CHICAGO – Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a new law that invests $150 million in health care services for underserved communities while encouraging a collaborative environment among local stakeholders. The approach acknowledges particular challenges to achieving high-quality health services and responds based on a case-by-case system.

“This is a bottom-up approach for all communities in Illinois. Ultimately, we want to make sure that no matter where you live in our state, there should be high-quality health care available to every community,” said State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago), a co-sponsor of the law and advocate for the Hospital Transformation Program.

The disparities in access to health care services in the city of Chicago alone are so extreme that the neighborhood where someone lives can dramatically impact their life expectancy.

CHICAGO – To brainstorm how to bring diversity to labor unions, Senate Labor Committee Chair Omar Aquino, Executive Committee Chair Mattie Hunter and Commerce and Economic Development Committee Chair Suzy Glowiak Hilton will lead a joint hearing Thursday afternoon.

“Illinois is home of a diverse population. Four out of 10 residents are people of color. Just like everybody else, these workers pursue the means to support their families and execute their jobs under safe conditions,” Aquino said. “Unions are the backbone of a proper labor representation. That’s why I look forward to working with them in expanding opportunities for our workforce. The pre-apprenticeship programs are a great asset to offer job training and gather real-life experience, both elements key for finding a well-paying job.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) applauds the signing of legislation aimed at providing funding to hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new law brings an additional $450 million to safety-net hospitals, prioritizing the institutions that serve a high number of Medicaid patients.

“I thank Governor J.B. Pritzker for signing this legislation that brings certainty to health care providers and the low-income clients they serve,” Aquino said. “The additional money will be vital to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.”

The law also increases Medicaid rates for physician services to $150 million annually, an effort to incentivize more health care providers to see low-income Medicaid patients. Under the plan, 24 Safety-Net Hospitals will receive an additional $81.2 million, and 51 Critical Access Hospitals will receive an additional $14 million.

“In a time of crisis, we should respond by protecting our most vulnerable,” Aquino said. “Many Black and Brown residents are essential workers, putting them at a higher risk of being exposed to COVID-19. These Illinoisans need to know that if they need to seek care, there will be properly equipped hospitals in their communities,” Aquino said.

The Hospital Assessment Program is a $3.8 billion program that will bring $450 million in additional funding to health institutions that care for underserved clients and leverage $250 million federal dollars for the state.

CHICAGO – A comprehensive relief package aimed to support working families, small businesses, and communities heavily impacted by COVID-19 and civil unrest will be available starting this August, announced State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago).

Aquino was key in the negotiations on behalf of the Latino Caucus to assemble a $900 million funding package along with the Black Caucus, the Asian Caucus, and the Pritzker administration.

CHICAGO – Student data will be protected from unethical collection under a bill sponsored by State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) that was signed into law.

House Bill 3606 bans schools from commercially selling the meta-data of K-12 students who use school computers, and provides parents with some control over how the data may be used.

“It’s unfair to compromise children’s data before they’re even old enough to exercise their own privacy rights,” said Aquino. “There is no reason to use these students’ data for any reason other than tracking their academic progress, and this measure will keep that data safe as technology continues to develop.”

House Bill 3606 takes effect immediately.

CHICAGO – Tipped workers would be guaranteed to keep the tips they earn under a bill sponsored by State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) that was signed into law.

House Bill 3405 provides that an employer may not retain gratuities from workers who earn them, and expressly allows tip-sharing between tipped and non-tipped employees.

“This is a victory for working-class people,” said Aquino. “The jobs that servers, cooks, bartenders, cab drivers and other tipped workers do is hard and honest labor. I am glad to see Illinois will protect their wages so that they are compensated for their time and labor.”

This measure aligns state laws with federal laws that were changed in March 2018.

House Bill 3405 takes effect immediately.

CHICAGO – A measure that safeguards the voting rights of incarcerated individuals awaiting trial introduced by State Senator Aquino (D-Chicago) was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker today.

“Every citizen who is eligible to vote must be provided with the opportunity to cast their ballot,” said Aquino. “Thousands of eligible voters who are detained before trial are systematically denied that right. Coupled with a justice system that disproportionately jails people of color, there is a clear effort to suppress the vote in communities of color across the country.”

Under the Illinois Election Code, those in jail awaiting trial who have not been convicted of a crime are still eligible to vote. The new law requires election authorities to work with the county jail to provide an opportunity to vote by mail for those individuals.