Simmons Passes Bill to Protect Tenants from Rental Junk Fees and Require Lease Transparency

SPRINGFIELD – To protect the over one third of all Illinoisans who are renters, State Senator Mike Simmons passed legislation through the Senate that bans excessive junk fees and requires lease transparency.

“When a tenant signs a lease, they shouldn’t be surprised by charges included in their rent, especially for things like after-hours service requests, modifying or renewing a lease, or routine maintenance and upkeep of the rental unit. And yet, apartment fees are rising. House Bill 3564 protects renters from 11 excessive fees and ensures the renting process is transparent and fair, while maintaining landlords' access to the most common tenant screening tools,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “HB3564 provides tenants with the right to know what fees they might expect, how much they cost, and how they will be charged on the first page of a lease.”

Under House Bill 3564, landlords and renters would have an outline of which types of fees can be charged to a tenant, how those fees must be disclosed and the manner in which they can be charged. This legislation would require all other fees connected to a tenant’s lease to be disclosed on the first page of the lease agreement along with a description of each fee, including a statement on whether utilities are covered within the rent. Tenants would not be responsible for paying any fee not disclosed within the lease.

Read more: Simmons Passes Bill to Protect Tenants from Rental Junk Fees and Require Lease Transparency

Cervantes legislation to protect immigrant workers passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – At a time when immigrant workers are facing unprecedented surveillance and discrimination, State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes is fighting to protect employees from unfair retaliation from their workplace through new legislation.

“Every employee makes mistakes, especially when filling out confusing, lengthy paperwork,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “It is unfair to hold immigrant employees to a wholly different standard where making such a mistake can result in them losing their job. As many immigrants are more afraid of losing work because of their immigration status than ever before due to the current political climate, I am proud to be making one element of their lives less anxiety-inducing through this legislation.”

Federal immigration law requires employers to verify the legal work status of their employees through an online system that 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 legislation to protect immigrant workers passes Senate

Landmark energy relief measure clears Senate with Cunningham support

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham backed an energy relief package Thursday that is projected to save Illinois households more than $13 billion over the next two decades, marking a turning point in Illinois’ pursuit of a sustainable and renewable energy future.

“Nationwide, we’ve seen electricity bills skyrocket this summer,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Without meaningful relief, this trend will continue – leaving families and small businesses to foot the bill for a broken system.”

Read more: Landmark energy relief measure clears Senate with Cunningham support

Joyce-led proposal to save the Illinois horse racing industry passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – To give a boost to the horse racing industry and Illinois’ economy, State Senator Patrick Joyce passed a bill in the Senate that would, among multiple other items, allow for the development of new horse racing tracks in Illinois.

“Illinois used to be a powerhouse in horse racing and horse breeding,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “We are trying to advance the ball on an industry that employs thousands.”

House Bill 2724 would allow for the construction of a new harness track in Macon County. The bill would also set a deadline for the development of an additional harness race track and horse racetrack casino, or racino, in Cook County’s south suburbs.

Read more: Joyce-led proposal to save the Illinois horse racing industry passes Senate