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Loughran Cappel fights for paraprofessionals with short-term approval licenses to become fully licensed
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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel advanced a measure that would let paraprofessionals with a short-term approval license become fully licensed after their short-term license expires.
“Paraprofessionals do a lot to help teachers,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “They provide important assistance for students’ instruction, behavior and personal care under the guidance of teachers and administrators.”
Paraprofessionals’ short-term approval licenses are valid for three years but cannot be renewed. Current regulations allow someone with a short-term approval license to act as a paraprofessional while working toward meeting the full-time license qualifications.
Belt’s measure to ban AI for teacher evaluations passes Senate
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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure that would ban the use of AI tools in teacher evaluations.
“This measure protects teachers by ensuring their evaluations are written by people, not AI,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This will keep the process fair, transparent and more focused on real classroom performance.”
Senate Bill 2909 would prevent school administrators from using AI to write teacher evaluations. A teacher evaluation is a formal process used to measure an educator's effectiveness, instructional skills and classroom performance. The use of AI while writing these evaluations brings up many transparency and privacy concerns for teachers.
Read more: Belt’s measure to ban AI for teacher evaluations passes Senate
Hastings’ missing persons identification measure passes Senate
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SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Michael E. Hastings is building on his missing persons investigation work ─ passing legislation in the Senate that would accelerate the timeline for critical forensic data being added to state and national databases.
“Law enforcement often starts, and sometimes stops, with criminal databases like CODIS for DNA or criminal fingerprint records,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “Those are strong tools, but they fail when the missing person has no criminal history.”
Under current law, missing persons cases are entered into state and federal databases and may eventually receive additional identifying data. Senate Bill 2949 would update the process so that if a person remains missing for 30 days after a police report, their dental record will be added to the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System — rather than waiting longer under previous practice. After 60 days, the bill would require dental records to be entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the federal repository used to match missing persons with unidentified remains.
Read more: Hastings’ missing persons identification measure passes Senate
Cunningham legislation to protect sensitive medical information moves to the House
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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham’s legislation to prevent genetic marker data from being used by employers and insurers has passed out of the Senate.
“With the field of medicine progressing, we face a new set of privacy challenges,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “We want to encourage people to take part in these new beneficial practices, while keeping important genetic data about them out of the wrong hands.”
Senate Bill 2886 would update Genetic Information Privacy Act to expand existing safeguards to include biomarker testing, in addition to genetic testing. The measure clarifies that information derived from these tests is confidential and privileged, and may only be released to the individual tested or to those specifically authorized in writing.
Read more: Cunningham legislation to protect sensitive medical information moves to the House
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Member News
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CHICAGO – State Senator Lakesia Collins is applauding a new investment from Mars Snacking that will bring jobs and economic growth to the 5th District, strengthening the local economy and creating new opportunities for working families. “This investm... -
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons held a press conference Wednesday with Senate colleagues to champion legislation he has filed to protect SNAP recipients from fraud as well as regulate payday advance services. “My colleagues and I are determi... -
CHICAGO – Underscoring the state’s commitment to preserving and elevating sites that honor Black leadership, economic progress and cultural resilience, State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. helped announce a transformative partnership to restore and redeve... -
Ellman commemorates opening of new Philip J. Rock Center and School facility for deaf-blind students
GLEN ELLYN — State Senator Laura Ellman joined local, state and community leaders to celebrate the grand opening of the new Philip J. Rock Center and School, the nation’s only publicly-funded residential school dedicated to serving students who are d... -
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner presented a resolution to recognize and honor the contributions of Eva Carroll Monroe. “Eva Carroll Monroe was a trailblazer in child welfare, opening her door for Black children,” said Turner (D-Springfield)...
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