Caucus News

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents will soon see a new tax sale process that helps prevent financial windfalls for property owners facing foreclosure, thanks to a law State Senator Celina Villanueva championed that prioritizes returning surplus equity to divested property owners.

“It’s pertinent we recognize this previous property tax process for what it was: exploitative to the hardworking Illinoisans who pay their back taxes with hard-earned money,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “It’s outright unfair to residents who have a property worth tens of thousands of dollars to have that property foreclosed on and be left with no recourse, no equity and, often times, no chance to rebuild their lives on a new property.” 

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva led a new law to close gaps in Illinois’ child welfare laws and strengthen non-discrimination protections for youth in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

“Regardless of where Illinois youth are placed, they deserve to feel respected and that their identities are being protected and affirmed by those assigned to care for them,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “By implementing stronger protections for youth in DCFS’ care, we’re ensuring every case is met with a trauma-informed, comprehensive approach that prioritizes the dignity and well-being of our state’s youth.” 

SPRINGFIELD – Graduating high school students will soon see more opportunities to attend Illinois’ public colleges and universities, thanks to a law led by State Senator Celina Villanueva that expands in-state tuition rates to any individual who attended an Illinois high school for three years.

“Expanding in-state tuition at public colleges and universities will offer an otherwise unreachable lifeline to so many students, especially those coming from vulnerable situations,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “This is about ensuring our higher education system prioritizes equity and opportunity for all.”

For the past several years, Illinois lawmakers have voiced concerns with college costs, specifically citing rising in-state tuition that has led to many students taking on more in education-related debt or seeking higher education across state lines. Villanueva recognizes that the continued rising cost of living disproportionately affects low-income families and students participating in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – groups that often have to temporarily relocate due to unforeseen circumstances.

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing the importance of reproductive health data privacy for Illinois residents, State Senator Celina Villanueva championed a law to directly combat continued attacks on bodily autonomy and keep reproductive data out of the wrong hands.

“This is about making sure women across our state don’t have to live in fear for seeking critical health care, especially abortion care, or face persecution if their private health records fall into a bad actor’s hands,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “By requiring health information exchanges to implement new policies that protect sensitive health data, we’re taking a direct approach to protecting women and mitigating the harm of the 2022 Roe v. Wade overturning.”

A health information exchange is used to electronically transfer patient medical data, for the use of maintaining medical records or to share among providers, to improve diagnostic efficiency and the overall quality of patient care. To keep abortion records safe, Villanueva’s law, the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act, will require health information exchanges to:

• Limit user access to systems containing abortion-related medical information
• Refrain from sharing data across state lines, unless the reason for the disclosure is for technical support, quality assurance or billing purposes, or the patient consents to sharing their data
• Technically segregate information related to abortion services from the rest of a patient’s record
• Disable access to segregated information for out-of-state entities.

Under the law, patients will be able to opt out of data segregation and direct private health care information to be shared with a specific covered entity outside Illinois through an electronic health network. In the case a patient’s right to privacy has been violated, the law will empower patients to seek civil action, whether for injunctive relief, actual damages or associated legal costs.

“Passing this law sends a clear message: in Illinois, abortion care is health care, gender affirming care is health care and our residents’, their access to health care services and their health care records will be protected,” added Villanueva. “We value our residents’ autonomy and privacy, and this law will be just a small token to prove that.”

House Bill 5295 was signed into law Wednesday and goes into effect July 1, 2027.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents are on track to receive much-needed financial relief, thanks to the efforts of State Senator Celina Villanueva, who passed a responsible revenue package Monday that bolsters new revenue sources without placing taxes on everyday people.

“All year long, my colleagues and I were told we had to ‘cut’ our way out of budget challenges, but we recognize that bulldozing the essential resources and services Illinois’ working families rely on is not the way to meet the ever changing demands of our economy,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “We know the wealth to fully fund programs in our communities exists; it’s just being hoarded. This revenue package steps up to the moment to ensure Illinois has progressive revenue policies centered around fairness and stability for all residents.”

Senate Bill 3019 – the revenue package – would implement a stream of equitable revenue enhancements that uplift working families across Illinois, including making corporations pay their fair share and reinstating the back-to-school tax holiday.

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing the importance of reproductive health data privacy for Illinois residents, State Senator Celina Villanueva advanced a measure to directly combat continued attacks on bodily autonomy and keep reproductive data out of the wrong hands.

“The surest way Illinois can protect our residents and their reproductive records is by requiring health information exchanges to implement new policies that keep sensitive information out of bad actors’ hands,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “Time and time again, since 2022 when Roe v. Wade was overturned, we have heard the stories of women across the United States living in fear after seeking abortion-related health care. We have a duty to ensure Illinoisans aren’t being persecuted just because their health records ended up in the wrong hands.”

SPRINGFIELD – Graduating high school students may soon see more opportunities to attend Illinois’ public colleges and universities, thanks to a measure State Senator Celina Villanueva advanced out of the Senate that would expand in-state tuition rates to any individual who attended an Illinois high school for three years.

“If we want Illinois to be the best place to build a life, we cannot block already vulnerable groups from accessing affordable, quality higher education,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “By allowing students who attended an Illinois high school for three years the opportunity to qualify for in-state tuition rates, we are sending a clear message that Illinois’ public higher education system will value equity, ensuring all students have the same opportunities to earn a college degree.”

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing the importance of reproductive health data privacy for Illinois residents, State Senator Celina Villanueva is leading a measure to directly combat continued attacks on bodily autonomy and keep reproductive data out of the wrong hands.

“Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, women across the United States have faced increased weaponization and surveillance of their reproductive health data, trapping many in a state of constant fear after seeking pregnancy- or abortion-related care,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “By requiring health information exchanges to implement new policies that protect reproductive health data, Illinois is ensuring patients never have to worry about being criminalized or targeted for seeking critical care.”