Illinois bond rating receives second upgrade this month

SPRINGFIELD – For the second time this month – and the first time in 20 years – Illinois’ General Obligation bond rating has received upgrades from two of the nation’s primary credit rating agencies – a move Senate President Don Harmon calls a result of stability and responsibility.

“This is further proof we are on the right track in balancing our fiscal realities with the real-world needs of working men and women,” said Harmon (D-Oak Park). We are moving Illinois forward by paying our debts while at the same time investing in education, health care, child care and other key programs people need to get ahead.”

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Gillespie expands Medicaid coverage, increases access to vaccines

DOWNERS GROVE – To help communities get vaccinated, a measure sponsored by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rates for immunizations and expand coverage was signed into law last week.

“As communities prepare for a safe reopening this summer, making sure everyone is vaccinated is critical,” Gillespie said. “This measure ensures that families who use Medicaid have the same access to vaccines.”

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Simmons announces new health care collaborative on Chicago's North Side

CHICAGO – Gov. JB Pritzker recently announced funding for equity-focused health care collaboratives across Illinois, a move State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) applauds. The Chicago North Side Collaborative will help increase health care equity for lower-income and BIPOC residents in the area – particularly in the LGBTQ and Asian American communities.

“This initiative should help provide more 7th District residents with a pathway to specialty care who otherwise have been very poorly served by our healthcare system,” said Simmons, who represents much of the collaborative’s coverage area. “This collaborative is intended to help ensure more residents get the full scope of care that they need. I look forward to seeing how these partnerships work over the coming months and years to start closing the gaps in access to specialty care for our residents who need much better and more comprehensive treatment than they have received.”

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SPRINGFIELD -- Governor Pritzker signed the TEAACH Act (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History) into law on Friday. The bill will make Illinois the first state to require a unit of Asian American history to be taught in public elementary and high schools.

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, hate crimes and attacks on Asian Americans rose across the country, prompting advocacy groups and organizers to develop and champion this legislation over the past year.

The historic bill was introduced by State Sen. Ram Villivalam and State Rep. Jennifer Gong Gershowitz, and was championed by Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago and a coalition of more than 35 organizations.

SPRINGFIELD – For the second time this month – and the first time in 20 years – Illinois’ General Obligation bond rating has received upgrades from two of the nation’s primary credit rating agencies – a move Senate President Don Harmon calls a result of stability and responsibility.

“This is further proof we are on the right track in balancing our fiscal realities with the real-world needs of working men and women,” said Harmon (D-Oak Park). We are moving Illinois forward by paying our debts while at the same time investing in education, health care, child care and other key programs people need to get ahead.”

The latest upgrade comes from S&P Global Ratings, which comes as the state trimmed down its bill backlog from $16.7 billion to $2.9 billion in a course of just a few years.

Measure paves the way to more efficient patient care

SPRINGFIELD – A bill sponsored by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) that allows Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to attest to their completed clinical hours was signed into law Friday.

“Our allied health care workers are stretched to the limit—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Feigenholtz said. “This new law will assist Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who have completed their clinical training hours to self-attest and eliminate delays that some APRNs have been experiencing.”

Senator Feigenholtz was the chief sponsor of the original Full Practice Authority law, passed in 2017, and took the lead on this important follow-up legislation.

SPRINGFIELD – The secretary of state will be required to publish publicly-accessible data on a daily basis under a new law sponsored by State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) and signed Friday.

“Illinois is the only state that does not offer its business data for free online,” Connor said. “This legislation will bring us into the 21^st century and will substantially increase our transparency and efficiency as a state.”

Under the new law, the secretary of state will be required to publish a daily list of all newly formed corporations, both business and non-profit, chartered on that day. The list will be made available as open data and accessible to the general public.

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure students experiencing homelessness are aware of available resources, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) has created a housing insecurity liaison position at all higher education institutions in Illinois.

“Students without permanent housing may not be aware of the resources available to them on campus and in their communities,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By creating a housing insecurity liaison, we are working to prevent homeless students from falling through the cracks by connecting them with aid.”

Glowiak Hilton’s law requires each institution to appoint a Housing and Opportunities Useful for Students' Excellence (HOUSE) liaison. Their responsibilities would include identifying appropriate services, understanding aid eligibility, tracking graduation and retention rates, reporting the number of students using homelessness resources, and developing a plan to provide access to on-campus housing between academic breaks to homeless students enrolled at the institution.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) was signed into law Friday that would require stricter monitoring of possible racial bias by businesses that use artificial intelligence in their hiring processes.

“It is our responsibility to eliminate racial bias in all aspects of our society, and this is an important step in that direction,” Connor said. “No one should lose an opportunity because of the color of their skin.”

Artificial Intelligence is used in the hiring processes of many large companies. Prospective employees record a video of themselves answering a series of designated questions, and the company’s AI software then analyzes the video to assign scores to facial expressions, word choice, body language and vocal tone. Applicants are chosen for advancement based on their assigned score.

CHICAGO – Insurers will be required to inform policyholders whether health care providers offer telehealth or telemedicine and how they’ll accommodate a family caregiver under a new law signed by Gov. Pritzker today, the result of legislation by State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago).

“The shift to telehealth during the pandemic has actually been something of an upside for patients who struggle with mobility challenges or a lack of ready access to transportation,” Collins said. “This law acknowledges that this is a new normal, and that patients need to be informed of their options as they determine their coverage. I want to thank Gov. Pritzker for signing this into law today.”

Senate Bill 332 also requires insurance providers to detail whether a health care provider has the ability and willingness to include a family caregiver who is in a different location than the patient in a telehealth or telemedicine encounter.

The legislation is effective immediately.