SPRINGFIELD –An initiative led by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and State Representative Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), will protect pollinators like bees and butterflies by setting guidelines on the spraying of certain pesticides.

“Pollinators are essential to the health of our environment and our agriculture,” Fine said. “This law guarantees that they are not unnecessarily killed by pesticides targeting mosquitos, allowing them to continue to play their vital role in our ecosystem.”

SPRINGFIELD – The governor signed a plan into law with support from State Senator Adriane Johnson to invest in child care services for workers with non-traditional schedules, such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and more.

“First responders and other third shift emergency workers have difficulty finding reliable child care,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “By creating the Off-hours Child Care Program Fund, Illinois is working to increase accessibility for parents in public service who work non-traditional hours.”

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – A measure to assist social workers with paying off their degrees, introduced by State Senator Ann Gillespie, was signed into law on Friday.

“Incentivizing students of social work to start their careers in Illinois will help our local governments recruit the qualified professionals they need, while mitigating the student debt crisis,” said Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights).

Senate Bill 3761 expands the School Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program to include social workers employed by an Illinois municipality. Currently, the program offers up to $6,500 in student loan assistance to borrowers who have been employed at a school for at least one year.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel championed a new law requiring public water supply operators to notify all health care facilities served by the public water supply of a water disruption event.

“The loss of clean water can create a dangerous environment for patients at hospitals and other health care facilities,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “Since Legionnaire’s disease can thrive in water pipes, it’s vital that we take preventative measures so the illness isn’t contracted and spread in the case of a water disruption event.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton supported a new law recently signed on Friday to expand women’s access to healthy pregnancies and fetal development.

“Good nutrition is key for expecting mothers, and not all women have access to reliable sources of vitamins and minerals,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “By expanding insurance coverage to include prenatal vitamins, we will improve access to supplements that lead to safer pregnancy experiences and healthy births.”

The new law requires insurance policies that already cover prescription drugs to also cover prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins, when prescribed by a licensed physician, can have many health benefits to both mother and child that range from supplying more oxygen to the baby to preventing bone loss in the mother.

“Prenatal supplements can be vital to the safety and wellness of mothers and their children,” Glowiak Hilton said. “With this law, Illinois is offering protections to pregnant women and reducing barriers to quality care.”

The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2023.

­CHICAGO – To make essential health services accessible to immigrant and refugee communities, State Senator Ram Villivalam supported a measure to expand Medicaid-like benefits to non-citizens down to age 42 that was signed into law on Friday.

“As we were reminded over the course of the pandemic, our collective public health requires that all our neighbors be covered, regardless of immigrant status,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “Expanding health care coverage to as many people as possible will keep all our communities safe and healthy as we continue to recover.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham supported a new law that aims to reduce catalytic converter thefts.

“This is a smart way to combat rising catalytic converter thefts,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This law prevents handshake cash deals on these converters, which will reduce the monetary motive to commit this crime.”

The law, filed under House Bill 107, adds catalytic converters to the definition of recyclable metal, requiring businesses to keep record on catalytic converter sales. The license plate number of the vehicle, photographs or video of the seller, a verified name and address of the seller, and a signed declaration by the seller stating that the catalytic converter was not stolen is now required.

In addition, the measure prohibits a recyclable metal dealer from purchasing a catalytic converter with a value over $100 with cash.

House Bill 107 is effective immediately.

SPRINGFIELD – Emergency medical dispatchers will receive the same benefits and training as other first responders after a measure spearheaded by State Senator Robert Martwick was signed into law.

“Dispatchers are first responders, and they need to be included in the same programs and receive the same support as police officers and firefighters,” said Martwick (D-Chicago). “Our Dispatchers are the first line of defense in an emergency, hearing unspeakable circumstances while staying calm and helping the caller.  They deserve the same training, benefits and recognition as other first responders.”

Emergency medical dispatchers are special trained call-takers who identify complaints, triage patients’ severity and provide pre-arrival instructions to callers.  The new law, formerly known as Senate Bill 3127, will ensure emergency medical dispatchers are included in reference to first responders in existing laws.