SPRINGFIELD – A new law sponsored by State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) and signed Friday will require businesses to provide a toll-free number, email address, or postal address to ensure that consumers are able to cancel automatically renewing services easily and quickly.

“Getting into automatic renewal contracts is like quicksand—it is much easier to enroll in them than it is to cancel them,” Connor said. “My goal is to put an end to predatory business practices, and making it easier to cancel subscriptions will help customers.”

SPRINGFIELD – A measure led by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) to ensure all new drivers are provided with guidance on how to interact with law enforcement during traffic stops has been signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker.

This legislation was prompted by the deaths of Daunte Wright, Sandra Bland, and many others in cases where traffic stops have escalated into police violence against Black Americans.

SPRINGFIELD – Pregnant women will have more options on where to deliver under a new law sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) that establishes a path to permanent licensure for freestanding birth centers.

“Expecting mothers should have the ability to choose their birth style without limitations caused by a lack of freestanding birth center licenses in their area,” Senator Fine said. “Whether a pregnant woman is seeking a certified nurse midwife or they simply want a lower-cost birthing style, lifting the licensure cap for freestanding birth centers will help increase access to birth centers across Illinois.”

Senator Fine’s legislation creates the Birth Center Licensing Act, lifting the current cap on the number of freestanding birth center licenses, so more women, especially those in marginalized communities, have access to the birthing style they prefer. Freestanding birth centers will still be regulated under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act, and licenses will have to be renewed every year.

SPRINGFIELD – To protect children from the harmful effects of pesticides, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) championed a newly signed law to make it illegal to use the chemicals near schools.

“Children are at higher risk for health effects from exposure to pesticides than adults because their nervous, immune, digestive and other systems are still developing, making them more susceptible to these pollutants compared to adults,” Morrison said.

SPRINGFIELD – Individuals who make calls to police for the sole purpose of harassing people based on their identity will now face potential hate crime charges under a new law sponsored by State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago).

“Calling the police as an intimidation tactic against someone because you don’t like or are uncomfortable with their identity should never be an option,” Simmons said. “This practice, which is almost always rooted in racism, is a serious threat to public safety and to the welfare of Black lives, and we need to do all that we can to deter it.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) is proud to see a measure that would offer mental health support information on student ID cards being signed into law.

“Providing mental health support to students—whether they’re in middle school or college—is so important, especially as they start to return to in-person learning,” Cullerton said. “Something as simple as a contact number for a crisis line could help prevent unnecessary tragedy in an age group that has seen increasing suicide rates over the years.”

CHICAGO – To create a comprehensive, inclusive health and safety curriculum for Illinois public schools, State Senator Ram Villivalam’s (D-Chicago) Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Act was signed into law today.

“No student should feel stigmatized or excluded in the classroom,” Villivalam said. “This legislation establishes guidelines for an inclusive, culturally competent curriculum to keep students safe and healthy.”

The Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Act establishes the requirements for public and charter schools that elect to teach comprehensive personal health and safety education in grades K-5, and comprehensive sexual health education in grades 6-12. A parent or guardian can opt their student out of instruction. Schools will retain local control through the selection of curriculum and instructional materials.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) was signed by the governor on Friday, creating a requirement that public schools that offer sex education curricula include a lesson about the risks of sexting.

“Technology has grown a lot in the last decade, and our education needs to adapt as well,” Stadelman said. “This new law requires those schools that teach sex education to include a lesson on sexting, so students can learn about the real-life consequences of the virtual act.”

The legislation would require schools that offer a sex education course or unit to revise their current curricula to include an age-appropriate lesson on sexting and its potential consequences.

“Students should know about the realities of what may seem like a harmless act,” Stadelman said. “We can’t expect kids to know the importance and dangers of sharing sexually explicit images.”

The legislation was introduced by State Representative Maurice West (D-Rockford), Stadelman’s counterpart in the Illinois House of Representatives.

The new law, originally House Bill 24, takes effect immediately.