SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed an initiative through the Senate Insurance Committee to fill gaps in current breast cancer screening coverage and ensure that all Illinoisans are able to receive screening that accurately detects cancer.

“Standard mammograms aren’t always effective on patients with dense breasts. Unfortunately, insurance companies may deny having additional tests that are needed to detect cancer. This can lead to life-threatening situations for those who cannot afford additional tests,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “We must ensure that we do not put profit over people’s health and require these insurance plans to cover all medically necessary tests, and not just the bare minimum.”

House Bill 4180 would require any insurance plan in the state, including Medicaid, to cover molecular breast imaging (MBI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)  if a mammogram demonstrates heterogeneous or dense breast tissue or when determined medically necessary.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) advanced legislation through the Senate Special Committee on Criminal Law and Public Safety on Wednesday to create the Uniform Statewide Crime Statistics Task Force.

“This legislation is a public safety win for both residents and law enforcement,” said Edly-Allen. “By bringing law enforcement agencies, academics, and experts together, the task force members will work together to help respond to the needs of neighborhoods and communities across Lake County and our state.”

House Bill 2323 will create the Uniform Statewide Crime Statistics Task Force. The group would meet at least quarterly to assist the State Police in the development and implementation of an integrated software system for gathering and publishing crime data from all law enforcement agencies throughout the state.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen introduced new legislation that would protect artists and music labels from situations where a third-party creates music using AI and replicates their voice without permission.

“Deepfakes can falsely and convincingly portray anyone saying anything, creating confusion and eroding public trust. This raises serious implications in a world already struggling with rampant misinformation and social media manipulation,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville).  “We need strong regulations and protections in place to protect artists from the ever-changing world of AI that intends to steal their work and pass it off as their own.”

Last year, a song, “Heart on My Sleeve,” purportedly by Drake and The Weeknd landed on TikTok and Spotify and quickly spread across the internet. The song was created using AI by a TikTok user, who had trained AI on Drake and The Weeknd’s works and generated the new song, which perfectly mimicked the artists’ voices, lyrics, and musical styles. Within days, his video, which had gained over 9 million views, was removed from TikTok, Spotify, and other platforms in response to claims by the artists’ record label, UMG. 

SPRINGFIELD – A bill passed by State Senator Mary Edly-Allen to lessen the use of plastic and Styrofoam was signed into law Friday.

“In order to reduce waste in our landfills and be more conscientious of our impact on the environment, we need alternatives such as using consumer-owned containers,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “Not only will restaurants save money on packaging, grocery stores will also help the environment by allowing their customers to use their own items for bulk purchases.”

Edly-Allen’s measure will allow restaurants and retailers to fill and refill consumer-owned containers with bulk or ready-made food.

A restaurant or retailer has to take necessary precautions to prevent cross contamination and make those written procedures available to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

“While we can't force people to be environmentally-friendly, we can encourage them and offer alternatives like using their own containers to help promote eco-friendly practices,” said Edly-Allen. “Our hope is that people will take the initiative to be more mindful of the daily waste attributed to disposable containers.”

Consumer-owned containers have to be clean and constructed for reuse and should be easily cleaned and sanitized when needed.

House Bill 2086 was signed into law Friday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen championed a law signed Friday to crack down on the abusive and harmful use of digital forgeries known as deepfakes.

“These videos may be fake, but the emotional impacts are real. The sad reality is, deepfake technology is predominantly being used to create sexual videos of women without their consent,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “Despite the rise of deepfakes there are no consequences for bad actors.”

Deepfakes are images, video, or audio that have been manipulated using AI technology to insert the face and/or voice of a person, in a way that looks authentic.

House Bill 2123 creates a civil cause of action against any person who knowingly distributes, creates or solicits a digital forgery of another individual without their consent and for the purposes of harassing, extorting, threatening or causing harm to the falsely depicted individual.

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Mary Edly-Allen’s measure requiring training related to Alzheimer’s and dementia for publically appointed guardians was signed into law, taking an essential step toward ensuring guardians have the necessary tools to provide compassionate care.

“The emotional toll of Alzheimer’s and dementia cannot be overstated as these diseases not only rob individuals of their memories and cognitive function, but also take away their independence,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “Equipping caregivers with the knowledge they need will promote a safe and supportive environment for those receiving care.”

Senate Bill 216 will require public guardians to undergo at least one hour of training on how to recognize, care for and interact with patients who have Alzheimer’s or dementia. The training must be completed within six months of the guardian’s appointment and renewed annually.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed a measure through the Senate to crack down on the abusive and harmful use of digital imitations known as “deepfakes.”

“Deepfakes are a way to deploy gender-based violence, harnessing artificial intelligence to exploit, humiliate and harass through the ages-old tactic of stripping women of sexual autonomy and to silence innocent women,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “Despite the rise of deepfakes there are no consequences for bad actors.”

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Mary Edly-Allen’s measure requiring training related to Alzheimer’s and dementia for publically appointed guardians passed the Senate on Wednesday, taking an essential step toward ensuring guardians have the necessary tools to provide compassionate care.

“The emotional toll of Alzheimer’s and dementia cannot be overstated as these diseases not only rob individuals of their memories and cognitive function, but also take away their independence,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “This legislation puts in place a basic requirement for publically appointed guardians so they know the best methods of care for those diagnosed with these terrible diseases.”

Senate Bill 216 would require public guardians to undergo at least one hour of training on how to recognize, care for and interact with patients who have Alzheimer’s or dementia. The training must be completed within six months of the guardian’s appointment and renewed annually.