SPRINGFIELD – After an unprecedented 14 months for the Illinois Department of Employment Security with thousands of residents out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bipartisan support for major reforms produced House Bill 2643. Sponsored by Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes (Aurora), the lead Senate Democrat on the Unemployment Insurance Agreed Bill process, the overhaul package was signed into law by the governor Friday.

“Business and labor groups, IDES, and Democratic and Republican members worked in a bipartisan fashion to craft this omnibus approach,” Holmes said. “It targets the weaknesses revealed in a system that wasn’t designed to address the wave of job losses, thousands of people calling with problems who couldn’t get answers, and fraudulent claims all hitting the state at once.”

House Bill 2643 revises the Unemployment Insurance Act, allowing IDES to communicate with legislators’ offices about specific constituent cases, and requires IDES to give more information to those issued overpayments and their right to appeal (originally in Senate Bill 2466 from Sen. Ram Villivalam).

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to expand the rights of survivors of sexual assault, State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) sponsored a law requiring hospitals to use the Illinois State Police online evidence tracking system and establishing a set of crime victims’ rights.

“Survivors of sexual assault need to know health care professionals and law enforcement officials are providing them with information on all available resources at their disposal,” Villa said. “It takes a brave person to come forward to report assault, and survivors deserve to feel at ease by staying in the loop on charging decisions and other updates to their cases.”  

In 2020, the Illinois State Police launched an online tracking system for sexual assault evidence collection kits that allows survivors of sexual assault to track evidence in their cases, but not all hospitals in Illinois opted to participate. Villa’s law requires all hospitals to enter collected sexual assault evidence into the tracking system and requires health care facilities or law enforcement to provide survivors information on how to use the tracking system.

CHICAGO – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) championed a newly-signed law that will ensure the provisions in the Equal Pay Act are fully implemented.

“On average, white women make 82 cents for every dollar men make, and women of color make even less than that. This has always been unacceptable – and continues to be,” Hunter said. “In order to create true equity across state structures, we must guarantee that everyone is paid the same rates for the same work.”

During January session, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 1480, part of the Black Caucus’ Economic Access, Equity and Opportunity Pillar. This bill created an Equal Pay Registration Certificate requirement for businesses with more than 100 employees in Illinois.

The Equal Pay Act was signed into law by the governor in March. 

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Student Assistance Commission will always include a student member under a new law sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) that was signed into law Friday.

“The Student Assistance Commission can’t truly perform its mission without the student perspective,” Ellman said. “This law ensures there is always student representation on the Commission.”

ISAC’s mission is to provide Illinois students with information and assistance to help make education beyond high school accessible and affordable. The new law allows the student member of the commission to retain their seat beyond the expiration of their term until a new and qualified student member is appointed.

SPRINGFIELD – School districts can move forward from the pandemic without worrying about funding cuts due to temporary low enrollment under a new law sponsored by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove).

“Our schools did an exceptional job helping our students learn through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Johnson said. “Now, as they prepare for a full return to the classroom, it’s critical they have all the resources they need to recover.”

Currently, the school funding formula uses average student enrollment over the previous three school years to determine the amount of money districts receive. To lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools’ budgets, Johnson’s law allows school districts to calculate their average student enrollment based on pre-COVID levels.

SPRINGFIELD – As the state begins to recover from the pandemic, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D- Western Springs) urges Gov. JB Pritzker to sign legislation to help small businesses bounce back from the stresses of the last year.

“Our small businesses need our help easing the financial burdens the last year has put on them,” said Glowiak Hilton, who sponsored the bill in the Senate. “Local governments should be able to make the decision to waive certain fees to allow these businesses to get back to a place of economic security.”

If signed, House Bill 2454 would create an option for local counties and municipalities to waive licensing, permitting, or registration fees for local businesses and services for businesses who demonstrate financial need due to the pandemic.

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) released the following statement on the sentencing of Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd:

“I hope today’s sentencing brings a sense of peace to George Floyd’s family. While nothing will ever fix the loss of a loved one, I hope that knowing that the perpetrator is behind bars will bring some comfort to those who knew him.

“As we begin to move forward, I stand with many in calling for reform at the national level to ensure that tragedies like this are prevented.”

BUFFALO GROVE – State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) released the following statement in response to the sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.

"As we work toward restoring the soul of our nation, we must reconcile the two justice systems in this country: The system that exists for white Americans, and the system that exists for people of color.

"Derek Chauvin's sentencing represents a critical moment in the centuries-long quest toward equality – it shows that everyone, no matter who they are, must be held accountable for their actions.

"May George Floyd's family, friends and community find peace and healing in today's decision."