* Sen. Rachel Ventura…

Continuing her work to promote policies of rehabilitation, State Senator Rachel Ventura advanced a bill that would give courts more flexibility in advocating for restorative justice programs for young people through the Senate Criminal Law Committee Tuesday.

“This legislation moves us toward a restorative approach, one that emphasizes real accountability, repair, and stronger outcomes for our communities,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “It also reflects a child-first mindset, recognizing that young people have the capacity to grow and should be met with responses that prioritize that potential.”

House Bill 4639 would require juvenile courts to consider restorative justice alternatives to sentencing for juvenile delinquency cases. Restorative justice provides opportunities to identify and repair harm, address trauma, reduce the likelihood of further harm and strengthen community ties through participatory processes. Importantly, House Bill 4639 reflects a child-first mindset. Ventura emphasized that young people deserve responses that recognize their capacity for growth and change, not systems that define them by their worst moment. The bill aims to bring Illinois closer to a justice system that balances accountability with opportunity, repair and the belief that better outcomes are possible.

Under current law, consideration for restorative justice programs in the case of a juvenile is at the discretion of the state’s attorney’s office. Under Ventura’s measure, a restorative justice program would be recommended to the court as an alternative to sentencing if all parties agree to participate. Research on restorative approaches has consistently shown that when people are given the opportunity to understand the impact of their actions and make amends, outcomes are stronger for everyone involved and safer for communities overall.

“We’ve defaulted to punishment when what young people and their communities actually need is accountability and healing,” said State Representative Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago), who sponsored the bill in the House. “This bill makes restorative practices a real part of the process, so that before a judge sentences a young person, we’ve at least asked whether there’s a better way. I’m proud to support legislation that puts community and the youth first.” […]

House Bill 4639 passed the Senate Criminal Law Committee Tuesday and heads to the full Senate for further action.

* Illinois Society of Genetics Professionals president-elect Rachel Campagna…

The Illinois Senate introduced new legislation, Senate Bill 2799, to help protect Illinoisans’ genetic information from being used in life insurance, long-term care insurance and disability insurance policy determinations — the very safety nets that are critical for families.

For years, similar consumer protections have been blocked by claims of financial harm to the insurance industry — claims that lack empirical support. Other states, including Florida, have passed similar laws without seeing dramatic premium increases, according to 2024 data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Crucially, the Illinois bill does not prevent insurers from using a clinical diagnosis; it only prohibits the use of theoretical genetic risks. Genetic data is nuanced and requires specialized medical expertise to interpret. Allowing nonmedical professionals, like insurance brokers, to use this complex information to make life-altering financial decisions is scientifically unsound.

If Illinois is to remain a global biotechnology leader, our laws must protect the consumers driving that innovation. Passing legislation ensures the future of medicine in our state is defined by growth and privacy, not fear.

* Rep. Rick Ryan…

State Rep. Rick Ryan, D-Evergreen Park, is seeking to remove the two-year foreign language requirement Illinois high school students must complete to receive a high school diploma.

“Schools are facing a shortage of qualified teachers who can teach foreign languages,” Ryan said. “And that gap is only growing. Students should still be able to graduate even if their school is unable to secure an instructor for these subjects, which is why we’re working to have that requirement removed.”

Schools are struggling to find foreign language teachers for high school classes. The two-year foreign language requirement, which also includes American Sign Language, has been expressed by school principals as difficult to maintain. House Bill 4334 would remove the two-year requirement.

The Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Association of School Business Officials and the Illinois Association of School Boards all support the move.

* The Daily Northwestern…

In April, the Illinois House passed a bill that would ban the construction of detention center facilities 1,500 feet from the property boundaries of any school, day care center, private residence or place of religious worship. Speaker Emmanuel “Chris” Welch, whose district includes the Broadview facility, spearheaded House Bill 5024.

“This detention center is within feet of a church, of daycare centers, of schools, of parks and countless residential homes. To see how the activities that went on there, particularly during Operation Midway Blitz, disrupted a small community and literally led to the community, to the village of Broadview, expending over $700,000 to date — it’s just been destructive,” Welch said. “These types of facilities shouldn’t be located within a neighborhood like that.”

Still, House Bill 5024 won’t retroactively affect the facility in Broadview. A majority of House Republicans voted against the bill, with some critics raising questions about the legislation’s legal capacity because it addresses federal operations. Welch said he worked with the Attorney General’s office to modify the bill’s language to ensure its constitutionality. […]

While House Bill 5024 awaits Senate approval, both [Amina Barhumi, the executive director of the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition,] and [Angie Lopez, the suburban outreach specialist for Latino Union of Chicago,] said their respective organizations are working towards policy and legislative objectives to further protect immigrant communities in Illinois.

* WAND…

The Illinois House Judiciary Criminal Committee unanimously approved a bill Tuesday night to help close gaps in protection for survivors of domestic violence and stalking.

Sponsors said Illinois should ensure emergency orders of protection remain in effect until the final order of protection has been served. This comes as many survivors are harassed and threatened under the current system, where emergency orders are no longer in effect after a judge grants a plenary order.

“We want to make sure that those survivors have the security that is intended and was granted to them by the court,” said Jennifer Welch from the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Delays in service can leave the victim unprotected and make it more difficult for law enforcement and the legal system to respond to abuse, harm and harassment.” […]

Senate Bill 3044 now heads to the House floor for further consideration.

* Press release…

Member of former Governor Jim Edgar’s family, including former First Lady Brenda Edgar, and officials of the Edgar Fellows Program will be present in the Illinois Senate gallery as the Senate honors the legacy of the former governor with a resolution declaring Governor Jim Edgar Day.

Who: State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason)
Various Members of the Edgar Family
Various Members of the Edgar Fellows Program

When: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Upon Session Convening

Where: Illinois State Senate Chambers

* More…

* Press release | Villa leading measure to strengthen school-based mental health services: House Bill 4397 would align Illinois law with National Association of School Psychologists practice standards by updating credentialing requirements and clearly defining the scope of services that school psychologists are authorized to provide. The measure would ensure schools can fully utilize these professionals to deliver comprehensive, evidence-based support. According to JAMA Pediatrics, more than one in seven youth ages six to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals ages 10 to 14, underscoring the urgent need for accessible, school-based care.

* Press release | Koehler advances legislation to strengthen mental health reviews for nursing home residents: House Bill 4509 would require the Illinois Department of Human Services or a designee to visit any individual admitted to a nursing home with a diagnosis of serious mental illness within 60 days of admission. It would also require a resident review within 72 hours when a resident with serious mental illness experiences a significant change in their physical or mental health. […] House Bill 4509 has passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday.

* Center Square | Illinois AI regulations have mild industry support, could draw federal ire: Anthropic, the company behind the chatbot ‘Claude,’ is in favor of the regulation, according to James Hartmann, regional state and local government affairs lead for the company. “When it comes to AI transparency, we believe that AI companies at the very forefront – companies like Anthropic – should work with the state governments like Illinois on three reasonable things,” Hartmann said.

* WAND | IL House committee passes bill requiring insurance coverage for seizure detection devices: “This bill is going to be reviewed by the Illinois Medicare working group, so my ask would be to hold this bill on second,” said Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Highland Park). “But it is incredibly important and a relatively small cost step forward to save people’s lives.” The Illinois Life and Health Insurance Council opposes the plan, as they argue it is difficult to see how private insurance can cover the cost if the state cannot absorb the price in its own health plan. Senate Bill 2762 passed out of the House Insurance Committee on a partisan 10-5 vote Tuesday.

* WAND | IL lawmakers could help lower health insurance premiums for hospital employees: Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) hopes to cap the out-of-pocket insurance cost for healthcare workers to 10% of the premium cost. Resident physicians told the House Insurance Committee Tuesday that this change could ensure they have more resources to take care of themselves while working in Illinois. […] House Bill 4957 is currently locked in the House Rules Committee. The measure was only discussed during a subject matter hearing Tuesday.