Welcome to Senator Graciela Guzmán's legislative website

Guzmán fights to preserve contraceptive access alongside Planned Parenthood

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Graciela Guzmán is working with Planned Parenthood to preserve contraceptive services or supplies for minors through legislation that recently passed the Executive Committee.

“Contraceptive rights are under attack across this country,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Illinois needs to preserve and protect access to contraceptive care and keep reproductive choices in the hands of the individual.”

Senate Bill 3341 would provide that any minor may give effective consent for contraceptive services or supplies and the consent of no other person is required. According to KFF, several states require parental consent to obtain contraceptive care and many states do not guarantee the rights of minors to consent to contraceptive services.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education.

"In recent years, we have seen a concerted effort to stigmatize birth control use and spread misinformation,” said Marissa Jackson-Donnell, senior manager of legislative affairs at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action. “As these attacks on reproductive health care continue on the national level, Illinois must do more to protect the bodies, lives and futures of our youth. Illinois can protect the current level of access in our state by removing antiquated language and explicitly affirming that the right to consent to care includes the right to consent to contraception."

Senate Bill 3341 has passed the Executive Committee and heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

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Guzmán effort to accommodate sanitary options for women on jobsites passes Senate

CHICAGO – State Senator Graciela Guzmán’s bill, in partnership with Chicago Women in Trades to provide sanitary conditions, reasonable accommodations and menstrual products on job sites has passed the Senate.

“Women and anyone who menstruates have a right to care for their bodies in a dignified and sanitary way,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Whether in the office or on the job site, we need commonsense accommodations for those who menstruate and those who are lactating. This legislation uplifts women which in turn will support the trades and their hard work.”

Senate Bill 3465 would advance health, safety and economic participation for workers on Illinois construction sites — especially those who are menstruating or lactating. The bill is about safer, more humane workplaces and about ensuring our skilled Illinois workforce can participate fully in our state’s economy.

The measure would provide that if a woman or individual who menstruates is present on a worksite and there are 10 or more workers of any gender present, then a separate toilet facility shall be provided and designated for use by women and individuals who menstruate.

The bill would establish minimum sanitary conditions and require menstrual hygiene products to be available at no cost. It would further require employers to provide construction workers who are lactating with reasonable accommodations needed to express breast milk upon request and other reasonable accommodations. It also allows construction employees to call the certified local public health agency to request an inspection and prohibits retaliation by employers for such calls and provides for fees for violations of the proposal.

"For too long, the basic needs of tradeswomen and their families have been ignored by the industry,” said Cristina Barillas-McEntee, Journeyworker Plumber with Local 130 and Director of Tradeswomen Initiatives with Chicago Women in Trades. “Clean washrooms, menstrual products, and private space for nursing mothers are not special requests — they are what an inclusive worksite requires. This bill makes that the standard in Illinois.”

Senate Bill 3465 passed the Senate and heads to the House for further consideration.

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March Town Hall

Guzmán partners with lawmakers from across the country to resist federal overreach

SPRINGFIELD – In the face of federal attacks on civil liberties and communities in Chicago, State Senator Graciela Guzmán announced she would be co-chair of the Federal Response Coalition.

“When federal policies threaten people’s rights and safety, states don’t have to sit on the sidelines,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “In Illinois, we passed protections to keep immigration enforcement out of K-12 schools, hospitals, daycares, courts and higher education, as well as provided a private right of action for individuals affected, because families deserve to live without fear.”

The Federal Response Coalition is a new cross-state initiative bringing together nearly 100 state legislators from 34 states to coordinate responses to federal overreach. The coalition is a public-facing effort to strengthen visibility and solidarity, enabling legislators to act together to defend civil liberties, uphold the rule of law, and protect communities.

State Futures also announced the publication of its Federal Response Bill Tracker: a new, publicly available catalog of over 200 pieces of state-level legislation related to rule of law and immigration policy. Covering legislation from 31 states and updated periodically, the Federal Response Bill Tracker is the largest free database of its kind. It allows lawmakers, advocates, and members of the public to monitor developments in real time and supports the growing demand for cross-state collaboration. The Federal Response Bill Tracker is available now on State Future’s website.

“The Federal Response Coalition brings lawmakers together across states so we can link arms, share strategies, and defend our communities and our democracy — together,” said Guzmán.

Guzmán is committed to fighting for her community and protecting Illinois from federal overreach.

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