Porfirio measure enhancing transparency for veterans, service members’ benefits becomes law

SPRINGFIELD – Veterans and service members across the state will soon have enhanced benefits knowledge, thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Mike Porfirio.

“This law ensures our veterans have easy access to critical information, helping them fully utilize the support they’ve earned through their service,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “In making this information more accessible, we are empowering veterans to take full advantage of the resources they deserve while reflecting our deep gratitude to those who have served our nation.”

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Villanueva law to increase business loan opportunities for underserved communities

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva’s measure to allow minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses to apply for up to $2 million in loans was signed into law Friday.

“We must continue to uplift disadvantaged communities and provide them with greater opportunities to succeed,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “These businesses are the backbones of their communities – and to see minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses thrive means hope is on the horizon.”

Senate Bill 3807 encourages more people to apply to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Minority, Veteran, Female and Disability Loan Program by increasing the maximum loan amount from $400,000 to $2 million.

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Simmons’ Health Outcomes Review Board to Identify and Tackle Health Care Disparities

SPRINGFIELD – Thanks to State Senator Mike Simmons, Illinois is prepared to have a renewed focus on identifying and tackling health care disparities through a newly established Health Outcomes Review Board, which was signed into law on Friday.

Simmons' new law puts us on the path to the creation of an equitable Health Outcomes Review Board, overseen by the Illinois Department of Public Health, which will be dedicated to collecting and reporting de-identified health data with a focus on demographic factors like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and languages spoken.

“The Health Outcomes Review Board will be able to identify and address disparities in health care and improve policies for communities that have not been well-served by our health care systems,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “Whether it’s the unacceptable maternal mortality rates of African American mothers, or inadequate access to specialty care for LGBTQ+ communities, the board will help identify those gaps and provide recommendations for addressing them.”

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Cervantes law will protect marginalized employees from unfair enforcement of documentation

SPRINGFIELD – Advocating for immigrant employees, State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes’ new law will protect marginalized workers from unfair enforcement action during their employment.

“Many immigrant employees have run into a problem where their documentation may have misinput their name with slight differences of dashes, spaces, letters with or without an accent, only to be flagged during the work verification process,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “With this law, we can correct bureaucratic errors that would otherwise be detrimental to their income and livelihoods. By adjusting the system to allow workers more time to correct issues with documentation, we can make a huge impact for marginalized workers across Illinois.”

Federal immigration law requires employers to verify the legal work status of their employees through the E-Verify system. E-Verify compares information from an employee’s I-9 Form to records available to the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm eligibility. If discrepancies are found, immigrant workers have the possibility of receiving a “no match” letter for a variety of reasons, including instances where the individual changed their name due to marriage. Many employers terminate employees upon receiving this notice, even though they could be legally working in the United States.

Read more: Cervantes law will protect marginalized employees from unfair enforcement of documentation