August 14, 2025 • 6 mins
In this edition of the News Brief, four new laws focus on safety, health, and consumer protection. Senator Julie Morrison improves trafficking victim identification, survivor support, and justice access. Senator Paul Faraci safeguards the Mahomet Aquifer from contamination threats. Senator Javier Cervantes ensures dental insurers pay providers directly when requested, and Senator Steve Stadelman bans license plate flippers used to evade law enforcement.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to this edition of the News Brief, part of
the Sound of the State podcast series from the Illinois
Senate Democratic Caucus, keeping you up to date with what's
happening in Springfield and around the state. I'm Colby Huff.
Thousands of human trafficking victims have been identified in Illinois
in recent years, but authorities estimated the true number of
victims to be much higher. To improve how the state
handles trafficking cases, a new law sponsored by State Senator
(00:24):
Julie Morrison will lead to earlier identification and strength and
support for survivors through better coordination, training, and services.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
This law is the result of extensive work among Illinois
State police, state agencies, and legislators to close gaps that
exist in current processes. By breaking down silos between agencies,
we can connect survivors to compassionate support faster and make
it more difficult for trafficking networks to operate in the state.
This new law takes a victim centered, trauma informed approach
(00:55):
to addressing human trafficking. The law builds on recommendations from
the Joint Human Trafficking Working Group, with input from over
sixty stakeholders and state agencies, and It lays out a
statewide strategic plan to support trafficking survivors. This includes creating
standards of care for medical and legal providers and building
a network of accessible services.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Under the new law, training will expand for staff and
the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Department
of Human Services, Department of Juvenile Justice, and Department of
Corrections to improve the ability to identify and support trafficking victims,
particularly youth in state care. It also strengthens screening procedures
for at risk individuals within the justice system to improve investigations.
(01:36):
The law supports the creation of multidisciplinary task forces to
help law enforcement coordinate across jurisdictions. It also eliminates the
twenty five year statute of limitations for trafficking survivors, allowing
survivors who are trafficked as miners to seek justice at
any point in their healing process.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
This is about making sure people don't fall through the
cracks because agencies aren't communicating. These changes will equip the
state with the tools needed to build a coordinated and
responsive system to support traffic and victims.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Senate Bill twenty three twenty three was recently signed into
law by the governor and takes effect on January first.
State Senator Paul Farranci has solidified efforts to protect the
Mohammet Aquifer, a vital soul source aquifer supplying clean drinking
water to approximately eight hundred thousand people across fifteen counties
in east central Illinois, with the signing of Senate Bill
seventeen twenty three into law. Senator Faranchi of Champagne set
(02:29):
in part, having access to clean drinking water is a
fundamental human right, and too many of our residents rely
on the Mohammet Aquifer to risk contamination to it. While
mitigating the effects of climate change should be a priority,
it cannot be at the expense of the clean drinking
water of nearly one million Illinoisans. The law will prohibit
carbon sequestration over, under, or through the aquifer, enforcing sustainable
(02:50):
practices and preventing harmful activities. This is crucial for residents
of Central Illinois, as the aquifer is the only source
of clean drinking water for at least half of the
population it's name, meaning those residents would have no alternative
should the aquifer become contaminated. Senator Faraci's initiative builds on
the foundational work of the late State Senator Scott Bennett,
whose dedication to protecting the Muhammad Aquiford laid the groundwork
(03:12):
for continued advocacy and legislative action. Senator Bennett was a
tireless champion for the people of Central Illinois, consistently prioritizing
public health and environmental stewardship. Senator Farachi's legislation is a
continuation of Bennett's vision to ensure future generations have access
to clean, safe water. Senator Farachi continues the signing of
Senate Bill seventeen twenty three marks an important step forward
(03:35):
for Senator Scott Bennett's hope of protecting our communities and
the natural resources they use every day. I'm proud to
carry on his legacy and witness his years of hard
work and advocacy payoff for our residents. Dental patients will
no longer have to worry about footing the bill for
an appointment while waiting to be reimbursed by their insurance plan,
thanks to an initiative led by State Senator Hobvier Cervantes
(03:55):
that was recently signed into law. Senator Servantes of Chicago
said thousands of annoyance rely on receiving a check in
the mail from their insurance company to cover an appointment
they had to pay for themselves, a method that can
cause financial strain for patients. Thanks to this new law,
Illinoians will no longer face trouble accessing care due to
this payment method. Without this legislation, dental insurance carriers are
(04:16):
only required to cover the cost of the visit, but
it is unspecified if they need to pay the providers
directly or just reimburse the patient for their visit. This
means many insurance plans do not immediately pay for a
patient's treatment, leaving them to cover the bill after the visit,
only to reimburse them months later. To reduce the financial
burden this place is on patients, Senate Bill thirteen ninety
two requires insurance companies to send payments directly to dental
(04:39):
providers when the patient requests. If someone's check is lost
in the mail or accidentally cashed early, Senator Chavantes send,
the patient may be short on payment when the appointment
actually comes, leaving them unable to get the dental care
they are entitled to through their insurance. This measure eliminates
this from becoming an issue and insurance. Patients with insurance
will have their appointments covered and paid for through correspondence
(04:59):
with if the dentist not with them as a go between.
With other states, reporting arise in drivers concealing or switching
their license plates to avoid legal repercussions, a measure from
State Senator Steve Stodoman of Rockford has been signed into
law that explicitly bans license plate flippers. Senator Stodolman set
in part all drivers need to be held to the
same standards on the road. People shouldn't be using plate
(05:19):
flippers to skip tolls, dodge cameras, or evade police. Senator
Stodolman's new law builds on current regulations clarifying that the
use of tape or flippers on any registration plate and
any other evidence of registration issued by the Illinois Secretary
of State is illegal. A license plate flipper is a
device that allows drivers, with the push of a button
to obscure their license plates, often used to avoid identification
(05:41):
when committing traffic violations. Illinois joins the expanding number of
states in outlining license plate flippers. Senator Sottoman continues banning
plate flippers will hold bad actors accountable on our roads.
This law not only protects the public and other drivers,
it promotes responsible driving. Senate Bill eighteen eighty three was
recently signed into law and takes effect on January first.
(06:06):
For more on the storays you just heard and others,
visit Illinois Senate Democrats dot com and subscribe to our
weekly Majority Report newsletter. You can listen to the Sound
of the State podcast series, as well as our Spanish version,
estadodell Astado with Carlos Mendez, featuring regular updates and in
depth conversations with our senators on your choice of platforms,
including the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Pandora,
(06:31):
and more. From the Springfield Office of Senate to President
Don Harmon, I'm Colby Huff
Welcome to this edition of the News Brief, part of
the Sound of the State podcast series from the Illinois
Senate Democratic Caucus, keeping you up to date with what's
happening in Springfield and around the state. I'm Colby Huff.
Thousands of human trafficking victims have been identified in Illinois
in recent years, but authorities estimated the true number of
victims to be much higher. To improve how the state
handles trafficking cases, a new law sponsored by State Senator
(00:24):
Julie Morrison will lead to earlier identification and strength and
support for survivors through better coordination, training, and services.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
This law is the result of extensive work among Illinois
State police, state agencies, and legislators to close gaps that
exist in current processes. By breaking down silos between agencies,
we can connect survivors to compassionate support faster and make
it more difficult for trafficking networks to operate in the state.
This new law takes a victim centered, trauma informed approach
(00:55):
to addressing human trafficking. The law builds on recommendations from
the Joint Human Trafficking Working Group, with input from over
sixty stakeholders and state agencies, and It lays out a
statewide strategic plan to support trafficking survivors. This includes creating
standards of care for medical and legal providers and building
a network of accessible services.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Under the new law, training will expand for staff and
the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Department
of Human Services, Department of Juvenile Justice, and Department of
Corrections to improve the ability to identify and support trafficking victims,
particularly youth in state care. It also strengthens screening procedures
for at risk individuals within the justice system to improve investigations.
(01:36):
The law supports the creation of multidisciplinary task forces to
help law enforcement coordinate across jurisdictions. It also eliminates the
twenty five year statute of limitations for trafficking survivors, allowing
survivors who are trafficked as miners to seek justice at
any point in their healing process.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
This is about making sure people don't fall through the
cracks because agencies aren't communicating. These changes will equip the
state with the tools needed to build a coordinated and
responsive system to support traffic and victims.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Senate Bill twenty three twenty three was recently signed into
law by the governor and takes effect on January first.
State Senator Paul Farranci has solidified efforts to protect the
Mohammet Aquifer, a vital soul source aquifer supplying clean drinking
water to approximately eight hundred thousand people across fifteen counties
in east central Illinois, with the signing of Senate Bill
seventeen twenty three into law. Senator Faranchi of Champagne set
(02:29):
in part, having access to clean drinking water is a
fundamental human right, and too many of our residents rely
on the Mohammet Aquifer to risk contamination to it. While
mitigating the effects of climate change should be a priority,
it cannot be at the expense of the clean drinking
water of nearly one million Illinoisans. The law will prohibit
carbon sequestration over, under, or through the aquifer, enforcing sustainable
(02:50):
practices and preventing harmful activities. This is crucial for residents
of Central Illinois, as the aquifer is the only source
of clean drinking water for at least half of the
population it's name, meaning those residents would have no alternative
should the aquifer become contaminated. Senator Faraci's initiative builds on
the foundational work of the late State Senator Scott Bennett,
whose dedication to protecting the Muhammad Aquiford laid the groundwork
(03:12):
for continued advocacy and legislative action. Senator Bennett was a
tireless champion for the people of Central Illinois, consistently prioritizing
public health and environmental stewardship. Senator Farachi's legislation is a
continuation of Bennett's vision to ensure future generations have access
to clean, safe water. Senator Farachi continues the signing of
Senate Bill seventeen twenty three marks an important step forward
(03:35):
for Senator Scott Bennett's hope of protecting our communities and
the natural resources they use every day. I'm proud to
carry on his legacy and witness his years of hard
work and advocacy payoff for our residents. Dental patients will
no longer have to worry about footing the bill for
an appointment while waiting to be reimbursed by their insurance plan,
thanks to an initiative led by State Senator Hobvier Cervantes
(03:55):
that was recently signed into law. Senator Servantes of Chicago
said thousands of annoyance rely on receiving a check in
the mail from their insurance company to cover an appointment
they had to pay for themselves, a method that can
cause financial strain for patients. Thanks to this new law,
Illinoians will no longer face trouble accessing care due to
this payment method. Without this legislation, dental insurance carriers are
(04:16):
only required to cover the cost of the visit, but
it is unspecified if they need to pay the providers
directly or just reimburse the patient for their visit. This
means many insurance plans do not immediately pay for a
patient's treatment, leaving them to cover the bill after the visit,
only to reimburse them months later. To reduce the financial
burden this place is on patients, Senate Bill thirteen ninety
two requires insurance companies to send payments directly to dental
(04:39):
providers when the patient requests. If someone's check is lost
in the mail or accidentally cashed early, Senator Chavantes send,
the patient may be short on payment when the appointment
actually comes, leaving them unable to get the dental care
they are entitled to through their insurance. This measure eliminates
this from becoming an issue and insurance. Patients with insurance
will have their appointments covered and paid for through correspondence
(04:59):
with if the dentist not with them as a go between.
With other states, reporting arise in drivers concealing or switching
their license plates to avoid legal repercussions, a measure from
State Senator Steve Stodoman of Rockford has been signed into
law that explicitly bans license plate flippers. Senator Stodolman set
in part all drivers need to be held to the
same standards on the road. People shouldn't be using plate
(05:19):
flippers to skip tolls, dodge cameras, or evade police. Senator
Stodolman's new law builds on current regulations clarifying that the
use of tape or flippers on any registration plate and
any other evidence of registration issued by the Illinois Secretary
of State is illegal. A license plate flipper is a
device that allows drivers, with the push of a button
to obscure their license plates, often used to avoid identification
(05:41):
when committing traffic violations. Illinois joins the expanding number of
states in outlining license plate flippers. Senator Sottoman continues banning
plate flippers will hold bad actors accountable on our roads.
This law not only protects the public and other drivers,
it promotes responsible driving. Senate Bill eighteen eighty three was
recently signed into law and takes effect on January first.
(06:06):
For more on the storays you just heard and others,
visit Illinois Senate Democrats dot com and subscribe to our
weekly Majority Report newsletter. You can listen to the Sound
of the State podcast series, as well as our Spanish version,
estadodell Astado with Carlos Mendez, featuring regular updates and in
depth conversations with our senators on your choice of platforms,
including the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Pandora,
(06:31):
and more. From the Springfield Office of Senate to President
Don Harmon, I'm Colby Huff
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