­SPRINGFIELD – To make housing more accessible to low-income families, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) advanced legislation from the Senate Executive Committee to prevent property owners from discriminating against a prospective renter’s source of income.

“No one should be denied housing when they have the means to make the rent,” Villivalam said. “Too often, individuals on government assistance, single mothers receiving child support or seniors on fixed incomes are turned away solely based on where they receive their income each month.”

SPRINGFIELD – A measure to help medical professionals get more tests into the hands of individuals who battle opioid addiction cleared an important hurdle thanks to State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago).

“This measure will help get more tests into the hands of more patients and it will save lives,” Peters said. “We still have a long way to go, but removing these penalties is a responsible way to address the opioid crisis and to create real public safety for all instead of continuing the misguided policies of the past.”

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois visitors and out-of-state students would be able to continue to receive their established therapeutic services via telehealth from an out-of-state certified social worker under a measure championed by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago).

“I have seen firsthand how essential these services can be to those in need,” Villa said. “As a former school social worker, I know how important it is to nurture and maintain relationships between therapists and those they care for.”

Clinicians are required to be licensed in the state where their client is physically located at the time of care, not the state where they reside under current law. House Bill 4797 would allow non-residents and visitors to Illinois, such as university students, to continue to receive the care they need from their trusted and established therapists.

“I am proud to advance this legislation that will further establish Illinois as a national leader in mental health care access,” Villa said. “These vital resources should be available to everyone in our state, resident or otherwise.”

The legislation passed out of the Senate Wednesday and now awaits further action from the governor.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure led by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) to protect access to low cost prescription drugs passed the Senate Wednesday.

“Prescription drugs are a health need for a lot of people, and therefore, they should be more affordable and easier to access,” Hunter said. “We must ensure that people don’t go broke trying to keep themselves healthy.”

House Bill 4595 protects access to low cost "340B" prescription drugs for uninsured and low-income patients by prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers and third party payers from using certain contractual provisions in contracts they enter into with safety-net healthcare providers.

The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program allows entities to stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services.

“People living with different diseases and disorders need access to medication, and we have to make it easy for them to get it,” Hunter said. “The Drug Pricing Program was created to lower medication costs, and this measure stays true to that.”

Similar laws have been passed in 16 other states.

House Bill 4595 passed the Senate Wednesday and goes to the House for concurrence.

SPRINGFIELD – When Bloomington resident Curt Richardson got his DNA test results back from Ancestry.com, his life – and those of his parents – changed forever when they learned they had been victims of fertility fraud.

Richardson’s story is similar to hundreds of others across the state and nation who have lived most of their lives thinking the very people who raised them were their biological parents. State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) is working to bring awareness to fertility fraud and provide justice to the families who fall victim to the heinous act.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) spearheaded a measure through the Senate Wednesday that would add MRSA to the list of qualifying diseases that Chicago firefighters can receive a disability benefit for if they were to get the infection on duty.

“Firefighters are exposed to toxic substances on a daily basis when responding to emergencies,” Feigenholtz said. “This measure aligns Chicago firefighters with the rest of the state’s firefighters.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate to end surprise medical bills on Tuesday.

“After an already expensive medical procedure, the last thing a patient needs is to be strapped with additional costs,” Gillespie said. “Our plan will protect consumers from receiving surprise bills long after receiving treatment.”

SPRINGFIELD – To improve accessibility and offer additional protections to workers, the Illinois Senate approved an initiative by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) to modernize the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

“Illinois’ OSHA protects all state and local government workers,” said Glowiak Hilton, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee. “To ensure employees have adequate working conditions, it’s critical for employers to have inspection details and citations as quickly as possible.”