Below is a list of bills that I have worked on during the 96th General Assembly.
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Business

• Low-Profit Limited Liability Corporations (SB239) – This bill creates a new LLC structure for businesses with a charitable or education purpose. This would open up the ability for these “L3C’s” to get start up capital for businesses that have a social good, for example a factory that employs ex-felons or the homeless or a community newspaper.

Education

• School Intervention Task Force (SB2119) – The Innovation, Intervention, and Restructuring Task Force will developing strategies to allow for the innovation, intervention, and restructuring of schools, including chronically low-performing schools that need comprehensive or focused intervention.
• Longitudinal Data System (SB1828) – This bill creates a longitudinal data system, tracking performance from early learning to higher education. This could be used to track student transfer, articulation, and performance. Gaps currently exist that lose track of students who move between schools or move on to higher education.

Environment

• Food Waste Composting (SB 99)- This legislation eases the state’s restrictions on food waste composting, which will reduce our waste stream, cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, and provide an organic soil amendment for Illinois’ farms and gardens.
• Lead Sinker Education Program (SB 1269) – This bill creates a state education program to encourage the use of alternatives to lead fishing products, which can cause the death of wildlife and endanger human health.
• Electric Bicycles (SB 236) – This legislation will end the need for a title and registration for electric bicycles, in order to end conflicting laws and encourage their usage.
• Green Capital Construction (SJR 36) – This resolution urges the consideration of environmental issues in the capital construction bill to create green jobs and make our infrastructure more sustainable.
• Natural Lawn Care (SB1769) – This bill will create new notice provisions when a school or day care sprays pesticides on areas where children will be present.

Ethics

• Senate Rules Reform – With a  coalition of other senators, including our senate president, we change dthe rules that run the Illinois Senate to make the body more democratic.
• Campaign Contribution Limits (SB 1768) – This bill would set a limit on individual campaign contributions to $2,300 and limits corporations and union contributions to $5,000, in order to promote accountability and reduce corruption in Illinois.

Health Care

• Stroke Care Working Group (SB 1516) – Allows stroke patients to be taken to emergency centers that specialize in stroke care immediately, rather than the nearest emergency centers
• COPD Staff and Funding (SB 97, 98) – These bills require the Department of Public Health to have a person on staff to handle issues with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and creates more funding to combat it.

Human Rights

• Gender Change Records (SB 1354) – This legislation allows a change in the gender ID for transgendered individuals that have had operations outside the United States.
• Domestic Partner Pension Benefits (SB 245) – Allows any domestic partner to receive pension benefits in case of the death of their partner.
• Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act (SB1770)- This legislation offers additional protections to victims of domestic violence to allow them to take unpaid leave to seek things like medical help or legal assistance for sexual or domestic violence incidences.

Public Safety

• Youth Firearm Restrictions (SB 31) – This legislation will keep guns out of the hands of youth with a history of violence where parents have not limited their access to firearms.
• Pedestrian Safety (SB 30) – This legislation will require vehicles to stop at crosswalks rather than simply yield.