* Rep. Jackie Haas…

Today, House Bill 4059, filed by State Representative Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) passed the House with a unanimous vote of 104-0.

“The passage of House Bill 4059 is the first step in addressing the critical shortage of licensed daycare providers in the state of Illinois,” said Rep. Haas. “This bill ensures the Department of Children and Family Services continues to host at least two licensing orientation programs in each district for individuals interested in becoming daycare providers.”

House Bill 4059 will ensure there is access to programs statewide by requiring the Department of Children and Family Services, or any State agency that assumes daycare licensing responsibilities, to host licensing orientation programs at least twice annually in each representative district in the State.

Rep. Haas continued, “If we want to address the shortage of daycare providers, we need to start by creating pipelines for interested applicants from all corners of Illinois. Addressing this shortage is a bipartisan issue that affects every district in the state, and I look forward to seeing the legislation receive similarly high support when it’s taken up by the Senate.”

* Windy City Times…

Thursday night, House Bill 5417, the Connection to HIV Testing and Linkage to Care Act, or the HIV TLC Act, championed by State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) passed the Illinois House of Representatives with a bipartisan, unanimous vote of 106-0.
Supported by AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) and a coalition of community organizations, HB 5417 contains provisions that mandates insurers and Medicaid cover home test kits for sexually transmitted infections including HIV without cost-sharing, creates eight Rapid Start for HIV Treatment pilot sites, and ensures the availability of HIV/AIDS education in county jails. Justice-involved people incarcerated or in reentry are considered vulnerable to HIV. […]

Increasing access to testing and linkage to care, especially when prioritized among the Black, Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities disproportionately impacted by HIV, moves Illinois closer to zero new HIV transmissions by 2030,” said AFC’s Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy Timothy Jackson. “We thank Rep. Cassidy for her unwavering leadership in getting HB5417 voted out of the House, and we look forward to working with Senator Lakesia Collins on the next steps of the legislative process.” […]

Senator Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago) is the lead sponsor of House Bill 5417 in the Illinois Senate. If House Bill 5417 is passed by the Illinois Senate and signed by Governor Pritzker, Illinois would become only the 2 nd state to mandate insurers cover at-home STI/HIV testing kits without cost-sharing (California).

* Sierra Club…

Today, the Illinois State House passed HB3141, which directs state agencies to develop climate conscious standards for the purchase of building materials for use in state-funded infrastructure projects. The initiative, which is dubbed “Buy Clean,” will establish a maximum acceptable Global Warming Potential (GWP) for purchases on infrastructure projects to encourage investments in companies that use clean processes to produce goods.

“Illinois has led the way on climate and clean energy policy, and we can also show leadership in how we build our infrastructure. ‘Buy Clean’ standards will help us invest in the future of our state while also taking us one step further toward achieving our carbon reduction goals,” said Sierra Club Illinois Director Jack Darin. “Facilities that produce iron, steel, cement, and aluminum are foundational industries in our economy, but are challenging to decarbonize and produce a range of adverse environmental and health impacts. When Illinois buys clean materials, we ensure that taxpayers’ dollars will support Illinois businesses producing these products in ways that reduce pollution and create jobs. We urge the Senate to approve this legislation this Spring.”

“Illinois is a leader on climate action, and setting standards for the building materials we use in state construction projects allows us to utilize our purchasing power to support businesses producing high quality, low carbon products,” said State Representative Diane Blair-Sherlock, the chief sponsor of HB3141. “I’m pleased to work with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Central Management Services, and the Capital Development Board on this plan for setting standards for sustainability in Illinois infrastructure projects.”

* WGEM…

It may soon be illegal in Illinois to deny someone a job or promotion due to their family responsibilities.

The Illinois state House of Representatives passed a bill Friday adding family responsibilities to the state’s workplace discrimination law, the Illinois Human Rights Act.

Under current state law, employers can deny someone a job or promotion because they believe someone’s family responsibilities could impact their performance. The bill would make that practice illegal.

Opponents, however, argue it will lead to more lawsuits, hurt business and that the bill is unnecessary because the state already has strong workplace discrimination laws.

* Rep. Bradley Fritts…

Yesterday, House Bill 5011, introduced by State Representative Bradley Fritts (R-Dixon) passed the House floor with a unanimous vote of 108-0.

“I am thrilled with the passage of House Bill 5011,” said Rep. Fritts. “This bipartisan bill, crafted with collaboration from the Comptroller’s office and the Township Officials of Illinois, will help save money for taxpayers in townships by changing the requirements on yearly audits.”

Under current law, every township in Illinois with combined revenues over $850,000 is required to pay for a yearly audit performed by a Certified Personal Accountant. House Bill 5011 will change the requirement to once every four years for townships that generate a revenue of less than $1.4 million per year and every two years for those that generate more than 1.4 million per year.

* American Heart Association…

In a bold move to save lives, the Illinois legislature is moving toward passage of a landmark bill. Sponsored by Rep. Laura Faver Dias, HB5394 mandates that schools throughout the state have plans in place to respond to cardiac arrests of students or staff with CPR and AEDs. Such plans are known as cardiac emergency response plans or CERPs. Much like fire drills, these plans allow schools to assume responsibility and facilitate training for cardiac emergencies. In 2022, according to Illinois Heart Rescue, cardiac arrests affected more than 109 people under age 18 in the state. Currently, only about 40% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) get the immediate help that they need before emergency services arrive.

In an emotional testimony during the bill’s hearing, cardiac arrest survivor and school principal Dr. Heather Baker recalled, “I dropped dead on the floor at school as a school administrator at the age of 28. I had zero pre-existing conditions or warning signs and dropped dead mid-sentence in a meeting with several other administrators. I am alive today because my coworkers had been CPR and AED trained one month prior, and they knew how to enact a cardiac emergency response.”

According to Rep. Faver Dias, “This legislation will save lives. A coordinated plan to provide CPR to those in cardiac arrest in our schools ensures that our kids and educators are safe while they focus on learning. We’ve worked closely with school principals, cardiac arrest survivors, physicians and public health advocates to make this happen and this is a win for all our communities.”

Part of a wave of similar legislation throughout the Midwest, this latest vote is a movement towards greater education and awareness about the need for CPR training. From Michigan to Kentucky, Kansas and Illinois, the Association is proud to work directly with schools, advocates and legislators to safeguard young people and educators.

According to American Heart Association Senior Regional Lead for Government Relations, Lauren Peters, “We’re excited for this bill to move on to the Senate and then be signed by the Governor. With the passage of HB5394, more than 20% of our state population that walks through the doors of thousands of schools each day – including students, teachers, administrators and support staff – will be equipped to act in a cardiac emergency. They’ll also have the knowledge that if they ever find themselves in need of help, no matter where they turn, they’re in good hands.”

* Center Square…

In the latest push for health insurance reform, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is taking aim at what he calls “predatory health insurance practices” with his Healthcare Protection Act.

Among other things, the legislation would ban step therapy, the tactic insurers use to require people to receive less effective drug treatments before moving to options initially prescribed by doctors. It also includes new requirements for insurers to offer enough in-network doctors to meet patients’ needs. […]

Pritzker plans to tour the state this week to publicize the legislation.

Additionally, the measure mandates that all insurance companies regulated by the state of Illinois disclose treatments requiring prior authorization, facilitating consumers’ ability to compare plans when seeking coverage. Short Term Limited Duration insurance plans, often called “junk insurance,” will also be barred.

* WSPY…

The Illinois House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation on Tuesday that would have Illinois recognize June 27th as National PTSD Awareness Day. House Bill 4928 is sponsored by State Rep. Harry Benton of the 97th district in Plainfield.

Benton says that people across the state suffer from PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder, and his bill aims to promote better recognition of the effects that it can have on individuals. Benton says that it is also important to recognize those who provide assistance to PTSD patients, including friends, family and other caretakers.

Millions of Americans suffer from PTSD, which can affect individuals who were a part of or near a traumatic event. Many PTSD cases involve veterans, assault victims and first responders.

After passing the House, the bill now heads to the Senate.

* Rep. Brandun Schweizer…

State Representative Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville) passed his first bill out of the Illinois House of Representatives Friday afternoon.

HB 3504 was filed to prevent a problem between State insurance and Carle Clinic in the sponsor’s district. System members went to the hospital and were unaware that they were no longer covered in network. The bill provides that at least 60 days prior to the effective date of any changes to the coverage or benefit recipient cost share for TRS benefit recipients, the Department of Central Management Services shall post those changes on its website. The representative believes the transparency afforded by this bill is necessary for members.

The bill passed unanimously on a vote of 106-0 and will now head to the Senate for their consideration.