* Leader Rezin…

More high school students can now receive high school credits from a dual credit program thanks to legislation sponsored by Senate Republican Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) that was recently signed into law.

House Bill 5506 amends the state’s Dual Credit Quality Act to provide that a partnership agreement between a community college and a school district shall allow high school students who may not meet the community college’s academic eligibility requirement to enroll in their dual credit course to receive high school credits. High schools are required to establish procedures to notify students enrolled in dual credit courses if they are eligible for both college and high school credits or just a high school credit.

“This law will create more opportunities for high school students to gain access to academic courses and credits that were previously unavailable to them,” said Sen. Rezin. “Students interested in courses that are part of a dual credit program will no longer be turned away just because they might not qualify for the college credit for whatever reason, which in turn will hopefully lead to more course offerings.”

The legislation requires school districts and community colleges to annually assess disaggregated data pertaining to the dual credit enrollment, completion, subsequent post-secondary enrollment and performance. Additionally, institutions shall notify its faculty within 15 days of entering or renewing a partnership agreement.

“While expanding academic opportunities for high school students in Illinois, our state will be able to gather additional data on these dual credit programs,” continued Sen. Rezin. “This additional information will help our state ensure that these programs continue to meet our students’ academic needs.”

House Bill 5506 passed out of both chambers without opposition and was signed by the Governor on June 10.

* Sen. Villa…

In partnership with community members and other professionals on her Senior Advisory Committee, State Senator Karina Villa championed a new law to protect the dignity and rights of nursing home residents across Illinois and ensure they are afforded the highest quality of care.

“Many families struggle with the decision to placed loved ones in long-term care facilities,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “With everything that goes into this decision, families shouldn’t also have to worry about abuse or neglect.”

Previously Senate Bill 1633, the new law amends and expands the existing Nursing Home Care Act to offer more comprehensive protection for nursing home residents. In addition to ensuring residents’ rights must be maintained and basic needs are met, the law creates requirements for grievance procedures at nursing facilities, protects residents from being forced to perform unpaid labor and requires information on how to submit complaints be posted publicly and available to residents at request.

Villa’s Senior Advisory Committee played a large role in the development of the legislation, which is modeled off of the Minnesota Patients’ Bill of Rights published by the Minnesota Department of Health. The law also ensures that all rights outlined under the Medical Patient Rights Act, including the right to sound medical care and the right to privacy and confidentiality, apply to residents under the Nursing Home Care Act.

“Families should be able to trust the faculty and staff in nursing homes to provide the absolute best care for their loved ones,” Villa said. “With this law, we hope to give them that peace of mind.”

…Adding… Sen. Simmons…

To allow students in custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections the opportunity to continue to earn an education while serving their time, State Senator Mike Simmons passed a law to allow students to attend classes remotely.

“I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the Senate for supporting this legislation,” said Simmons (D-Chicago) This removes a systemic barrier for youth in custody who ought to be able to continue their education. We are giving them a better chance of finding employment and thriving when re-entering their communities”

Simmons’ law will create a pilot program to allow remote learning for students of Consuella B. York Alternative High School that are in the custody of the IDOC. If successful, the program could roll out in other alternative schools across Illinois. California currently has programs that allow inmates to work toward their Bachelor’s Degree. Research from the Cal Matters Organization show such programs have contributed to improving opportunities and lowering recidivism rates.

“This is a great step toward shoring up the gaps that exist in serving the needs of those who are incarcerated,” Simmons said. “Doing so will help buttress our overall efforts to lower recidivism rates and increase public safety.”

House Bill 5016 was signed into law and took immediate effect.