Happy New Year! As we begin 2024, there are a number of new laws taking affect. Those new laws include one from House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, which prevents fentanyl exposure, a deadly opioid that has created an epidemic not just in Illinois but across the nation. McCombie’s new law is one of a number of successful initiatives that were led by House Republican members this year:
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Awareness
Public Act 103-119, House Bill 1156
Increases awareness of a free service by requiring long-term care facilities to post prominently on their website information about the free Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
Admissibility of Medical Records in Juvenile Court Hearings
Public Act 103-124, House Bill 1434
Changes the Juvenile Court Act to allow the admissibility of certified hospital or public or private agency records in adjudicatory hearings on abused, neglected, or dependent minors.
Waiving Residency Requirement for Law Enforcement Exams
Public Act 103-287, House Bill 1767
Amends the State Universities Civil Service Act and provides that in examinations for law enforcement personnel, the Illinois residence requirement shall be waived.
Mortgage Marketing Consumer Protection
Public Act 103-292, HB2094
Aims to protect homeowners from being tricked into unnecessary mortgage refinancing through misleading mail advertisements from mortgage companies not affiliated with the homeowner’s home lender. The law focuses on protecting new and elderly homeowners who are new to the home buying process and more susceptible to deceptive mortgage marketing tactics.
United States Navy Submarine Veterans Plates
Public Act 103-130, House Bill 1581
Adds a classification of specialty plates for United States Navy Submarine Veterans and allows the Secretary of State to issue these license plates to veterans who served in the U.S. Navy as submariners.
Helping Victims of Human Trafficking
Public Act 103-35, House Bill 2418Creates a pathway to expunge criminal records for victims of human trafficking as they seek to recover from the trauma they have experienced; human trafficking victims are often forced to participate in unlawful activity by their traffickers.
Removes Duplicate Motorcycle Testing
Public Act 103-162, House Bill 2582
Removes a duplicate test for motorcycle license applicants under the age of 18. The duplicate tests were identical and both incurred a fee for applicants, thus saving young motorcycle drivers both time and money.
Lyme Disease Research Decals
Public Act 103-0163, House Bill 2584
Allows DNR to issue Lyme disease research decals. The proceeds will go into the Tick Research, Education and Evaluation Fund to be paid as grants to the Illinois Lyme Association for the purpose of fighting Lyme disease in Illinois.
Protecting Abused Children from More Trauma
Public Act 103-164, House Bill 2607
Ensures kids testifying in abuse cases will not have to confront their abusers in open court
Establishes a rebuttable presumption that the testimony of a child victim under 13 years of age shall testify outside the courtroom and the child’s testimony shall be shown in the courtroom by means of a closed-circuit television.
Proton Beam Therapy for Cancer Treatment
Public Act 103-325, House Bill 2799
Requires health insurers to provide coverage for medically necessary Proton Beam therapy for the treatment of cancer.
Insulin Provision for Assisted Living Establishment Removed
Public Act 103-444, House Bill 3172
Removes a provision prohibiting a person from being accepted for residency to an assisted living establishment if the person requires sliding scale insulin administration unless self-performed or administered by a licensed health care professional.
Home Saliva Cancer Screening Coverage
Public Act 103-445, House Bill 3202
Provides coverage for medically necessary at-home saliva cancer screenings every two years for patients who are either asymptomatic, are at high risk for cancer, or are demonstrating symptoms of cancer.
Preventing Fentanyl Exposure
Public Act 103-336, House Bill 3203
Allows pharmacists and retail stores to sell potentially life-saving fentanyl test strips over the counter. Also allows a county health department to distribute fentanyl test strips at the county health department facility free of charge.
Law Enforcement Medal of Honor Committee
Public Act 103-189, HB3405
Honors police and firefighters for their bravery and service. This law reorganizes the committee that awards the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor and changes how members are chosen and how long they serve.
Support and Scholarships for Electrical Line Workers
Public Act 103-349, House Bill 3436
Allows the issuance of the Thank a Line Worker license plate decal by the Illinois Department of Education. Creates the Thank a Line Worker Scholarship Fund through the purchase of the decals, which shall be paid as grants in support of scholarship for students studying electrical distribution at an Illinois college or university.
Helps Parents Obtain Health Records for their Developmentally Disabled Children
Public Act 103-474, Senate Bill 188
Closes loopholes in the law to ensure that parents of developmentally disabled children can have access to health records without needing to take time off work to get a court order.
Extends the Care of Memorial Markers Along Illinois Highways
Public Act 103-82, Senate Bill 1212
Provides that a DUI memorial marker and a fatal crash memorial marker shall be maintained for four years instead of only two years currently. This would be from the date the last person was memorialized on the marker.
Housing of Homeless Veterans
Public Act 103-0086, Senate Bill 1376
When considering factors for referring a homeless family with school age children to a shelter, the referring agency must now also consider the military status of any member of the family to determine their eligibility for state or federal benefits and other supportive services for homeless veterans and their families.
HOA Partnering with Townships for Road Repair
Public Act 103-486, Senate Bill 1460
Allows Homeowners Associations to contract with their townships to receive discounted rates on materials and services related to repairing and maintaining roadways.
Rural Education Advisory Council
Public Act 103-497, Senate Bill 1787
Creates the Rural Education Advisory Council. This council will work to serve rural schools and discuss the needs, challenges, opportunities, and functions of the rural districts, and report back to the State with recommendations.
Dispensing of Medication at a Pharmacy
Public Act 103-240, Senate Bill 1889
Provides that when a pharmacist is not present, a registered pharmacy technician, a registered certified pharmacy technician, a student pharmacist, and other supportive staff shall dispense prescriptions that have received final verification by a pharmacist.