* From Speaker Chris Welch’s weekly email to his constituents…

“Yesterday was a phenomenal day for the Illinois House. When we adopted rules for remote legislating, we promised to get to work quickly and diligently—and that’s exactly what we did yesterday. I thank all of my Reps. Lilly, Ramirez and Stuart for getting these critical pieces of legislation across the finish line. This is just the beginning of our work to deliver for Illinois residents and I look forward to collaborating with our counterparts in the Senate,” said Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.

The COVID-19 Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program Act (HB 2877), led by Rep. Delia Ramirez, offers a holistic approach to address the unprecedented economic instability for renters, homeowners and landlords caused by the pandemic. Provisions of the bill include:

• codifying measures of the federally funded emergency rental assistance program that will roll out this year,
• temporarily halting foreclosure proceedings for homeowners and small landlords, alleviating pressure for them and their tenants,
• protecting tenants from the long-term consequences of eviction records, and
• prohibiting rental tenant screening companies from sharing sealed eviction court records.

Meanwhile, the Illinois Health Care and Human Service Reform Act (HB 158), led by Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, will address disparities in medical care and other services in Black communities. As one of the pillars of the Black Caucus’s ‘Black Agenda’, it will:

• implement a hospital closure moratorium to address Illinois’ long-standing health inequities,
• create an Anti-Racism Commission that will identify and propose statewide policies to eliminate systemic racism and advance equitable solutions,
• require implicit bias training for medical professionals,
• create a Community Health Worker Certification to improve relations between medical professionals and the specific community they serve, and
• allow Medicaid reimbursement for doulas – non-medical professionals who reduce racial bias in health care by providing individually tailored and client-centered care and advocacy for pregnant and postpartum women.

The House also passed HB 1871, led by Rep. Katie Stuart, to sustain curbside and mail-in voting. The bill calls for allocating federal funds from the Help America Vote Act to establish ballot drop boxes around the state. It expands curbside voting as well and reduces postage barriers for mail-in voting.

* Press release…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul applauded committee passage of his legislation to expand and strengthen Illinois’ Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) to include protections for survivors of human trafficking. The ACP is administered by the Attorney General’s office and currently provides survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, and members of their households, with a substitute address to use as home, school and work addresses.

Senate Bill 593, which passed out of the Senate Human Rights Committee, was initiated by Raoul and sponsored by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton to allow survivors of human trafficking to apply for the protections the ACP provides. The legislation also strengthens protections for all participants by preventing participants’ addresses and phone numbers from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, ensuring participants can obtain a Real ID driver’s license using the program’s substituted address, and clarifying the process for participants to register to vote. The legislation passed unanimously and will move to the full Senate. Similar language is also included in House Bill 625, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Keicher and Rep. Terra Costa Howard, which unanimously passed out of the House Judiciary Criminal Law Committee earlier this week and will move to the full House.

“For survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, the Address Confidentiality Program can help provide peace of mind, and this legislation will provide that same protection to survivors of human trafficking,” Raoul said. “Abusers can be incredibly manipulative and committed to finding survivors, and the provisions in the legislation recognize this and add layers of protection to prevent this from happening. I appreciate the support from the Senate and House committees and encourage full passage of this important measure.”

“Survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking deserve to feel safe in their communities,” Glowiak Hilton said. “This legislation gives survivors that measure of comfort and security and ensures that they are protected from their abusers.”

* Related…

* Vote-by-mail, curbside voting expansion passes House

* Health care reform legislation passes state House: The bill is also subject to appropriations, which Lilly said will result in Democrats working with Republicans to determine what parts of the bill will be fully funded, and what provisions will see a cut when it comes to negotiating the state’s operating budget.