* Daily Herald…

Despite clearing a key committee and gaining dozens of sponsors, legislation to halt mandatory road tests for Illinois seniors is stalled in the Illinois House, supporters said Wednesday.

The measure was sent back to the Rules Committee April 19, where it’s likely to remain in limbo, said state Rep. Jeff Keicher, chief sponsor of Bill 4431. […]

However, a companion bill spearheaded by Republican Sen. Don DeWitte of St. Charles is still viable in the Senate.

Illinois mandates drivers ages 79 and 80 to take a road exam if their four-year license renewal is up. For drivers ages 81 to 86, it’s every two years, and for those 87 and older, it’s yearly.

* Center Square…

Another bill has been introduced in Springfield dealing with end of life options for the terminally ill.

Illinois state Sen. Julie Morrison’s Senate Bill 2644 would establish a statewide electronic registry that would contain Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms, which detail what type of medical treatment a critically ill patient does and does not want. […]

Currently, POLST forms can be maintained in hard copy or electronic format. Morrison’s measure would establish a single location to hold all POLST forms through the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, making it easily accessible to physicians throughout the state. […]

Morrison’s measure passed the Senate and is now headed to the House for consideration.

* WAND…

High school students taking driver education courses may soon be required to learn about worker safety in highway construction zones.

State lawmakers believe future drivers should have the knowledge and understanding necessary to navigate construction zones with caution and respect to reduce the risk of accidents.

The number of people who died in work zone crashes increased from 586 people in 2010 to 954 people in 2021, according to the National Safety Council. […]

Senate Bill 3151 passed unanimously out of the House Education Curriculum & Policies Committee Wednesday and now moves to the House floor. If the bill passes out of the House and is signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, it would take effect on August 1.

* The News Leader…

A new bill in the state legislature might address the problems that caused Highland to lay off some of its first responders this year.

State Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) has filed a bill that increases the amount a district can levy for emergency services. It also allows the districts to charge fees not exceeding the reasonable cost of the service for ambulance services rendered outside the district, and removes a provision setting fees at a certain dollar amount for more flexibility.

Meier filed the bill back in October, before Highland city leaders announced that their contracts with neighboring districts would end and they would be laying off several EMS workers. The other districts had ended their contracts because Highland asked them to increase their tax levies; Highland was maxed out at the amount it could levy, but thanks to reduced payments from Medicare and Medicaid, the city was losing money on its ambulance services, according to city leaders.

House Bill 4179 would amend the Emergency Services District Act to increase the total taxing authority of emergency service districts from .6 percent to .8 percent, and increase the tax rate for current rescue squads from .2 to .4 percent. The ambulance service levy limit remains at .4 percent. It removes the fee caps of $250 per hour and $70 per hour per ambulance worker, while retaining the requirement that fees should be equal to the reasonable cost of service.

* WAND…

A bill heading to the Illinois House floor could help students and families better understand the signs and symptoms of Type 1 diabetes.

The Illinois State Board of Education and Department of Public Health would be required to create informational resources about the disease and display the materials online.

Sponsors said many children and their families are unaware of the symptoms and treatment even though more than 30,000 children across the country have Type 1 diabetes. […]

Senate Bill 3473 passed unanimously out of the House Education School Curriculum & Policies Committee and now moves to the House floor. The plan previously gained unanimous support in the Senate.

* NBC Chicago…

A new bill under consideration by the Illinois General Assembly would aim to discourage the theft and resale of catalytic converters, with the state having one of the worst rates of such thefts in the country.

According to research cited by bill sponsor Sen. Michael Hastings, more than 2,000 insurance claims were filed between 2020-2022 after devices were stolen from vehicles, the fourth-highest rate in the U.S. during that time according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. […]

The proposed bill, under consideration by the Senate, would require dealers to keep records of vehicle identification numbers of the vehicles from which the converter was removed, and to note any numbers, bar codes, stickers or other unique markings of the devices.

The bill would require recycling facilities to obtain a copy of the certificate of title or uniform invoice showing the seller’s ownership of the vehicle in transactions involving converters.

* Sen. Mary Edly-Allen…

State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) advanced legislation through the Senate Special Committee on Criminal Law and Public Safety on Wednesday to create the Uniform Statewide Crime Statistics Task Force. […]

House Bill 2323 will create the Uniform Statewide Crime Statistics Task Force. The group would meet at least quarterly to assist the State Police in the development and implementation of an integrated software system for gathering and publishing crime data from all law enforcement agencies throughout the state.

The Uniform Statewide Crime Statistics Task Force would include members from the Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State and the Office of the Illinois Attorney General along with numerous agencies and professionals in the public safety sector. […]

House Bill 2323 passed the Senate Special Committee on Criminal Law and Public Safety and now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration

* WGEM…

Illinois lawmakers are one step closer to overhauling the state’s child labor laws. The state House Labor and Commerce Committee passed a bill Wednesday modernizing child labor laws.

The bill would substantially update the state’s child labor laws for the first time in nearly 75 years.

An initiative of the Illinois Department of Labor, agency officials argue piecemeal changes over the years have created outdated, conflicting and disjointed provisions in state law.

“We’re trying to just create a whole new bill, gut and replace it, and allow for an easier new way to manage the bill and understand and so employers and everyone else can understand it. I think right now it just creates a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings for a bill that is very important in protecting the vulnerable,” said state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, the bill’s House sponsor. […]

The state Senate passed the bill unanimously on April 10.

* Sen. Rachel Ventura…

State Senator Rachel Ventura has proposed legislation aimed at easing the growing stress that students face in classrooms, prioritizing their physical and emotional well-being to enhance focus and reduce anxiety during school hours. […]

Statistics from the American Psychological Association show that 4.1 million children in the U.S. between the ages of 3 and 17 years old have been diagnosed with anxiety. In Illinois alone, 145,000 children between the ages of 12-17 have depression.

Senate Bill 2872 would provide instruction for school districts on relaxation activities, such as mindful-based movements, yoga, stretching, meditation, breathing exercises, guided relaxation techniques, quiet time, walking, in-person conversation, and other stress-relieving activities, once a week for 20 minutes, in addition to recess, to enhance physical and emotional health.

If a school district wishes, the activities could take place in a physical education class, social-emotional learning class, student-support or advisory class, or as part of another class, including a new class, providing ample opportunities and flexibility for schools to adopt.

The measure would allow a school district to partner with a local community-based organization to provide the activities. […]

Senate Bill 2872 passed the House Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee on Wednesday and now heads to the House floor for further consideration.

* Sen. Cristina Castro…

People in need of physical therapy could soon have more freedom and flexibility to choose where and how they receive care under a measure led by State Senator Cristina Castro. […]

Castro’s measure would join Illinois with 23 other states that have permanently allowed physical therapists to provide telehealth services. Illinois allowed physical therapists to provide telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the state has not passed legislation enabling them to continue this practice.

House Bill 5087 would extend permanent telehealth services to physical therapy while still ensuring people are able to request and receive in-person care when needed. The legislation lays out specified conditions a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant would need to follow in order to provide physical therapy telehealth services. […]

House Bill 5087 passed the Senate Licensed Activities Committee Wednesday.