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No-contact orders could apply to families of sexual assault survivors under Villa measure

Details
Category: Senator Karina Villa News
Thursday, May 27, 2021 04:29 PM
  • Sexual Assault
  • Villa
  • No-Contact Order
  • HB1742

Squad car

SPRINGFIELD – Civil no-contact order eligibility would be expanded to include family and household members of survivors of sexual assault under legislation sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), which passed the Senate Thursday.

“Family members of sexual assault survivors can have shared trauma and feel the need to seek a no-contact order,” Villa said. “People who are closest with a survivor should not have to live in fear of contact with their loved one’s abuser.” 

Under current law, a petition for a civil no-contact order can be filed by a survivor of non-consensual sexual conduct or by another person on behalf of a survivor who cannot file the petition. Villa’s measure would expand eligibility to offer protections for family or household members of survivors of sexual harassment and assault.

Read more: No-contact orders could apply to families of sexual assault survivors under Villa measure

Feminine hygiene products would be more accessible for low-income women under Villa measure

Details
Category: Senator Karina Villa News
Thursday, May 27, 2021 04:23 PM
  • SNAP
  • Villanueva
  • Feminine Hygiene Products
  • HB155

Sen. Karina Villa

SPRINGFIELD – Feminine hygiene products could be purchased with federal and state food assistance program benefits under legislation sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), which passed the Senate Thursday.

“Having access to feminine hygiene products should be a right, not a privilege,” Villa said. “Federal and state benefits need to cover these essential health care items for those who can’t afford them.”

Villa’s measure would require the Department of Human Services to apply for a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service permitting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefit recipients to use their benefits to purchase diapers and menstrual hygiene products.

Read more: Feminine hygiene products would be more accessible for low-income women under Villa measure

Belt measure to address inequities in the state’s hiring process passes

Details
Category: Senator Christopher Belt News
Thursday, May 27, 2021 04:20 PM
  • Belt
  • Employment
  • HB3914
  • Racial Bias in Hiring

Sen. Christopher Belt

SPRINGFIELD – A measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that seeks to remove barriers to getting hired by the state of Illinois for minorities and marginalized people passed the Senate on Thursday.

“Women, people with disabilities, African American and Latino individuals, and all minorities have the right to the same opportunities that other people have in the workforce,” Belt said. “This legislation identifies the issues minorities face when applying to work for the state, and breaks down the barriers to fair hiring.”

The measure would require the Illinois Department of Central Management Services to identify policies that make it harder for minorities and marginalized people to get hired by the state of Illinois and to seek legislation to address systemic racism in the state’s hiring practices. Each state agency would also increase diversity on interview panels in order to better employment opportunities for women and minorities. In addition, the legislation encourages CMS and other state agencies to review current personnel policies to remove any and all language that is discriminatory from their books.

Read more: Belt measure to address inequities in the state’s hiring process passes

Call4Calm one step closer to permanence

Details
Category: Senator Patricia Van Pelt News
Thursday, May 27, 2021 04:16 PM
  • Mental Health
  • Van Pelt
  • Call4Calm
  • HB1805

call4calm

SPRINGFIELD – A measure sponsored by State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) to permanently establish the Call4Calm text line to support Illinois residents' mental health needs was approved by the Senate, falling in line with Mental Health Awareness Month.

“Call4Calm was a great initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, and can still benefit those who struggle with their mental health even after this pandemic is over,” Van Pelt said. “Mental health outcomes are more concerning than ever before due to the public health crisis, and this text line is an essential outlet.”

House Bill 1805 requires the Department of Human Services to permanently establish the Call4Calm text line, which would be free of charge and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Call4Calm was launched as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a remote patient monitoring program and support line available to anyone in the state.

Read more: Call4Calm one step closer to permanence

Harris: Working families deserve flat-dollar copay plans

Details
Category: Senator Napoleon Harris III News
Thursday, May 27, 2021 04:05 PM
  • Health Insurance
  • Harris
  • Drug Co-Pays
  • HB1745

Pharmacy

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Napoleon Harris, III (D-Harvey) passed legislation out of the General Assembly that would require all Illinois-regulated health insurance companies to offer predictable plans for drug benefits.

“Many families have a monthly budget, and knowing how much their drug copayment will be every month would give them the ability to better manage their finances,” Harris said. “Flat-dollar copay plans should be an option for everyone and should be available immediately.”

Currently, most health insurance plans have a structure for prescription drug copayments based on graduated tiers. For the highest levels of drugs, often called specialty care drugs, these plans usually use coinsurance – requiring patients to pay a percentage of the drug’s cost – rather than a copay.

Read more: Harris: Working families deserve flat-dollar copay plans

Ellman legislation allowing college savings plans to be used for educational loans and vocational programs advances

Details
Category: Senator Laura Ellman News
Thursday, May 27, 2021 04:02 PM
  • Higher Education
  • Ellman
  • College Savings
  • HB741

 Senator Ellman

 

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) that would allow students to use 529 college savings accounts for other education-related purposes without additional taxation passed the General Assembly on Thursday.

“This legislation would allow college savings plans to be used in more ways to reflect the realities of modern-day higher education,” Ellman said. “Students need and should be able to use their savings plans to pay for loans or job-training programs.”

The legislation would allow up to $10,000 to be used for additional education-related purposes without being taxed, making Illinois law consistent with federal law.

Read more: Ellman legislation allowing college savings plans to be used for educational loans and vocational...

Prescription drug donation program created under Villa measure

Details
Category: Senator Karina Villa News
Thursday, May 27, 2021 03:54 PM
  • Villa
  • Prescriptions
  • Prescription Drug Repository Program
  • HB119

Villa 5 27

SPRINGFIELD – Illinoisans who are unable to afford their medications would be able to take advantage of the state’s first prescription drug repository program under legislation sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), which passed the Senate Thursday.

“Many Illinois families are forced to make difficult choices due to the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs — choices that often result in skipping much-needed medication,” Villa said. “I-DROP will help families struggling to afford prescription medicine.”

Read more: Prescription drug donation program created under Villa measure

Stadelman measure protecting sexual assault survivors passes Illinois General Assembly

Details
Category: Senator Steve Stadelman News
Thursday, May 27, 2021 03:46 PM
  • Stadelman
  • Sexual Assault
  • Criminal Law
  • HB734

Stadelman

SPRINGFIELD – A measure sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) that would make civil no contact orders permanent for sexual assault survivors whose assailants are criminally convicted of sexual assault passed the Illinois General Assembly on Monday.

“People who’ve been through a sexual assault will live with that trauma for the rest of their lives,” Stadelman said. “I believe it’s our responsibly to help ease their burdens and not make them relive that trauma by forcing them to return to court year after year.”

Currently, under Illinois state law, sexual assault survivors are forced to see their assailants in court every two years to renew their no contact orders.

Read more: Stadelman measure protecting sexual assault survivors passes Illinois General Assembly

More Articles …

  1. Stadelman legislation teaches students the consequences of sexting
  2. Stadelman moves Illinois one step closer to a high-speed rail network
  3. Senate passes another part of Collins’ plan to fight human trafficking
  4. Peters: Parents have the right to know what’s going on at their kids’ schools
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