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.”

SPRINGFIELD – A new law sponsored by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton will help families of our fallen heroes in securing survivor benefits.

“Our nation’s military families have made life-changing sacrifices to serve our communities,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “This new law will create clarity to ensure the families of these fallen heroes will be given the financial support they are entitled to.”

House Bill 2856 will require vital records to list contributing factors behind a veteran’s death. This requirement would ensure survivor benefits and other rights are distributed if the death was caused by a service-related injury.

SPRINGFIELD – Motorcycles can now be equipped with forward facing turn signals and driving lights under a measure spearheaded by State Senator Doris Turner that was signed into law Friday.

“Drivers need to be aware of what’s going on around them,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “Motorcyclists aren’t always easy to see on the road so we need to make sure they have all the tools they need to be safe and visible.”

The new law allows a motorcycle to be equipped with two forward facing electric turn signals that emit a white or amber light. Two driving lights can be added that display a steady white or amber light in addition to the already required headlamps. Lastly, the law allows a motorcycle to be equipped with red-light auxiliary lighting to use while braking.

Turner’s law seeks to provide clarity regarding new standard lighting on the front of motorcycles by increasing the visibility of a motorcycle and providing a clear indication of what the motorcycle is doing, similar to a vehicle.

“This is a win for all drivers,” said Turner. “Now, motorcyclists can have the lights and indicators they need to show others on the road where they are.”

Senate Bill 896 takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Michael E. Hastings’ measure to help police and sheriffs quickly track stolen vehicles is now law.

“This measure helps us evolve by better utilizing the latest technology to track criminal actions,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “We already know that there is technology readily available to track carjackers and kidnappers as they travel from Point A to Point B. It is essential that we empower law enforcement with these tools to successfully apprehend these criminals.”

Nationwide, carjackings are on the rise, but without formal coordination between authorities and vehicle manufacturers, law enforcement officers had little to no ability to access real-time tracking information.

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.

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro announced that the Village of Carpentersville will receive $4 million in funding from the Illinois EPA to replace lead service lines in the community.

“Clean drinking water is a basic human right, and it’s especially important that our children have access to clean water that is lead-free,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Investing in replacing these pipes will keep harmful chemicals out of our water and give Carpentersville families, schools and businesses peace of mind that their water infrastructure is safe, healthy and upgraded.”

SPRINGFIELD – To improve patient access to proton therapy, State Senator Dave Koehler led a measure that will provide coverage for cancer treatment using proton beam therapy that was signed into law Friday.

“Cancer patients deserve to have access to every available treatment,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “This high-precision radiation therapy treatment helps preserve healthy tissue, which may give folks a better outcome.”

Proton beam therapy is an advanced cancer radiation therapy that uses focused beams to target nearly the exact depth and location of cancerous cells in the body, delivering a higher dose to the tumor and less to the surrounding healthy tissue. Under Koehler’s law, cancer treatment using proton beam therapy will be covered by insurance.

Koehler protects Illinoisans from price gouging of generic medication

SPRINGFIELD – Drug manufacturers and distributors will now be unable to spike the costs of generic medication thanks to a law spearheaded by State Senator Dave Koehler.

“Every Illinoisan deserves affordable access to necessary medication,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “This law prevents companies from robbing residents just for an extra buck.”

Read more.

Senate democrats celebrate transformative plan to end homelessness in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – State Senators Adriane Johnson, Robert Peters and Laura Fine – longtime advocates for addressing the root causes of homelessness – announced the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness were codified into law last week.

“Homelessness is the effect of numerous causes,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “By taking a comprehensive approach to decrease homelessness and improve health and human services, we are able to successfully combat root causes head on.”

Read more.

Measure to crack down on harmful deepfakes signed into law thanks to Edly-Allen

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.”

Read more.

Fentanyl education expanded in high schools thanks to Senator Ellman

SPRINGFIELD – Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, high school students will be required to learn about the dangers of fentanyl thanks to a new law supported by State Senator Laura Ellman.

“In order to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic on all fronts we need to educate our most vulnerable populations, which includes young people,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “The age of fentanyl exposure is younger than we think. Educating high school students on the dangers of fentanyl in their health classes is the next step in ending the opioid epidemic.”

Read more.

In case you missed it

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Senator Napoleon Harris, Harvey: South Suburban Airport gets a clutch victory thanks to Harris | Patch

Senator Steve Stadelman, Rockford: Free school lunch bill awaiting Governor Pritzker approval | WIFR

Senator Celina Villanueva, Chicago: Misleading clients on abortion could cost Illinois pregnancy centers | Pantagraph
 

Copyright 2023 - Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus - All Rights Reserved