CHICAGO — After the federal administration announced a freeze of federal funding for child care programs in several Democrat-led states, including Illinois, which would impact around 100,000 working families, State Senator Graciela Guzmán released the following statement:

“The child care system is under attack by the Trump administration, which is using unfounded claims of fraud to take actions that will make child care more expensive for families, make children less safe, and make it harder for child care centers to stay open. The administration is putting children, families, and providers at risk—destabilizing families, threatening the closure of small child care businesses, and damaging our broader economy, all while doing nothing to address the ongoing child care crisis. Our nation’s child care system is already too expensive and precarious, and Trump’s attacks will only worsen the challenges facing families.

SPRINGFIELD — As of Jan. 1, people requiring laser hair removal due to a medical condition will soon be able to get this procedure covered by their insurance plans due to a legislative measure led by State Senator Graciela Guzmán and State Representative Lilian Jiménez.  

“Everyone deserves to receive health care for medical conditions they are experiencing,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “For too long, people requiring laser hair removal for their health conditions were unable to receive this essential care. I am thrilled that with this new law, thousands of Illinoisans will be able to access the treatment they need to have the best quality of life possible.” 

To give more people the ability to seek medically necessary care, House Bill 3248 requires all state employee health plans and private insurance plans to cover medically necessary laser hair removal if the procedure is a prescribed medical treatment in accordance with generally accepted standards of medical care. People diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, a chronic inflammatory skin condition caused by blocked hair follicles, severe hormonal disorders that may lead to excess hair growth, and gender dysphoria will now be able to pursue this treatment plan at a lower personal cost and improve their quality of life. 

SPRINGFIELD — Thanks to legislation championed by State Senator Graciela Guzmán and State Representative Will Guzzardi, information about the lack of affordable housing options will soon be more easily accessible, promoting the development of more reasonably priced living options.  

“Thousands of renters in my district, including myself, struggle with the rising cost of living. Despite our testimony about these difficulties, we need more transparent data to back up our conversation about the housing affordability crisis in our state,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Under this law, we will have the information we need to form real policy solutions that will help alleviate the housing crisis in areas with the most need for homes working families can afford.” 

House Bill 3616 aims to illuminate the demand for affordable housing and the lack of housing inventory middle-income earners are facing. It requires IHDA to collect data on the inventory of affordable housing that is accessible to extremely low-income and middle-income households in each local government in Illinois. Every five years, IHDA is required to make this data available to the public and report the data to the General Assembly. From there, it can be used to influence policy to invest in more affordable housing options.

SPRINGFIELD — Thanks to a measure led by State Senator Graciela Guzmán and State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid, schools across the state will soon receive incentives to expand dual language programs in grade schools at no cost to their school districts.  

“Expanding dual language programs in our state sets our young people up for a more successful future,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Research shows these programs not only improve their future prospects, they also foster more cross-cultural curiosity. Adopting programs like those outlined in HB 3026 helps ensure learners in Illinois also grow up to be well-rounded, understanding individuals of those that are different from them.”  

House Bill 3026 implements several proposals put forth by the Illinois Advisory Council for Bilingual Education, including adopting statewide guidance for dual language instruction, developing a recruitment and retention platform to attract potential bilingual educators, and expanding the Seal of Biliteracy recognition pathways to enhance students’ future opportunities. In addition, the measure enhances equity by integrating dual language programming into the State Board of Education’s broader framework of student learning and directs the agency to develop teaching standards for dual language education.