August 21, 2025 • 6 mins
Newly signed laws sponsored by members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus take actions to protect families in missing persons cases, ban unfair ticketing in schools, give NICU families a stronger start and address mental health workforce shortages. Learn more, in this edition of the News Brief.
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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.
State Senator Michael E. Hastings and the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
Work to improve Illinois's policy regarding missing persons investigations will
soon become long as their proposal was recently signed by
(00:23):
Governor JB. Pritzker. Senator Hastings of Frankfort Set in part
through the Cook County Sheriff's experience running the Missing Women's Project,
we were able to streamline some critical policies for law enforcement.
I am proud to pass a bill that will give
families peace. Senate Bill twenty four eliminates any law enforcement
policy requiring the observance of a waiting period before accepting
a missing person's report. The bill also requires information from
(00:46):
a missing person's report to be immediately entered into the
law enforcement agency's data system upon receipt of a report.
Under the measure, law enforcement agencies must adopt a strategy
regarding missing persons investigations, reporting and follow up action. If
a person remains missing for sixty days, law enforcement agencies
are required to obtain and enter their photographs, fingerprint records,
(01:06):
and dental or skeletal radiographs, and biological samples into the
National Missing and Unidentified Person's System. The bill requires law
enforcement to keep missing persons cases under active investigation until
the person is located and returned, or law enforcement cannot
close a case due to exhaustion of leads. Senator Hastings
worked on the legislation with the Cook County Sheriff's Office,
which runs the Missing Women's Project to assist in locating
(01:29):
women who have been missing for at least three years.
Investigations on all of these cases are aided by the
use of different databases, particularly the National Missing and Unidentified
Person's System. Current law only requires law enforcement agencies to
review and utilize criminal databases to find a missing or
unidentified person. However, if someone has not gone through the
criminal justice system, then they would not be identified in
(01:50):
these databases. Senator Hastings measure will close the gap in
current law where law enforcement is not required to use
other databases that could be helpful in locating missing persons,
like the National Missing and unidentified person's system. Senate Bill
twenty four takes effect January first. A new law champion
by State Senator Karnavia of West Chicago, addresses the discriminatory
(02:11):
disciplinary practice of ticketing in schools. Our schools, since Senator Via,
should be places of learning and growth, not entry points
into the justice system. When we treat student behavior with
fines and tickets, we fail to address the real issues
and risk derailing a young person's future. This law is
a critical step in replacing punitive discipline with supportive solutions
that help students thrive. In twenty fifteen, the General Assembly
(02:34):
passed a law ending the ability of schools to issue
monetary fines to students for disciplinary infractions at school. However,
students and schools across the state continued to be fined
due to the practice of students being referred to law
enforcement for school related behavior. Senator Via led Senate Bill
fifteen nineteen to address this issue following an investigation that
revealed that black and Latino students were ticketed at disproportionate rates.
(02:56):
Between twenty nineteen and twenty twenty one, eleven nine hundred
five tickets were issued with fines as high as seven
hundred and fifty dollars. The new law ensures that no
person is allowed to issue a fine or fee to
a student as a disciplinary consequence for behavior during school.
The law also requires school districts with a school resource
officer to have a memorandum of understanding with their local
law enforcement agency establishing that SROs are properly trained and
(03:19):
do not use fines or tickets for disciplinary infractions. Senator
Via continues school ticketing practices disproportionately target black and Latino
students from working class families, imposing financial burdens that many
simply cannot afford. Banning this practice addresses the educational disparities
faced by students of color and builds the fair and
supportive learning environment they deserve. A new law, spear headed
(03:41):
by State Senator around Villi vlam will equip families and
legal guardians with information about services their child may need
by increasing opportunities to inform parents about the early Intervention program.
Senator Villi Vlama of Chicago said, in part, for many parents,
not knowing what care your child might need can feel overwhelming,
especially while in the nick YU. Through the law, we
are ensuring hospital staff provide important information about programs such
(04:03):
as Early Intervention that can bolster parents access to services.
The Early Intervention Program, administered through the Illinois Department of
Human Services, helps children with disabilities or developmental delays up
to age three to learn and grow. Services offered include
evaluations in movement, learning, behavior, and more. Senator BILLI. Lom's
law requires hospitals to provide written information on the Early
(04:24):
Intervention Program to any parent or legal guardian whose child
is admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. It also
requires a hospital staff member to initiate a referral to
the Early Intervention program prior to discharging the child from
the hospital. Currently, IDHs operates a public awareness program focused
on early identification of eligible infants and toddlers. The new
law expands the scope of that program to include infants
(04:46):
who automatically qualify for Early Intervention services, including those born
weighing less than one thousand grams. To address workforce gaps
in the behavioral healthcare workforce across the state, State Senator
Rachel Ventura worked alongside State Representative Nobili Said on House
Bill thirty four eighty seven, which was recently signed into law.
Senator Ventura of Joliet said, our state's rural areas continue
(05:08):
to suffer due to a lack of mental health professionals.
Accurate and recent data can greatly assist in addressing the
behavioral healthcare workforce needs we have in this state. When
we know the totality of the situation, we can come
up with better solutions, such as grants or improved training
programs to help this essential field. House Bill thirty four
eighty seven requires the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional
Regulation to request voluntary demographic and employment data, including primary language,
(05:33):
anticipated retirement year, and zip code, when individuals apply for
or renew behavioral health licenses. The goal is to generate
more accurate data to better understand and address service gaps
across Illinois. The shortage of social workers, counselors, therapists, and
other caregivers that Illinois's mental health community has had to
make up for, and Illinois mental health patients have had
(05:53):
to live with demands a strong response, said representative said.
Without data, we can't make forward progress, and currently there
are simply no enough information on behavioral health practitioners to
accurately craft new approaches. I'm proud to join my colleagues
in the Senate to work to correct that and ensure
Ellinoians get the care that they need. I'll Spill thirty
four to eighty seven was recently signed into law and
sook effect immediately. For more on the storays you just
(06:19):
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, estadodella Stado 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,
(06:40):
Apple Podcasts, and doorra 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.
State Senator Michael E. Hastings and the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
Work to improve Illinois's policy regarding missing persons investigations will
soon become long as their proposal was recently signed by
(00:23):
Governor JB. Pritzker. Senator Hastings of Frankfort Set in part
through the Cook County Sheriff's experience running the Missing Women's Project,
we were able to streamline some critical policies for law enforcement.
I am proud to pass a bill that will give
families peace. Senate Bill twenty four eliminates any law enforcement
policy requiring the observance of a waiting period before accepting
a missing person's report. The bill also requires information from
(00:46):
a missing person's report to be immediately entered into the
law enforcement agency's data system upon receipt of a report.
Under the measure, law enforcement agencies must adopt a strategy
regarding missing persons investigations, reporting and follow up action. If
a person remains missing for sixty days, law enforcement agencies
are required to obtain and enter their photographs, fingerprint records,
(01:06):
and dental or skeletal radiographs, and biological samples into the
National Missing and Unidentified Person's System. The bill requires law
enforcement to keep missing persons cases under active investigation until
the person is located and returned, or law enforcement cannot
close a case due to exhaustion of leads. Senator Hastings
worked on the legislation with the Cook County Sheriff's Office,
which runs the Missing Women's Project to assist in locating
(01:29):
women who have been missing for at least three years.
Investigations on all of these cases are aided by the
use of different databases, particularly the National Missing and Unidentified
Person's System. Current law only requires law enforcement agencies to
review and utilize criminal databases to find a missing or
unidentified person. However, if someone has not gone through the
criminal justice system, then they would not be identified in
(01:50):
these databases. Senator Hastings measure will close the gap in
current law where law enforcement is not required to use
other databases that could be helpful in locating missing persons,
like the National Missing and unidentified person's system. Senate Bill
twenty four takes effect January first. A new law champion
by State Senator Karnavia of West Chicago, addresses the discriminatory
(02:11):
disciplinary practice of ticketing in schools. Our schools, since Senator Via,
should be places of learning and growth, not entry points
into the justice system. When we treat student behavior with
fines and tickets, we fail to address the real issues
and risk derailing a young person's future. This law is
a critical step in replacing punitive discipline with supportive solutions
that help students thrive. In twenty fifteen, the General Assembly
(02:34):
passed a law ending the ability of schools to issue
monetary fines to students for disciplinary infractions at school. However,
students and schools across the state continued to be fined
due to the practice of students being referred to law
enforcement for school related behavior. Senator Via led Senate Bill
fifteen nineteen to address this issue following an investigation that
revealed that black and Latino students were ticketed at disproportionate rates.
(02:56):
Between twenty nineteen and twenty twenty one, eleven nine hundred
five tickets were issued with fines as high as seven
hundred and fifty dollars. The new law ensures that no
person is allowed to issue a fine or fee to
a student as a disciplinary consequence for behavior during school.
The law also requires school districts with a school resource
officer to have a memorandum of understanding with their local
law enforcement agency establishing that SROs are properly trained and
(03:19):
do not use fines or tickets for disciplinary infractions. Senator
Via continues school ticketing practices disproportionately target black and Latino
students from working class families, imposing financial burdens that many
simply cannot afford. Banning this practice addresses the educational disparities
faced by students of color and builds the fair and
supportive learning environment they deserve. A new law, spear headed
(03:41):
by State Senator around Villi vlam will equip families and
legal guardians with information about services their child may need
by increasing opportunities to inform parents about the early Intervention program.
Senator Villi Vlama of Chicago said, in part, for many parents,
not knowing what care your child might need can feel overwhelming,
especially while in the nick YU. Through the law, we
are ensuring hospital staff provide important information about programs such
(04:03):
as Early Intervention that can bolster parents access to services.
The Early Intervention Program, administered through the Illinois Department of
Human Services, helps children with disabilities or developmental delays up
to age three to learn and grow. Services offered include
evaluations in movement, learning, behavior, and more. Senator BILLI. Lom's
law requires hospitals to provide written information on the Early
(04:24):
Intervention Program to any parent or legal guardian whose child
is admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. It also
requires a hospital staff member to initiate a referral to
the Early Intervention program prior to discharging the child from
the hospital. Currently, IDHs operates a public awareness program focused
on early identification of eligible infants and toddlers. The new
law expands the scope of that program to include infants
(04:46):
who automatically qualify for Early Intervention services, including those born
weighing less than one thousand grams. To address workforce gaps
in the behavioral healthcare workforce across the state, State Senator
Rachel Ventura worked alongside State Representative Nobili Said on House
Bill thirty four eighty seven, which was recently signed into law.
Senator Ventura of Joliet said, our state's rural areas continue
(05:08):
to suffer due to a lack of mental health professionals.
Accurate and recent data can greatly assist in addressing the
behavioral healthcare workforce needs we have in this state. When
we know the totality of the situation, we can come
up with better solutions, such as grants or improved training
programs to help this essential field. House Bill thirty four
eighty seven requires the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional
Regulation to request voluntary demographic and employment data, including primary language,
(05:33):
anticipated retirement year, and zip code, when individuals apply for
or renew behavioral health licenses. The goal is to generate
more accurate data to better understand and address service gaps
across Illinois. The shortage of social workers, counselors, therapists, and
other caregivers that Illinois's mental health community has had to
make up for, and Illinois mental health patients have had
(05:53):
to live with demands a strong response, said representative said.
Without data, we can't make forward progress, and currently there
are simply no enough information on behavioral health practitioners to
accurately craft new approaches. I'm proud to join my colleagues
in the Senate to work to correct that and ensure
Ellinoians get the care that they need. I'll Spill thirty
four to eighty seven was recently signed into law and
sook effect immediately. For more on the storays you just
(06:19):
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, estadodella Stado 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,
(06:40):
Apple Podcasts, and doorra and more. From the Springfield Office
of Senate to President Don Harmon, I'm Colby Huff
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