SPRINGFIELD – Following through on her commitment to provide greater accessibility for all Illinois voters, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) championed a newly signed law to allow people with certain disabilities to electronically mark their ballots using their own assistive technology.

“While we have expanded vote by mail in many ways, we have yet to provide the same opportunities to voters who cannot read print because of a visual, physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive or learning disability,” Morrison said. “Equal access at the voting box is a keystone to our democracy. The inclusion of this process into state law will provide safe, private and equal voting opportunities for voters.”

The law will allow voters with a print disability to receive and mark their ballot electronically on an assistive device. It will be printed, sealed and signed before being returned through the mail. The voting procedure will be in place for the November 2022 General Election, and all subsequent elections.

SPRINGFIELD – To help correctional officers and deputy sheriffs utilize their training for secondary employment, a new law sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham will allow correctional officers and deputy sheriffs to carry a firearm off duty.

“Our law enforcement officers are overworked and underpaid,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “The ability to utilize peace officer training in secondary employment will help them financially and protect businesses in our community.”

Under current law, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standard’s Board excludes correctional officers and deputy sheriffs from benefits and protections under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act. While federal law deems all correctional officers and deputy sheriffs as qualified law enforcement officers, Illinois is the only state that undercuts these federal protections.

SPRINGFIELD – A newly signed law sponsored by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel will waive application fees for short-term substitute teaching licenses.

“Over the past two years, every school across the state has had days when they have been unable to find substitute teachers,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “We have a responsibility to do all we can to ensure our students have access to teachers, and this new law will get teachers in the classroom.”

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there are more than 4,000 unfilled positions in schools. In an attempt to address the void, Loughran Cappel’s plan will waive the application fee for short-term substitute teaching licensees when the governor declares a disaster due to a public health emergency.

SPRINGFIELD – Private insurance will now cover specialized care for children living with serious illnesses while allowing the child to seek additional treatments, thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) that was recently signed into law.

“In Illinois, seriously ill children deserve consistency in high quality, child-centered care regardless of where they live and whether they have public or private health insurance,” Fine said. “This law will allow for more families to access this critical care without having to worry whether or not their insurance will cover the treatments.”

Under Fine’s law, patients with private insurance will now be covered for pediatric palliative care. Palliative care is a specialized medical care for people living with serious illnesses focused on providing relief from symptoms and improving quality of life with the medical condition. Some forms of this care include expert management of physical and emotional symptoms, as well as patient and family counseling.

ELGIN – A new law will create a program to help ensure people enrolled in apprenticeship or work-based learning programs have the financial resources they need to succeed. The law, signed Friday, was supported by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin).

“This new pilot program will do wonders for encouraging people to get into the trades and helping those already enrolled in apprenticeship programs,” said Castro, a longtime advocate for career training and apprenticeships. “Reducing financial barriers will get more people into these programs and the workforce.”

The new law, formerly House Bill 5225, creates the Job Training Assistance and Support Services Pilot Program through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The program will award grants to organizations to distribute subsidies to individuals participating in an apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, or work-based learning program.

SPRINGFIELD – Children living in unincorporated areas will no longer have to pay large non-resident fees to access resources in libraries outside of their district, thanks to a law led by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).

“It is long past time to increase access to library materials for our children who need to succeed and learn by reading,” Murphy said. “This law will ensure all children—regardless of where they live—will be able to gain knowledge through their local libraries.”

Currently, children who want to access resources from a library outside of their district must pay a non-resident fee. These fees are determined by each library’s board of trustees, and typically are at least equal to the cost paid by the residents of the district. However, the fees are often far too expensive for children who want to access resources, like reading materials or computers, during their school breaks. Murphy aims to address these disparities by waiving non-resident library fees for kids who want to expand their horizons through reading. 

CHICAGO - To protect communities across Illinois from the deadly impact of lead, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) passed a law signed on Friday to strengthen lead mitigation procedures.

“Almost every community across the state is affected by lead in the water supply,” said Simmons. “This law provides an effective and expeditious solution to a decades-long problem that systemically affects low-income communities and communities of color.”

House Bill 4369 will require the Illinois Department of Public Health to follow up on lead mitigation notices by carrying out inspections to ensure the work has been completed. The past law merely permitted an inspection, while this measure will require and enforce lead mitigation efforts.

SPRINGFIELD – Older Illinoisans will see a reduced registration fee under a new law by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel.

“As inflation inches higher, some older adults worry about the rising cost of necessities,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “This new law offers a reduction in cost for a vehicle fee for older adults living on a limited income.”

The law will reduce the vehicle registration fee for vehicle owners and their spouses from $24 to $10 if they qualify or have been approved for benefits under the Senior Citizens and Persons with Disability Property Tax Relief Act.