Caucus News

SPRINGFIELD – In the face of sky-high rental costs in Chicago and across Illinois, Senator Graciela Guzmán is working to crack down on price fixing schemes landlords conduct using AI algorithms.

“This measure is about restoring fairness, transparency and accountability to our housing market by cracking down on AI-driven rent fixing schemes that undermine competition and exploit renters,” said Guzmán. “I’m proud to have worked alongside partners at the city, state and local levels to confront the growing abuse of algorithmic pricing tools and put people ahead of corporate greed.” 

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced legislation that would help law enforcement agencies recruit and retain qualified deputy sheriffs.

“Departments across the state are facing ongoing staffing shortages, and we need to make sure qualified young adults have a pathway into public service careers,” said Cunningham a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This legislation helps modernize recruitment standards while maintaining important training and probationary requirements.”

Senate Bill 1700 would maintain the current minimum age requirement of 21 years old for county police officers, while allowing individuals to serve beginning at age 20 if they have completed two years of law enforcement studies at an accredited college or university. The measure would also allow correctional officers and full-time deputy sheriffs not employed as county police officers to be appointed beginning at age 18.

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Mary Edly-Allen advanced legislation Wednesday to establish safety standards and transparency requirements for the largest artificial intelligence developers as AI systems become increasingly integrated into critical infrastructure, cybersecurity and public safety operations.

“Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly and is like the ‘Wild Wild West’ with little to no guardrails in place. While these tools can create opportunities, they also come with serious risks if left unchecked,” said Edly-Allen (D-Grayslake). “This measure is about putting responsible safeguards in place before a preventable catastrophe occurs. Illinois has an opportunity to lead the nation by setting clear expectations for transparency, accountability and public safety.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy is advancing legislation to provide consumers in Illinois with rights to their personal data online.

“Private companies should not have limitless control over the personal data of consumers, and should face consequences if they violate consumer privacy,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Consumers have a right to know what data is being collected and the steps they can take to limit the use of their data.”

SPRINGFIELD ─ State Senator Ram Villivalam is leading the charge with a measure aimed at regulating auto insurance premiums in Illinois.

“Our wallets are hurting as the cost of living rises – and there are no commonsense guardrails on dramatic auto insurance rates, leaving many residents scrambling to pay for extra, unexpected bill increases,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “It’s time we hold multi-million dollar companies accountable and ensure that required auto insurance is affordable for residents across the state.”

According to Insurify, the average Illinois driver saw an 18% increase in premiums costs for full-coverage auto insurance between 2023 and 2024, while the national average is estimated to be 11.3% ─ almost 7% lower.

SPRINGFIELD — Continuing her work to protect consumers, State Senator Rachel Ventura is leading a measure that would prevent retailers from requiring consumers to accept store credit instead of a refund.

“Illinois consumers shouldn’t be forced into store credit when they return an unused product,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “If a retailer accepts a return, customers deserve the option to receive their money back. This measure protects working families, increases transparency and helps ensure businesses treat consumers fairly.”

House Bill 4044 would prohibit retail establishments from limiting refunds on returns of unopened or unused consumer products to store credit. Instead, retailers would be required to offer another form of refund, such as cash or reimbursement to the original payment method. Under the measure, consumers returning eligible unused products would have the right to receive a refund through the original payment method or another non-store-credit option.

SPRINGFIELD – As ticket-buying becomes more competitive, State Senator Steve Stadelman is working to strengthen consumer protections in the ticket sales marketplace, prevent the use of bots from buying up tickets and crack down on deceptive online purchasing practices.

“Fans should have a fair shot at buying tickets at the advertised price without competing against bots or being misled by deceptive sellers,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This legislation increases transparency and helps protect consumers from unfair practices in the ticket marketplace.”

As artificial intelligence proliferates in the ticket sales marketplace, consumers are increasingly forced to compete against automated bots that bypass ticket limits, deceptive resale websites that appear to be officially affiliated with artists or venues, and hidden ticket inventory that is withheld from public sale without disclosure. Existing federal protections address some of these issues, but gaps in enforcement and transparency continue to frustrate consumers when attempting to purchase event tickets.

SPRINGFIELD - A measure sponsored by State Senator Rachel Ventura that would require companies to disclose when they’re using AI chatbots and not a human to talk with consumers passed the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday.

“We’ve all experienced it before. You call a company for help, and the next thing you know, you’re frustrated by the lack of answers – only to realize minutes later you’re talking to a chatbot rather than a real person,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “People deserve to know whether they are communicating with a human or an AI system from the very beginning of an interaction.”

Senate Bill 317 would require any person or company using a conversational artificial intelligence system in a chat interface to communicate with a consumer during trade or commerce to provide the consumer with a clear and conspicuous disclosure at the beginning of the interaction that the consumer is communicating with an automated system and not with a human.