* Crain’s…

Among the moves by the General Assembly last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker hailed the Illinois House’s passage of House Bill 579, which would allow Illinois to set up its own insurance marketplace similar to Obamacare.

“Through the adoption of a state-based insurance marketplace, we can expand health care access by effectively identifying traditionally underinsured communities, conducting effective outreach to them and assisting in the enrollment process,” Pritzker said in a statement, adding that he looks forward to following the bill’s progress in the Illinois Senate.

A bill that’s already heading to Pritzker’s desk for a signature would require health insurers to cover preventative liver screenings and other diagnostics. The bill, championed by state Rep. Hoan Huynh, D-Chicago, will expand access to tests that may detect forms of cancer and cirrhosis of the liver.  

“People shouldn’t have to choose between buying their next meal or their medication,” Huynh said in a statement. “Rising costs of health care and general inflation are suffocating our working families and seniors. I remain committed to working to find ways to implement real relief for those who need it most.”

* The Intelligencer…

A bill by state Sen. Erica Harriss, R-Glen Carbon, to help alleviate the teacher shortage across the state by providing flexibility and incentives for established educators now awaits Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature.

House Bill 1297 would extend the current statute in the pension code to allow teachers the ability to buy up to two years of service credit at a private or parochial school from the Teachers Retirement System. It passed in the Senate on May 4; it was approved in the House on March 23.

“Our teachers are incredibly important and with the teacher shortage still a persistent and serious issue across our state, we must look at collaborative ways to address the issue,” said Harriss. “This bill is a good step in allowing teachers the flexibility to move from the private sector into public schools and buy back their time in the retirement system.

“With the current law set to expire June 30th, this legislation is merely an extension of a sunset now set for 2028 if signed into law.”

* WAND…

State lawmakers have passed a plan to improve drug overdose education standards in K-12 schools to help students understand substance use and overdose trends.

The bill will require education on the history of drugs and health policy in Illinois and the United States, the impact of zero tolerance, and restorative justice practices.

House and Senate Democrats filed the bill in memory of Louie Miceli who died from an overdose in 2012. Louie’s mother and other advocates say young people haven’t properly learned about healthy coping mechanisms, the truth about drugs, or potential risks they could face. […]

Senate Bill 2223 passed unanimously out of the House Friday. It previously received unanimous approve in the Senate on March 30.

Louie’s Law now moves to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature of approval.

* Chicago Tribune…

All state-funded affordable housing would be required to have air conditioning under a bill sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker by legislators spurred to action by the heat exposure deaths last year of three seniors in their apartments on Chicago’s Far North Side.

The bill on Pritzker’s desk will require housing financed under the Illinois Affordable Housing Program to have cooling and dehumidification systems capable of operating independently from heating systems. There is also a requirement that newly constructed buildings that fall under the state program include permanent cooling.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Illinois would become one of the first states to make so-called crisis pregnancy centers subject to the same consumer fraud standards as car dealerships, retailers and service-based businesses under a bill that will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker.

Upon the measure becoming law, crisis pregnancy centers could be sued under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act if they engage in “unfair methods of competition” or “deceptive acts or practices.”

Crisis pregnancy centers are facilities affiliated with anti-abortion, often religious, organizations designed to deter newly pregnant women from seeking an abortion.

Democrats working to expand Illinois’ role as a “haven” for abortion-seekers in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last summer overturning Roe v. Wade say CPCs often intentionally deceive those who are trying to end their pregnancies.

* WMBD…

The Illinois Senate passed House Bill 3224 on Thursday, highlighting future opportunities for children with disabilities.

Championed by Senator Dave Koehler (D – Peoria), House Bill 3224 will grant students with individualized education plans (IEP) and their parents would be provided information on the school district’s career and technical education and dual credit opportunities.

“This measure helps families and children with disabilities see the career options that are available to them,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “Every child deserves additional opportunities outside the classroom.”

* WICS…

A new bill is now headed to Governor Pritzker’s desk that would require judges to consider a different set of circumstances when determining criminal sentences for juveniles.

HB3414 would amend the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 by requiring judges to consider factors such as home environment and childhood trauma when sentencing juveniles.

“Many people don’t want to see our children locked up and basically put into solitary confinement when some of our resources in our jails and our juvenile system are not there to protect children in a way that they absolutely need it,” Sen. Rachel Ventura, (D) Joliet, said.

If signed, judges would be required to consider additional factors when determining a sentence for a person under the age of 18, including home environment, childhood trauma, peer pressure, and the results of a comprehensive mental evaluation.