NEWS

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Graciela Guzmán’s legislation to preserve contraceptive services or supplies for minors was signed into law Friday.

“Everyone deserves the freedom to make decisions about their own body, their own health, and their own future,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “No young person should lose access to contraception because politicians decided they know better than patients and their health care providers. Illinois is protecting the freedom to make deeply personal health care decisions and ensuring that access to contraception remains available for those who need it.”

The law ensures that minors can consent to contraceptive care without requiring permission from another person, protecting access to timely reproductive health care. 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.

SPRINGFIELD – Certified Nurse Assistants who care for Illinois seniors will now have stronger protections against wage theft under legislation from State Senator Graciela Guzmán, signed into law Friday after years of advocacy by SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana and CNA workers.

“CNAs do some of the hardest and most important work in our healthcare system,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “They care for our parents, grandparents and loved ones every single day. They deserve to be paid for every hour they work. I’m proud to stand alongside SEIU and the workers who fought for this reform to make sure employers can no longer shortchange the people providing care.”

The new law requires CNA wage increases and reimbursement calculations to include every hour worked, including both productive and nonproductive hours. Covered hours include paid sick leave, paid vacation, training time, bereavement leave, holidays and paid time off. Employers that fail to comply will be subject to penalties and fees.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Graciela Guzmán’s legislation to allow authorized electronic monitoring in assisted living and shared housing facilities was signed into law Friday.

“People in assisted living and shared housing deserve safety, dignity and the ability to make informed choices about their own care,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “When someone’s daily care is placed in the hands of others, residents and their families deserve peace of mind. This law gives residents another tool to protect themselves, document concerns and help ensure these facilities are free from abuse and neglect.”

House Bill 4517 allows residents in assisted living and shared housing facilities to use authorized electronic monitoring devices in their rooms. Under the law, an electronic monitoring device may include a fixed-position video camera or audio recording device installed in a resident’s room to record or broadcast activity or sounds occurring in that space.

Electronic monitoring can help residents and families identify, prevent and respond to abuse, neglect or mistreatment, whether from staff or others. The law is especially important for residents who may have difficulty reporting concerns on their own or whose families are seeking additional assurance about their care.

The measure also maintains important privacy protections for residents. Roommate consent is required, and residents living in the room may request that the device be turned off at any time.

“Safety and privacy should not be treated as competing values,” Guzmán said. “This law respects resident rights while making sure families have another way to keep their loved ones safe.”

House Bill 4517 has been signed into law and takes effect immediately.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Graciela Guzmán’s bill to protect those burdened by health care debt from having a lien placed on their home during a health care debt collection has been signed into law.

“No one should have to fear losing their home because they got sick,” said Guzmán. “For too long, hospitals have been allowed to use medical debt to threaten the stability of working families. Illinois should never allow that debt to become a tool for taking away someone’s home. Today we put an end to one of the most harmful debt collection practices in our state.”

The legislation was introduced after Representative Amy Briel heard from families whose lives were upended following OSF HealthCare’s acquisition of St. Margaret’s Hospital. Residents described increasingly aggressive debt collection tactics, including placing liens on homes over medical debts as small as $2,000.

Guzmán’s law will prohibit hospitals from placing liens on a person’s home during a health care debt collection action beginning Jan. 1, 2027. According to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Black and Hispanic adults, women, those with lower incomes, and the uninsured are the most likely to have health care debt. As of 2021, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services found that over 900,000 Illinoisans are uninsured.

“A home is more than an asset. It’s where children grow up, where families gather, and where people build their futures,” said Guzmán. “No corporation should be able to use a medical bill as leverage to put that stability at risk. This law draws a clear line: getting sick cannot become an excuse to take away someone’s housing security.”

House Bill 4461 has been signed into law and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2027.