SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Karina Villa advanced a measure aimed at addressing the increase in congenital syphilis cases in Illinois. 

“As congenital syphilis continues to rise in Illinois and across the country, this bill is important in advancing syphilis testing practices to ensure the health of a baby and the individual birthing them,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “It is incredibly important to catch syphilis while it is conventional and can be treated.”

Senate Bill 119 would require the second syphilis test conducted on pregnant individuals to be done between 27 and 32 weeks of pregnancy to ensure treatment can begin at least 30 days before delivery. The measure would also expand authorization to administer the test to health care professionals who are qualified in addition to physicians.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure spearheaded by State Senator Karina Villa, addressing sexual misconduct by law enforcement officers with suspects during an investigation passed the Senate on Monday.

“State law must be up-to-date to prevent further exploitation of survivors of human trafficking and individuals involved in the sex trade industry, especially when interacting with law enforcement and the justice system,” said Villa (D-West Chicago).  “It is imperative we do everything we can to support these individuals and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect.”

House Bill 4410 would require law enforcement agencies to create and adopt polices prohibiting officers from engaging in sexual conduct with a suspect while investigating prostitution and require the Illinois State Police, local law enforcement and circuit court clerks to automatically seal all prior arrest and court records related to felony prostitution charges.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure championed by State Senator Karina Villa, securing language assistance during state agency administrative hearings passed the Senate on Wednesday with support from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

“Maneuvering government procedures can be overwhelming and difficult, especially when a language barrier is present,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Building upon the Language Equity and Access Act that was signed into law in August, this will ensure that every Illinois resident has the same degree of access during hearings, regardless of their proficiency in English.”

House Bill 5172 would require state agencies to provide competent and accurate interpretive assistance for self-represented and low-income individuals with limited English proficiency during any stage of a substantive administrative hearing.

SPRINGFIELD – A new law championed by State Senator Karina Villa will require large event facilities to recycle and compost materials to address the significant amount of waste created at large scale events.

“Advocating for the health of our environment ensures the health of our communities which has been long recognized by our state,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “This law will maintain Illinois’ standing as a leader in environmental policy.”

The new law requires large event facilities with a legal occupancy of at least 3,500 people to participate in their county recycling program and compost organic materials produced during an event held at the facility. Those found to be in violation of this law will face fines up to $1,500 for the first offense and $2,500 for each subsequent offense.

SPRINGFIELD – To promote healthy body image, State Senator Karina Villa passed a law to facilitate practices for affordable access to laser hair removal treatment.

“Appearance plays a major role in how people see themselves,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “We must maintain the safety of laser hair removal while increasing accessibility."

The new law allows trained professionals, including registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, to perform non-ablative laser hair removal procedures as long as a physician delegated it and supervision protocol is in place.

The law also provides that an on-site physician exam is not required prior to these procedures under specific conditions and will allow an advanced practice registered nurse to conduct the exam in place of a physician.

SPRINGFIELD – A new law spearheaded by State Senator Karina Villa will finalize the closure of Kerr-McGee, a rare earths facility in West Chicago, aiming to bring peace of mind to residents after radioactive material originating from the site contaminated hundreds of residences during the facility’s years of operation.

“This has been a battle that residents of West Chicago have been fighting for decades,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “The community needs to know that their health and safety is secured.”

From 1932 to 1973, Kerr-McGee produced large amounts of radioactive materials, which later contaminated 676 residential properties in West Chicago. Since 1994, the facility has been in the process of decommissioning and is currently in the final phase of remediation. This phase involves the treatment of groundwater at the location of the factory site, which is set to conclude by fall 2026.

SPRINGFIELD – Under the Language Equity and Access Act, a new law championed by State Senator Karina Villa, individuals whose primary language is not English will have access to essential state services.

“Our diverse communities have consistently shared their challenges when accessing essential state services due to language barriers that sometimes make an already confusing process much more difficult,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “State agencies should be equipped to provide services to any resident, regardless of their proficiency in English.”

SPRINGFIELD – A measure championed by State Senator Karina Villa expanding protections against patient abuse passed the Senate on Sunday. This comes following an investigation into the issue conducted by the Chicago Tribune.

“Patients should be trusting of the health care professionals responsible for their care and well-being,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Before that trust is defied, laws must be in place to ensure patient safety.”

House Bill 3521 would require hospital affiliates to report suspected abuse of a patient at hospitals and facilities operated by a hospital affiliate, such as doctor’s offices and clinics. The measure would also explicitly prohibit employees of hospital affiliates from abusing a patient including medical staff, administrators, agents or other employees.