CHICAGO — A bipartisan effort led by state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D- Glenview, that will help parents better protect their children online was signed into law by Gov. Pritzker earlier today.

“For far too long we’ve let Big Tech go unchecked, and our children have been paying the price,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “This legislation tells social media platforms to help fix an epidemic that they caused by designing addictive algorithms and putting revenue over the mental health and wellbeing of our kids.”

House Bill 5511 creates the Children's Online Social Media Safety Act, which will enable parents to manage the types of content their children can consume online, standardizing and improving on many existing private-market parental controls.

The bill requires device-makers to supply a setting where parents can input their child’s age while setting up a new device. When new software is installed or a new website is visited, the child’s device will supply their age range to automatically trigger a number of settings, unless a parent authorizes otherwise. These settings include:

• Prohibiting social media companies from using addictive algorithms to power social media feeds.
• Preventing notifications from social media apps between 10pm and 7am.
• Requiring apps to obtain parental consent for in-app purchases or any transaction between children and third-parties.
• Requiring companies to apply default privacy settings based on a user’s age to protect the user’s location data and profile information.

Gong-Gershowitz also served as a co-sponsor on Senate Bill 2427, which places new restrictions on the use of personal cell phones in schools, and as chair of the House Democratic AI Working Group, continues to lead discussions on how to protect consumers from the harmful effects of new technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

“The research is clear; unbridled social media access and the ever-evolving nature of the digital age has caused harm to our children’s social lives, self-esteem and their work-product in the classroom,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “These common sense measures are about empowering parents to do right by their kids and ensuring that they can grow, develop and mature in safe spaces that aren’t online.”

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CHICAGO – State Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Carpentersville, has been selected to join the Women’s Legislative Network Executive Board of NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures) as an At-Large member for her dedication to public service.

“It’s an honor to receive this appointment and I look forward to joining the Women’s Legislative Network Executive Board as an At-Large member. This grants a greater opportunity to closely engage with women across the country on shared policy goals and values, while continuing to positively influence participation, empowerment and leadership of women legislators—and those who will follow in our footsteps,” said Ness. “Inclusion is integral to good policy. Thank you to

NCSL and the nominating board for this recognition, which I will use to advance participation and accessibility for women here and nationwide.” Ness’ appointment to the Women’s Legislative Network Executive Board was announced late last week prior to NCSL’s annual convention in Chicago. Ness was formally elected at the network’s board meeting Tuesday.

For more information, please contact info@repsnessil66.com.

OTTAWA, Ill. – State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, is better protecting service animals in schools and the students who rely on them with a new law requiring teachers receive service animal training as part of their annual training.

“Service animals aren’t pets, they are essential medical equipment that can mean the difference between life and death for their users,” said Briel. “Bullying and harassment have no place in our schools in general, and that’s especially true when that harassment puts students’ medical equipment in harm’s way.”

Senate Bill 2761 will require annual training regarding protection and accommodations for students who rely on service animals in classrooms, in addition to what is already included in required educator training. The bill is in response to growing concerns of students’ service animals being taunted and disturbed in school settings, interfering with their role of caring for their student handler.

“The more teachers and instructional staff know about the critical role service animals play, the better they’ll be able to support the students who rely on them for success in the classroom,” said Briel. “This measure ensures that students across Illinois will be able to bring their service animals to school without fear of causing their animals mental or physical distress.”

The measure passed both chambers with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Pritzker on July 24.

For more information, please email contact@staterepbriel.com.

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.— State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, released the following statement in response to Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser’s dangerous, threatening comment.

“Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser commented that a former US public health official ‘should receive a public hanging.’

“This rhetoric is harmful and disgusting. Political violence is always wrong, and we should all be able to denounce political violence no matter our party affiliation. The recent rise in political violence has taken lives on both sides of the aisle; we should work to end this dangerous cycle, not fuel the fire.

“From county board members to the President, elected officials should not resort to threats of violence just because they disagree with or dislike someone.

“I am calling for Chairman Slusser to retract this comment and publicly apologize for his appalling choice of words as a public official.

“No matter our political party, we can all agree that violence and hatred of this kind is always uncalled for, unacceptable, and unbecoming of a public official.”

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​BLOOMINGTON, Ill. –  State Rep. Chung, D-Bloomington, championed a new law requiring more clarity when downcoding insurance claims. This clarity will allow local providers to stay in practice and protect patients from care coverage reductions.

“This issue was actually brought to me by a constituent, a local specialist. He shared how inadequate insurance coverage and coding could potentially price providers— especially the essential local providers that keep our community health— out of their practice,” said Chung.

Senate Bill 3114 creates new guidelines on insurance downcoding for both practitioners and patients. The law will ensure claim reviews are done manually, not by a computer algorithm or artificial intelligence, to ensure every facet of a patient’s case is taken into account.

If a claim is downcoded, the insurance company will inform physicians of the downcode and the clinical explanation. Insurance companies must also establish a clear process to dispute a downcoded claim.

“Technology is essential in health care, but not in the process of evaluating an insurance claim,” said Chung. “Requiring real people, not computer software, will ensure each patient is not just a claim number on a screen, but a valuable human life. Alternatively, a human reviewer can keep in mind the providers’ work in their specialization and their patient care.”

Senate Bill 3114 was signed into law earlier this month and is effective January 1, 2028.

SPRINGFIELD – State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, is highlighting the importance of legislation she chief co-sponsored that would expand access to medically-prescribed seizure detection devices, helping improve safety and peace of mind for individuals living with seizure disorders and their families.

“Access to lifesaving medical technology should never depend on a person’s ability to pay,” Lilly said. “This legislation ensures that individuals living with seizure disorders can access the devices their doctors recommend, giving them the opportunity to live with greater safety, independence, and peace of mind.”

Senate Bill 2762 would require individual and group health insurance plans issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2027, to provide coverage for medically-prescribed seizure detection devices approved for use by individuals. The legislation also ensures that patients and their medical providers can choose the device that best meets the individual’s medical needs while prohibiting prior authorization requirements and cost-sharing for covered devices. The measure would also extend the coverage requirement to state employee, local government, school and Medicaid health plans.

“Families managing seizure disorders already face enough uncertainty without worrying about whether essential medical equipment will be covered,” Lilly said. “By removing unnecessary barriers to care, we can help improve health outcomes, support caregivers and give families greater peace of mind.”

Senate Bill 2762 passed both the Illinois House and Senate and now awaits action by Gov. JB Pritzker.

CHICAGO —  Seniors will be better protected from potential financial exploitation under a new bipartisan measure led by state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview.

“Financial scammers can quickly wipe out the savings that Illinois residents have worked their entire lives to build up,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “This legislation empowers law enforcement and the judiciary to quickly intervene in potential cases of financial exploitation, protecting seniors and their assets from bad actors looking to take advantage of them.”

House Bill 4649 allows courts to issue temporary restraining orders against the potential scammers, restrict contact between the scammer and the victim, and freeze financial assets or lines of credit. Necessary living expenses would remain available even with a freeze in place.

The legislation expands upon current provisions that allow for the Attorney General, Department of Aging or provider agencies to petition courts to freeze financial assets in suspected cases of exploitation.

“In cases of potential financial exploitation, speed is pivotal in limiting potential damages, Gong-Gershowitz said. “By empowering good faith actors to protect friends, family and loved ones who they believe may be victims of exploitation, we’re able to better protect people’s financial assets and ensure they have the means to support themselves long after they retire.”

The measure passed both chambers of the General Assembly unanimously, and was signed into law earlier today.

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – As part of efforts to address regional flooding challenges for at-risk communities, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, and state Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, have secured $3 million in state funds to support Southern Illinois University’s (SIU) Office of Community Engagement as it develops a regional plan to identify and prioritize relevant infrastructure projects.

“Handling area flooding issues will require a unified effort with leaders on the state, local and federal level,” Hoffman said. “SIU’s work will strengthen our approach, enabling us to maximize resources and develop a regional framework that prioritizes projects based on feasibility, measurable outcomes and regional impact for residents.”

“The Metro East has a unique geographic setup that leaves us vulnerable to dangerous flooding,” Belt said. “Just in the last few years we have had to endure some of the worst flooding in the entire state. In July 2022 and July 2024, the Metro East was hit with devastating floods that damaged thousands of homes, businesses and vehicles. Thanks to this new funding, we are combining our efforts, resources and knowledge with Southern Illinois University in order to protect our neighborhoods.”

Hoffman and Belt helped secure a $3 million appropriation in this year’s state budget to support SIU’s regional plan to address flooding challenges in the American Bottom – a flood plain of the Mississippi River that affects communities including Brooklyn, Cahokia Heights, Caseyville, East St. Louis, Fairmont City, Granite City, Madison, Pontoon Beach, Venice and Washington Park.

SIU’s Office of Community Engagement will work with federal agencies, congressional offices and local stakeholders to review and merge existing, fragmented ideas into a master regional plan. Solutions to increasing stormwater storage capacity will be a focus, aiming to alleviate neighborhood flooding concerns and improve residents’ quality of life.

For more information, please contact RepJayHoffman@gmail.com.

SPRINGFIELD – State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, is highlighting the importance of legislation she sponsored that would expand education for health care professionals on perimenopause and menopause, helping improve care for women during often overlooked stages of life.

“Women deserve to have their health concerns taken seriously at every stage of life,” Lilly said. “By increasing awareness and understanding of perimenopause and menopause among health care professionals, we can help ensure women receive informed, compassionate care and have their experiences recognized.”

Senate Bill 3325 would allow a course covering perimenopause and menopause to count toward the implicit bias awareness training requirement that licensed health care professionals with continuing education obligations must complete during each license renewal period beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The legislation also defines perimenopause and menopause in Illinois law, helping ensure providers receive education on the physical and medical changes associated with these stages of life.

“Too many women face challenges finding answers and support when navigating perimenopause and menopause,” Lilly said. “This legislation helps close that gap by giving health care professionals additional tools to better understand their patients’ needs and provide the quality care every woman deserves.”

Senate Bill 3325 passed both the Illinois House and Senate and now awaits action by Gov. JB Pritzker.

MONTGOMERY, Ill. – Legislation regulating student use of wireless communication devices (namely, cell phones) during school hours, co-sponsored by state Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker.

“Illinois is one of only eight states without a statewide cell phone ban, and teachers have continuously reported issues with student distraction and disengagement,” said Hanson. “This legislation brings our state up to speed with the rest of the country, ensuring educational time remains educational. Our focus is on developing student involvement, critical thinking skills and peer-to-peer collaboration.”

Senate Bill 2427 requires Illinois school boards to establish a policy regulating the use of wireless communication devices during instructional time. This does not include passing periods, lunch or recess. The bill defines a wireless communication device as a smart phone, personal computer, personal tablet, gaming device or a smartwatch. There are exceptions that can be made as well, especially when it comes to the health and wellbeing of students. Otherwise, instructional time in class must be free of wireless communication devices.

Teachers have cited the use of cell phones and other devices as major distractions during class, but concerns were also raised regarding safety. In the event of a crisis, students need to pay close attention to their teachers, not to their phones, which have the potential to unnecessarily escalate the situation.

“The goal of this new law is not to punish students for having phones; we know that smart devices are a part of daily life for many. Instead, we want to shift the focus from screens and social media, toward education and engagement in the classroom, while still prioritizing the health and safety of young students,” Hanson said.

Senate Bill 2427 was signed into law this morning. Wireless communication device policies will need to be in place by the 2027-2028 school year.