CHICAGO – State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins celebrated a new rule through the Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that modernizes the definition of a firearm to better address the proliferation of “ghost guns”.

“Our communities have become too accustomed to the tragedies of fatal gun violence,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “Keeping our most vulnerable populations safe requires a bold strategy to end the market for ‘ghost guns’.”

ATF’s “Frame or Receiver” rule takes effect this week, making clear that parts kits that are ready to convert to functional weapons, or functional frames or receivers of weapons, are subject to the same regulations as traditional firearms. The rule clarifies that background checks must be run on individuals purchasing parts kits, requires serial numbers on parts, and requires gun retailers to keep records for the entire time they are licensed, rather than for 20 years.

CHICAGO – Building on the smart infrastructure investments supported by State Senator Jacqueline Collins, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced an investment of more than $220 million in the 16^th Senate District.

“Drivers rely on well-maintained roads to get to work and around our community, and we’ve neglected the state of our infrastructure for far too long,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “Thanks to the Rebuild Illinois program, these investments will improve roads and bridges across the state and provide improved access to jobs and opportunity in our area.”

As part of IDOT’s latest Multi-Year Project under the Rebuild Illinois program, the 16^th District will see 27 infrastructure projects totaling $220,052,000 over the next six years. Some of the most vital projects coming to the area include:

• Bridge repairs on Interstate 55 (Stevenson Expressway)
• Bridge repairs on U.S. 12, U.S. 20, U.S. 45 and La Grange Rd. in Willow Springs and Hodgkins
• New bridge and improved lighting on Illinois Route 43 (Harlem Ave.) in Bridgeview
• Railroad crossing improvements throughout the 16^th District

These projects are part of IDOT’s multi-year plan, a $34.6 billion investment in construction projects for the next six fiscal years.

The $34.6 billion will go to highway reconstruction and preservation, bridge improvements, strategic expansion, system support such as engineering and land acquisition, and safety and system modernizations. Over six years, the funding will be dispersed to improve more than 2,500 miles of roads and nearly 10 million square feet of bridges.

To find a full list of projects slated for the 16^th Senate District, visit IDOT’s website.

CHICAGO – State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the June 12 closure of the Auburn-Gresham Aldi:

“The unannounced closure of the Auburn-Gresham Aldi is a devastating blow to our community, who already faces food insecurity. With Englewood's Whole Foods scheduled to close in the coming months, our area stands at risk of becoming a food desert.

"We must work to provide market incentives to keep grocery stores open in underserved areas so that all our neighbors can provide healthy meals for their families. Access to food is a basic right and I am committed to working with retailers and my colleagues in the General Assembly to ensure that our grocers and produce markets remain open.”

CHICAGO– State Senator Jacqueline Collins sponsored a new law addressing the collateral consequences of cannabis use criminalization.

“People looking to correct their criminal record should not be stopped from meaningfully participating in society because of a positive drug test for cannabis,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “We have to stop treating its use as grounds for dismissal with respect to jobs and petition-filing.”

Individuals seeking to expunge or seal a felony conviction were previously required to take and pass a drug test to show the absence of illegal substance, including cannabis. House Bill 4392 will now allow petitioners to continue the filing process despite a positive test for cannabis. The new law was signed Friday.

Expungement and sealing are ways of allowing individuals to hide or clear their record, expanding their access to job opportunities and certain spaces. Before the signing of Collins’ law, despite cannabis’ legality in Illinois, a positive test would affect petitioners’ filing outcome prior to case consideration.

“People deserve second chances, and it is important that we afford this opportunity to those whose circumstances may have led them to crime,” Collins said. “This legislation is especially meaningful for our communities of color, who face disproportionate disparities in the criminal justice system.”

The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2023.

CHICAGO– State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) led the General Assembly to pass a measure that was signed into law by the governor Wednesday banning the creation, sale and distribution of unserialized firearms to address the growing dangers of ghost guns and gun violence.

“Despite the adversity I faced to push this legislation through the General Assembly, I am extremely pleased to see the implementation of such instrumental legislation,” Collins said. “This new law will help protect our communities in all corners of the state, all of which can be subject to gun violence.”

Technology developments have encouraged the spread of assemble-to-shoot firearms, which pose extreme dangers to public safety. Ghost guns lack serialization and are able to skirt police investigations because of it, making their presence in communities a great threat to Illinois residents and businesses.

Though President Joe Biden has enacted a national policy that cracks down on the manufacturers of ghost guns, the language presented by Senator Collins will phase out these weapons by ensuring even individual possessors and distributors of ghost guns are held accountable to the law. This law will especially help Illinois’ vulnerable populations such as communities of color and low-income families, who often see higher rates of armed violence.

“Firearms are the most non-discriminating form of weaponry in our communities because their impact is not driven by race, status or background,” Collins said. “With the help of Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and State Representative Kam Buckner, I was able to create and push a policy that will have lasting positive effects on the people who call this state home.”

Having taken effect immediately upon the governor’s signature, the new law requires every existing ghost gun to be serialized and imposes penalties for violations.

SPRINGFIELD– State Senator Jacqueline Collins was joined by advocates to highlight Collins’ new law –the Funeral and Burial Assistance Act –that was signed into law Tuesday.

“Every child deserves to grow up free from gun violence,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “What happened to Mychal Moultry Jr. should not have happened, but the death of children from gun violence is something that families are becoming increasingly accustomed to. We have to put a stop to it.”

SPRINGFIELD– Thanks to State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago), Illinois will ease the financial and emotional burden of families paying for respectable funeral and burial services with the Funeral and Burial Assistance Act –an initiative she sponsored in honor of Mychal Moultry, Jr. and other children murdered by gun violence.

“We have a responsibility to the families in Illinois who go through the tremendous pain of burying their child after fatal gun incidents,” Collins said. “While we legislators continue to provide resources and opportunities that prevent and reduce the violence in our communities, we must support the victims of these crimes by streamlining the assistance process for those in need.”

The Funeral and Burial Assistance Act was signed into law by the governor Tuesday. Collins, who partnered with the Strength to Love Foundation to make this assistance a reality for qualifying families, has been an unwavering advocate for anti-violence efforts. As a beacon for public safety initiatives, Senator Collins played a critical role in the passage of legislation aimed at providing for families’ basic needs and investing in community-based initiatives that mitigate factors perpetuating criminal activity.

SPRINGFIELD– State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) issued the following statement after the measure she supported banning public high schools from withholding transcripts and diplomas due to unpaid balances on a student’s account became law Friday:

“The value of our students should not be determined by the money they owe to their institutions, which is exactly what the practice of withholding students’ records due to an unpaid balance would suggest. Students are deserving of the documentation that shows they have completed their established requisites, and not having access to these records can interrupt a student’s learning path by blocking opportunities to higher education and job entry.”

“These kinds of insidious practices often occur without any state or federal mandate and primarily affect low-income and underserved students who struggle to pay these debts because of financial instability, making this an issue of equity. Continuing to allow a person’s pursuit of a stable future to be derailed by these expenses, which can be as low as $25, would be a great disservice to students, institutions and local economies alike.”

With this new law that took effect immediately, Illinois joins the ranks of few states, including California, Washington and Louisiana, taking a firm stance against barriers inhibiting students’ journeys toward success and personal security.