Belt measure removing employment barriers for people with disabilities passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt passed a measure through the Senate to reduce unfair barriers to employment for people living with disabilities.

“Everyone deserves a fair shot at employment,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Requiring a driver’s license for jobs that do not involve driving unfairly shuts people out of the workforce. This is especially true for people living with disabilities and their families.”

The legislation would prohibit employers and employment agencies from requiring applicants to have a valid driver’s license in job postings unless driving is an essential function of the position and is considered a business necessity.

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Stadelman works to protect older adults from financial exploitation

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman advanced legislation to strengthen protections for older adults by allowing courts to issue temporary restraining orders in cases involving abuse, neglect or financial exploitation.

“Older adults and vulnerable individuals are too often targeted by scammers and bad actors looking to take advantage of them financially,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This measure gives courts and law enforcement stronger tools to step in quickly, stop exploitation and protect victims before even more harm is done.”

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Collins fights to strengthen protections against sexual misconduct in schools

SPRINGFIELD – To strengthen protections for students and help schools identify concerning behavior before it escalates, State Senator Lakesia Collins advanced legislation to improve reporting requirements, reinforce professional boundaries between educators and students and increase transparency regarding school misconduct policies.

“Preventing abuse starts with recognizing the warning signs before a child is harmed,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “This measure helps schools establish clear professional boundaries between staff and students, strengthens training requirements and ensures educators understand how to identify and report concerning behavior.”

Through Collins’ legislation, House Bill 4534, protections for children in schools would be expanded by redefining patterns of grooming behavior as a form of abuse under state law. The measure would also require school districts, charter schools and private schools to maintain and publicly post employee professional conduct policies, provide clear methods for reporting staff-student boundary violations, and establish expectations between school employees and students.

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Morrison works to strengthen plastic pollution prevention efforts

DEERFIELD — State Senator Julie Morrison advanced a measure through the Senate to strengthen pollution prevention requirements against plastic pellet runoff and secure clean and healthy waterways for Illinois.

“Our waterways are an important and vital part of our ecosystem – but they cannot thrive with industrial plastic runoff harming aquatic life, water quality and beach health across the Great Lakes,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “It’s time we provide the regulations needed to secure a thriving environment, free from pollution, for neighbors to enjoy for years to come.”

Read more: Morrison works to strengthen plastic pollution prevention efforts