SPRINGFIELD – All service officers and supervisors for the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be required to be honorably discharged veterans under legislation sponsored by State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) signed into law Friday.

“When our servicemen and women are coming to the VA looking for assistance, we need to be sure that they are able to work with someone who has been in their shoes and who is best able to give them the help they deserve,” Connor said. “By putting our veterans in touch with others who have honorably served, we are putting them on a path for success.”

SPRINGFIELD – Tailored support services and resource centers for undocumented students will be available on college campuses under a new law sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago).

“Undocumented college students deserve to have equitable and inclusive access to resources to help them successfully graduate and become contributing members of society,” Villa said. “These liaisons and resource centers will have a profound impact on retention and matriculation rates for marginalized communities on campus.” 

The law will require public universities and community colleges in Illinois to designate an employee as an Undocumented Student Resource Liaison, as well as encourage schools to establish an Undocumented Student Resource Center on campus to assist undocumented students.

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.”