety features.

“Thanks to the ongoing Rebuild Illinois program, these investments will improve roads and bridges across the state and provide improved access to jobs and opportunities in our area,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “Our counties are seeing considerable growth; transportation infrastructure expands our capacity for those commuting for work, running errands, or providing goods and services. This work also improves accessibility and safety, and creates a number of good-paying jobs.”

As part of IDOT’s latest Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, the district Holmes represents will see infrastructure projects totaling more than $162 million over the next six years. In FY 24, eight projects totaling more than $36 million in work are planned, including:

• Improvements and bridge work in Naperville
• Reconstruction of East State Street in Geneva
• Resurfacing and additional lanes in Aurora

These projects are part of IDOT’s Multi-Year Plan, a $40 billion investment in construction projects for the next six fiscal years. The project invest in all modes of transportation: roads and bridges, aviation, transit, freight and passenger rail, waterways, as well as bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

“Investing in our communities is essential to help our economy continue to move forward,” Holmes said. “As our area continues to see significant growth, these investments will help serve our needs and equip our economy for the future.”

To find a full list of projects slated for the 42^nd Senate District, visit IDOT’s website.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Linda Holmes, a frequent sponsor of animal welfare legislation, saw two of her recent measures signed into law last week: one addresses the dwindling need to use cats and dogs in laboratory settings for testing, the other takes action against roadside zoos that allow public contact with wild animals that are unsafe for the animals and visitors.

Senate Bill 1883 is Holmes’ Wild Animal Public Safety Act to address concerns with roadside zoos by prohibiting public contact with all primates and bears. These collections of animals in cages where passing motorists may stop and see, feed or play with the animals are notoriously unsafe and dangerous for people, and inhumane for the captive animals. It will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

“The use of these animals continues a cycle of endless breeding where they are born into captivity to be used as props and business commodities,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “Their lifetime of confinement and mistreatment could contribute to an interaction resulting in harm to the person or animal in such a situation. That risk could create a terrible tragedy.”

SPRINGFIELD – As a frightening pandemic swept across our country and the world in 2020, medical researchers and doctors scrambled to find ways to stop the spread and save lives. As during most catastrophic events, ways to commit fraud spread everywhere, creating even more victims and an extra element of suffering. Initial action was established to prosecute scammers and now, a measure from State Senator Linda Holmes has been signed into law to extend the period of limitation on prosecutions from three years to five.

House Bill 3304 says that prosecution may begin within five years following the discovery of the fraudulent act. The current statute of limitations period for fraud relating to COVID-19 relief programs is three years; this change allows the Attorney General’s Office more time to act.

“The variety of scams is staggering, perpetrated in the form of stolen identities to claim unemployment benefits, or posing as government officials demanding personal information or threatening fines, forfeiture or arrest if you don’t pay them,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “The volume and ongoing attempts of COVID-related fraud warrant additional time to bring the fraudsters to justice.”

This bill helps ensure the state can prosecute serious offenders and recapture funds.

AURORA – State Senator Linda Holmes is ready to bring the state’s hiring practices out of the 1950s and into the present so Illinois’ ability to recruit and hire quality applicants is improved and streamlined. The future is now, as Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2228 into law Tuesday.

“It’s difficult to believe Illinois’ Personnel Code has not been systematically updated since it was adopted in 1955, but I’m pleased we can make these substantial updates now so the process will move more quickly with greater accessibility and transparency,” said Holmes (D-Aurora).

Senate Bill 2228 changes the code to implement modern processes and best practices in the state's hiring methods, while reducing the time it takes to hire and grow the state's workforce. It also provides for real-time review of proposed rules by JCAR and the Civil Service Commission to reduce the time it takes to make necessary regulatory changes. This improves transparency and access to workforce data, too.

SPRINGFIELD – After a mass shooting at Aurora’s Henry Pratt Company in 2019 where five people were killed and six injured, the Aurora Police Department’s drone team began to carefully review how other states use drones to support law enforcement operations, and today the legislation their work led to – the Drones as First Responders Act – was signed into law.

Aurora’s State Senator Linda Holmes brought together that research and the countless months, weeks, and hours of stakeholder involvement from municipal groups, law enforcement personnel, and advocates, along with 50^th District State Representative Barb Hernandez. In 2022, legislation was prepared.

“This measure gives police and other first responders critical information in a chaotic situation where lives are at stake,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “This could spare another community the suffering and trauma we experienced here – it has the potential to prevent more chaos and death.”