CHICAGO – People will have an additional opportunity to become an organ donor thanks to a measure championed by State Senator Christopher Belt that was signed into law Friday.

“Organ donors save countless lives every year,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “After living on dialysis for a year, I received a kidney transplant in January 2010. I know the importance of giving people more opportunities to become organ donors.”

House Bill 4696 allows the Department of Natural Resources to offer online hunting license holders the opportunity to be redirected to the First Person Consent Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.  On average, 300 people die each year waiting for an organ donation. More than 4,700 Illinois residents are waiting for an organ or tissue donation. In 2020, there were 7 million Illinoisans registered as organ donors.

EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt supported proposals to address the increase in car thefts and hijackings that were signed into law Thursday.

According to a January report from CNN, cities around the country have seen an increase in the rate of carjackings.

“The increase in the number of carjackings is disturbing,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Innocent people are being targeted by this senseless crime across Illinois.”

House Bill 601 modernizes the definition of the possession of burglary tools offense to include devices designed to unlock or start a vehicle without a key and devices designed to capture or duplicate a signal from a key fob. Car thieves have exploited new technology that can pick up the RFID signal from a key fob at a distance, allowing a victim’s vehicle to be unlocked or stolen even while the fob remains in their home. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Illinois saw a 13% increase in car thefts from 2019-2020.

House Bill 3699 will provide law enforcement with additional resources to coordinate efforts to put a stop to carjackings. Under the legislation, the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Council – made up of representatives from the insurance industry, state’s attorneys and law enforcement – will be tasked with working together to reduce carjackings. The Council currently provides grant funding to three task forces – comprised of law enforcement and state’s attorneys – which investigate and prosecute motor vehicle threat and similar crimes.

House Bill 3772 will provide protections for victims of carjackings who receive red light or speed camera violations after their vehicle has been hijacked. Under the new law, if a person receives a citation due to one of these camera violations, the court or hearing officer would be able to consider whether the vehicle was hijacked before the violation occurred or the victim not under the control of or possession of the vehicle at the time of violation. 

“We have worked to address the increase in crime,” Belt said. “Working with law enforcement officials to get them the resources they need is vital – and these laws do just that.”

The new laws take effect Jan. 1, 2023.

EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt was appointed to the Nonprofit Electric Generation Task Force to continue his support for the Prairie State Generation Campus.

“I have been a longstanding champion of bringing clean energy to the Metro East and am honored to have the opportunity to continue to advocate for a cleaner community,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “As a member of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, I am proud to show my support for the coal plant that gives thousands of residents electricity."

CHICAGO – Teachers will be able to take excused mental health days under a measure supported by State Senator Christopher Belt that was signed into law Friday.

“It’s clear that our teachers have had to overcome a number of challenges, especially throughout the pandemic,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “They have continued to perform their jobs well in unprecedented times and often put their students before themselves.”

CHICAGO – Local school boards’ threat assessment procedures will be filed with local law enforcement agencies to increase student safety thanks to a measure spearheaded by State Senator Christopher Belt that was signed into law Friday.

“As chair of the Senate Education Committee, one of my top priorities is student safety,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This law will ensure all schools are up to date with their procedures and give parents one less worry in case of a school threat.”

Currently, each public school district is required to implement a threat assessment procedure that includes the creation of a threat assessment team. The team must consist of an administrator, teacher, school counselor, psychologist, school social worker and at least one law enforcement official.

EAST ST. LOUIS – The East St. Louis Police Department will have a pilot program to provide essential resources and assistance to victims thanks to a measure supported by State Senator Christopher Belt that was signed into law Tuesday.

“Crime victims need to have sufficient resources to recover after a traumatic event,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Bringing a pilot program to East St. Louis gives Metro East residents affected by crime access to vital resources.”

The new law creates the Co-Responder Pilot Program in the East St. Louis Police Department in the 57^th Senate District. The unit’s primary focus will be providing crisis intervention, case management, advocacy and ongoing emotional support to victims of all crimes, particularly to victims of crimes that cause a high level of trauma.

EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt announced the opening of a kiosk in the Illinois State Police District 11 headquarters located in Collinsville to help Metro East residents apply and update their Firearm Owners Identification card and Concealed Carry License.

“The General Assembly, along with the Illinois State Police, has worked to better the FOID and CCL process for people,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “The application backlogs have been eliminated, lessening the time applicants have to wait for their cards.” 

The Illinois State Police opened its fourth FOID Kiosk to help people apply for and update their FOID card and CCL. The Metro East now has a kiosk located in District 11 headquarters to assist individuals without access to online devices or who are experiencing difficulties online. Illinois residents can visit one of four kiosks across the state to receive one-on-one assistance.

EAST ST. LOUIS – Three St. Clair County fire districts are set to receive grant funding for equipment totaling more than $75,000, thanks to support for State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea).

“The men and women who work at our local fire departments risk their lives to keep our communities safe,” Belt said. “They are the first people we call in a crisis.”

Grants were awarded to over 100 fire departments and districts across Illinois totaling $2.5 million to purchase small firefighting and ambulance equipment. The initiative derives from fire departments and not-for profit ambulance services in Illinois that have struggled financially to buy small equipment.