SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Mattie Hunter advanced a bill through the Senate granting the Illinois Department of Human Services the authority to collect data on the frequency of stolen SNAP benefits within the state. This comes in response to widespread reports of identity fraud leaving Illinois residents without needed funds to purchase groceries and other necessities.

"The passage of this legislation marks a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to safeguard the integrity of SNAP benefits," said Hunter (D-Chicago). "Collecting essential data on SNAP benefit fraud enables us to implement targeted solutions and protect vulnerable families in our state."

House Bill 2214 allows IDHS to track how often benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are stolen from their rightful recipients. SNAP participants receive monthly benefits for groceries deposited onto EBT cards, and in recent months, card skimming has increased significantly in many states. IDHS began collecting data on card skimming and other fraud methods in December 2022, making it unclear how much theft had previously occurred. Under this measure, IDHS will be required to report its findings to the General Assembly annually beginning on Jan. 1, 2024.

Last year, Congress passed legislation to replace SNAP benefits stolen between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2024. House Bill 2214 will serve as a starting point for Illinois to gain a clearer understanding of the scope and frequency of SNAP benefit fraud in the state, allowing for more effective measures to be put in place to combat this issue.

"By shedding light on the scope and frequency of SNAP benefit fraud, we can pave the way for stronger anti-fraud measures in Illinois," Hunter said. "Our aim is to ensure that every dollar allocated for SNAP assistance reaches those who genuinely need it, and this bill is a crucial tool in achieving that goal."

House Bill 2214 passed the Senate on Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD – As a strong advocate for teachers, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel spearheaded two measures through the Senate to continue her efforts to address the teacher shortage that would increase the number of days substitute teachers can be in a classroom and increase the annual pay cap for teachers who mentor or provide professional development.

“I want to express my support for teachers and acknowledge the difficulties faced by many school districts in finding teachers and substitutes,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “It’s important that we collaborate with school districts to provide them with the flexibility they need to adapt to different situations.”

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure Chicago residents are notified of lead service line replacements and have access to a clean water supply, State Senator Mike Simmons advanced a bill out of the Senate Thursday.

“Replacing lead pipes in our communities is about doing right by our Chicago residents,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “People need to know when improvements are being made that affect their water supply, especially anything involving the removal of lead pipes.”

House Bill 2776 requires that, in addition to a written notice, a community water supply operator must send a notice via email to property owners and occupants of buildings affected by lead service line replacements, and requires the City of Chicago to publicly post data on their website on the progress of replacing lead service lines.

SPRINGFIELD – Freelance workers may soon have legal protections requiring them to be paid in a timely manner and transparency measures that are designed to ensure fair labor practices, thanks to an initiative sponsored by State Senator Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas.

“Freelance workers deserve the same dignity other workers receive, including being offered the basic respect of timely compensation for their labor,” said Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “This measure would ensure all workers are paid what they are owed quickly so they can support themselves and their loved ones.”

Freelance workers are people hired as independent contractors to provide products or services for a contracting entity, earning at least $500 for their labor. Because they have a different contract than salaried or hourly workers, the entities that hire them are not held to the same legal requirements as with other employees. This has led to many freelance workers being paid much later for their work than they had been promised, as well as being offered to take a pay cut to get any wages for their labor sooner.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to provide greater protections for military service members who are survivors of sexual misconduct, State Senator Mike Porfirio, a Navy veteran, and State Representative Stephanie Kifowit, a Marine Corps veteran, partnered to advance House Bill 3103 through the Senate.

“Survivors of sexual assault must receive all the protections they deserve,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “Service members sacrifice their lives to defend our country; the least we can do is ensure that they are protected as well.”

The proposal ensures that Illinois National Guard and reserve military service members who are survivors of non-consensual sexual conduct and have received a military protective order are also protected under the state’s civil no-contact and stalking no-contact orders.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Rachel Ventura advanced a new measure that would create a grant for local governments to help mitigate the impact of climate change.

“We need to encourage local governments to plant native trees and grasses, which are proven to help mitigate climate change through carbon capture,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “With the climate crisis that is happening across the world, it is evident that legislation through every level of government needs to focus on important issues like this to ensure our children have a healthier planet.”

Senate Bill 2357 creates the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Act which requires the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to establish a grant program for local governments for the purpose of restoring degraded forests and prairies to help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to mitigate the impact of climate change.

SPRINGFIELD – To address the shortage of nurses in health care facilities across Illinois, State Senator Karina Villa passed a bill from the Senate on Thursday. 

“Nursing is a difficult profession. It is a demanding job both physically and mentally,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Nurses should feel supported, and my hope is this initiative will help provide that support so more people will be inspired to join and stay in the nursing profession.”

The growing scarcity of nurses in Illinois, especially in Southern Illinois, is negatively impacting patients, as well as existing nurses who have to work without a full staff in some of these health care facilities. Nurses are a critical part of health care and make up the largest section of the health profession. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than 275,000 additional nurses will be needed from 2020 to 2030.

SPRINGFIELD– State Senator Rachel Ventura is spearheading a new measure to expand greater access to broadband at all public schools and libraries in the state.

“The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the crucial need for all Illinoisans to have access to broadband,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “High-speed internet is at the forefront of all parts of life – from work to school, and everything in between.”

Senate Bill 851 would require the Broadband Advisory Council to conduct a feasibility study to determine best practices for expanding connection to all public schools, public libraries and state-owned correctional facilities, as well as how to connect to all remaining anchor institutions to the Illinois Century Network. The study will be due Jan. 1, 2024, with a goal of implementing the findings by 2030 and would increase speeds up to 1 gig.  

The Illinois Century Network is a state-owned and operated broadband network that provides Internet connectivity for thousands of sites statewide, ensuring high availability for cloud-based content, disaster recovery services, data, video and audio communications.

“We must mend the digital divide facing far too many communities in Illinois,” said Ventura. “Our goal is to move the state forward toward greater inclusivity and accessibility.”

Senate Bill 851 passed through the Senate on Thursday and moves to House for further consideration.