Caucus News

SPRINGFIELD – In light of the rising cost of living nationwide, State Senator Mike Simmons joined State Representative Nabeela Syed at a press conference Thursday to highlight legislation that would help ensure the renting process is transparent and fair.

“Renters across my district need transparency when they are searching for housing,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “By removing junk fees and requiring leases to list all applicable fees on the front page, we are giving tenants the information they need to rent fairly.”

Under Simmons’ bill, landlords wouldn’t be able to charge tenants for 11 types of fees, including modifying or renewing a lease, for the receipt of an eviction notice unless it is granted, for routine maintenance and upkeep, for pest abatement and removal, or for contacting the building owner or property manager. 

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons passed legislation through the Senate on Wednesday that would expand the 2022 Jett Hawkins Act to include protections for religious hairstyles in private schools throughout the state.

“I fought hard to pass the Jett Hawkins Act,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “Now, Illinois is expanding protections to include hairstyles and facial hair in public schools specific to Jewish faith and tradition, specifically the Orthodox tradition, as a condition of registration or recognition with ISBE or the State.”

Simmons’ legislation, Senate Bill 3361, would require private, non-religious schools to affirm they will not prohibit religious hairstyles or hair-related religious practices, including facial hair worn pursuant to a student’s or employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, in order to register with the Illinois State Board of Education.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons was joined by legislators and advocates from the AIDS Foundation Chicago at a press conference Wednesday to rally behind Senate Bill 2814, his budget proposal that would bolster HIV and AIDS services in Illinois amid federal health care cuts.

“I reject any reduced quality of life for a person living with HIV/AIDS,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “For the fourth year in a row, I will be fighting for a budget that includes funding for HIV prevention and treatment, and helps us get to zero new HIV/AIDS diagnoses by 2030.”

Community leaders, health care providers and legislators joined Simmons to call for swift action to protect HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services in Illinois’ Fiscal Year 2027 budget. Advocates outlined the need to reinforce HIV/AIDS funding outlined in Senate Bill 2814, including funding for critical outreach to minority populations, supportive housing programs and more.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons held a press conference Wednesday with Senate colleagues to champion legislation he has filed to protect SNAP recipients from fraud as well as regulate payday advance services.

“My colleagues and I are determined to pass legislation that protects SNAP recipients,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “The Trump administration has slashed federal support for SNAP, which puts more people at risk of going hungry and not being able to feed their families. Illinois needs to take action to protect SNAP from fraud and prevent further hardship.”

SPRINGFIELD – To protect the over one third of all Illinoisans who are renters, State Senator Mike Simmons passed legislation through the Senate that bans excessive junk fees and requires lease transparency.

“When a tenant signs a lease, they shouldn’t be surprised by charges included in their rent, especially for things like after-hours service requests, modifying or renewing a lease, or routine maintenance and upkeep of the rental unit. And yet, apartment fees are rising. House Bill 3564 protects renters from 11 excessive fees and ensures the renting process is transparent and fair, while maintaining landlords' access to the most common tenant screening tools,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “HB3564 provides tenants with the right to know what fees they might expect, how much they cost, and how they will be charged on the first page of a lease.”

Under House Bill 3564, landlords and renters would have an outline of which types of fees can be charged to a tenant, how those fees must be disclosed and the manner in which they can be charged. This legislation would require all other fees connected to a tenant’s lease to be disclosed on the first page of the lease agreement along with a description of each fee, including a statement on whether utilities are covered within the rent. Tenants would not be responsible for paying any fee not disclosed within the lease.

SPRINGFIELD – To remove barriers to unhoused residents, State Senator Mike Simmons passed into law the removal of notary fees to obtain a state ID.

“With no form of legal identification, unhoused individuals cannot access housing, jobs, or transit and this law will help,” said Simmons. “This bill makes it one step easier to obtain state identification, which in turn means folks will have quicker access to jobs, transportation, and housing.”

Prior to this law, application fees for standard Illinois state IDs are waived for unhoused individuals, but their application must be accompanied by a notarized affirmation. This is a difficult task for individuals with little financial resources, as notary fees can cost up to $25.

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure bikes are properly defined in Illinois, State Senator Mike Simmons’ new law aligns the definition of bicycles in Illinois.

“As an avid bike rider myself, I know how many people use our pathways every day for work, exercise, and enjoyment,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “When someone rides their bike in our communities, they can now be confident of their safety and legality.”

Simmons’ passed into law Senate Bill 2285, which expands the definition of bicycles to include low-speed electric bikes alongside any human-powered device, which will allow for expanded complete streets planning for all using bikes.

“This is a simple fix to the rules that will allow for more people to bike together and bike safely,” said Simmons.

Senate Bill 2285 was signed into law on Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – Over one third of all Illinoisans are renters, and half pay more than 30% of their income toward rent. State Senator Mike Simmons is fighting for legislation that would ban junk fees, require transparency on housing fees in a lease, and regulate move-in fees charged to tenants.

“For rental tenants, fees can add up to hundreds of dollars a month, making even affordable units out of reach, which ultimately displaces people from our communities,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “We must protect tenants from egregious fees and predatory lease clauses.”