SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Yolonda Morris, D-Chicago, advanced legislation to the governor’s desk that would protect Illinois patients from losing their homes because of unpaid medical debt.

“No one should fear losing their home because they needed medical care,” Morris said. “Healthcare is a necessity, and families already struggling with medical bills should not face the added threat of losing the place they call home. A medical emergency can happen to anyone, and Illinois residents deserve the peace of mind of focusing on recovery without the risk of losing their homes.” 

Morris-backed House Bill 4461 would prohibit hospitals from placing liens on a patient’s primary residence while seeking repayment of medical debt, addressing concerns about aggressive collection practices that have included liens on homes for debts as low as $2,000. The legislation also responds to a broader crisis in which medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the United States, with nearly half of adults reporting difficulty affording healthcare costs, according to the National Library of Medicine.

House Bill 4461 passed both chambers and now awaits action from Gov. JB Pritzker. 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In an effort to improve access to healthcare, expand education, and bring greater clarity to workplace protections for individuals experiencing menopause, state Rep. Yolonda Morris, D-Chicago, successfully advanced legislation out of the House, praising its passage as a meaningful step toward addressing a long-overlooked area of women’s health.

“Menopause has not always been treated with the level of attention or understanding it deserves in our healthcare and workplace systems,” Morris said. “Too many individuals are navigating symptoms like sleep disruption, memory changes, and bone health concerns without clear guidance, support, or consistent access to care.”

Menopause affects nearly all women, with approximately 80% experiencing symptoms that can significantly impact overall health, well-being, and workplace performance. Despite its widespread impact, gaps in education, insurance coverage, and workplace understanding have contributed to inconsistent support for those experiencing symptoms.

To address this, Morris is leading the effort behind House Bill 5284, the Menopause Equity and Care Act, which takes a comprehensive and practical approach to these challenges. The legislation provides accessible public educational materials to help individuals better understand menopause and available care options, ensures insurance coverage for medically necessary treatment based on established clinical guidelines, and offers optional resources for healthcare providers to support informed, evidence-based care. It also recognizes menopause-related conditions within the framework of the Illinois Human Rights Act, allowing for reasonable workplace accommodations where appropriate.

“This is about making sure people are not left to navigate this stage of life without information or support,” Morris said. “By improving education, strengthening access to care, and clarifying workplace protections, we can help individuals stay healthy and fully participate in the workforce without unnecessary barriers.”

Supporters of the legislation note that menopause is not only a healthcare issue, but also an economic and workforce issue, affecting productivity, retention, and quality of life for a significant portion of the population.

House Bill 5284 now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Representative Yolonda Morris, D-Chicago, is celebrating a key step forward in advancing preventive health care after her legislation to expand access to life-saving heart screenings passed out of committee.

“This is a meaningful step toward ensuring every Illinois family has access to the care they need,” Morris said. “Passing this bill in committee brings us one step closer to making sure people can access the life-saving screenings without worrying about whether they can afford them.”

House Bill 4207 aims to strengthen early detection of heart disease by ensuring that health insurance plans cover medically necessary coronary calcium scans and scoring every 36 months for individuals aged 40 and older.

Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death in Illinois and across the country. Coronary calcium scans are a critical tool for identifying early signs of heart disease, allowing patients and physicians to take preventive action before serious complications arise.

This legislation underscores Rep. Morris’s ongoing commitment to improving health outcomes, reducing disparities in care, and ensuring Illinois residents have access to essential medical services.

“Preventive care should be accessible to everyone, not just those of a certain socioeconomic background,” Morris said. “This legislation is about catching problems early and saving lives. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this measure because when we invest in early detection, we invest in healthier communities and a stronger future for our state.”

The legislation now advances to the House for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Representative Yolonda Morris, D-Chicago, will host a press conference on Wednesday, March 18, at 1:30 p.m. in the Illinois State Capitol Blue Room and virtually at blueroomstream.com to introduce legislation aimed at expanding access to life-saving heart screenings and strengthening preventive care across Illinois.

“Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in Illinois,” Morris said. “No one should miss an important diagnosis simply because they can’t afford screenings—especially when insurance coverage could help prevent serious, life-threatening conditions.”

Morris is introducing House Bill 4207, which would require health insurance plans to cover medically necessary coronary calcium scans and scoring every 36 months for individuals aged 40 and older.

The press conference will highlight the importance of preventive care and outline how House Bill 4207 would improve access to essential screenings and help reduce the impact of heart disease statewide.

WHO: State Rep. Yolonda Morris
WHAT: Press conference to introduce House Bill 4207
WHEN: Wednesday, March 18, 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Illinois State Capitol Blue Room

Virtual: blueroomstream.com

CHICAGO – State Rep. Yolonda Morris (D-Chicago) is introducing legislation to boost accountability in the Department of Human Services and enhance protections for employees against abuse.

“We want our employees to feel safe and respected in the workplace,” Morris said. “To ensure this, we cannot tolerate any form of abuse. Most importantly, when an employee reports misconduct, they must have confidence that no one can interfere with the process without facing serious consequences.”

Morris is introducing House Bill 4643, which clarifies what counts as obstructing an investigation. Under the bill, employees who fail to report abuse, hide evidence, provide false information, or interfere with investigations would be committing serious misconduct. It also expands the types of misconduct covered, including failing to report abuse quickly or obstructing a colleague’s investigation, and updates rules around false reporting. These changes give the Office of the Inspector General stronger tools to investigate abuse and protect victims.

“In order to achieve our mission of protecting vulnerable populations, we must ensure that this commitment extends to the workplace and that all state agencies uphold the values of our state,” Morris said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this legislation.”

CHICAGO – To strengthen preventive care and protect heart health, state Rep. Yolonda Morris, D-Chicago, is introducing legislation to expand access to essential screenings.

“Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in Illinois,” Morris said. “No one should miss an important diagnosis simply because they can’t afford screenings, especially when insurance coverage could help prevent serious, life-threatening problems.”

Morris is introducing House Bill 4207, which would ensure health insurance covers medically necessary coronary calcium scans and scoring every 36 months for people aged 40 and older. These screenings are vital for detecting early signs of heart disease, giving individuals and doctors a crucial head start in preventing serious heart problems.

“Everyone deserves the chance to live a healthy life,” Morris said. “This legislation ensures that people and their doctors have the tools to identify health problems early, before it’s too late.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Yolonda Morris issued the following statement after two U.S. Citizens were killed by federal agents in Minnesota:

“Renee Good and Alex Pretti — two lives lost in Minnesota at the hands of federal agents using unnecessary force are a heartbreaking reminder that communities across this country remain unsafe when we have a leader in Washington who is willing to risk the lives of American citizens to prioritize his own agenda. We saw it in 2020, and now we are seeing it again, nearly six years later.

“We will stand together and not just sit back and watch this happen here in Illinois. We knew the actions of the Trump administration would only escalate, and that’s why we passed House Bill 1312: to protect families from preventable violence, strengthen civil rights during immigration enforcement, create safe zones around schools, hospitals, and courthouses, and hold law enforcement accountable so no one else has to die simply for living their lives and serving others.”

CHICAGO – Buses and trains will be safer, more reliable, and more efficiently managed under a major transit reform package law passed by state Rep. Yolonda Morris, D-Chicago.

“Our transit system is crucial to our city’s function,” Morris said. “I’m thrilled that we have put provisions in place to make sure that the people in our community using these options for travel will feel safe and assured about getting to their destinations on time.”

Across our state, public transit takes people to work, takes people home, and connects people, businesses, and communities more than 400 million times every year. But that system has faced major challenges; fragmented governance, uneven investment, and post-COVID ridership losses have left transit struggling with unreliable service, delayed trains, canceled routes, and a looming fiscal cliff that’s threatening to derail it all.

Morris worked to save and improve transit by passing Senate Bill 2111, a transformational package of reforms that brings Pace, CTA, and Metra together into one modern, efficient system. The new Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) is a major step toward a transit system that gets people where they need to go affordably, protects taxpayers, and offers a better experience for riders and workers.

Morris’s reforms mean:

• More efficient administration: NITA will operate with new internal and independent auditors to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in transit. It will be required to maintain a reserve fund to prevent future bailouts.
• Reliable, modern service: NITA will bring uniformity to fares and schedules to better meet the needs of riders—whether on buses or trains, whether in the city or the suburbs.
• A safer experience for riders and workers: A multijurisdictional law enforcement team will step up enforcement right away. NITA will deploy ambassadors across the system to assist people experiencing mental health crises. And a permanent office of safety will lead long-term planning to keep riders and workers safe.

Senate Bill 2111 was signed into law Tuesday.

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CHICAGO – State Rep. Yolonda Morris, D-Chicago, supported legislation to make transportation systems across Illinois more accessible and coordinated, a move that will assist riders, improve infrastructure for the community and boost the economy.

“What we’ve done is so important because millions of people rely on public transportation to go to work, run errands and travel to places in general,” said Morris. “A stable, reliable and well run transportation system is the backbone of a community like this one in Chicago, where people use public transportation for so much of their travel.”

Senate Bill 2111 is an overhaul of the existing laws and structuring of Illinois’ public transit. This legislation creates the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA), which will replace the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and put the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace all under one system and set fares to be determined regionally. NITA will also coordinate transfer policies for travelers moving from one line to the next, and implement an app that can be shared across systems.

The funding of the transit system’s overhaul comes with no additional taxes on the public services that Illinoisans use everyday.

Morris also supports efforts to make public transit safer. The transit package includes the Transit Ambassadors program, made to aid passengers who may need assistance while traveling. The bill also created the Office of Travel and Safety Experience, which will work to ensure travelers and transit stations remain safe.

The emphasis on safety comes in response to recent tragic incidents, such as the attack on a passenger aboard a Chicago L train, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced protective measures.

“We cannot tolerate violence on our public transit,” Morris said. “This package not only makes traveling easier and more convenient, it also ensures the safety of everyone who relies on these systems. These reforms reflect our commitment to protecting communities while modernizing transportation for generations to come.”

CHICAGO — State Rep. Yolonda Morris, D-Chicago, backed a bill that aims to relieve high mental health services costs by increasing coverage for behavioral health and substance abuse treatment for patients who receive treatment labeled as out-of-network.

“Coming from a background in healthcare, I know the importance of patients being able to focus on their mental health recovery, or health in general, without having to worry about coverage details changing,” Morris said. “You shouldn’t have to pay more out of pocket just because of the location you visited or the service you received.”

House Bill 1085 seeks to narrow the gap between how often behavioral healthcare visits that are out of network are reimbursed, in order to put mental health care on the same footing as physical health care. 

The bill also sets a new minimum reimbursement rate for in-network mental health and substance abuse treatment. This will encourage more providers to join insurance networks here in Illinois to expand services to the most underserved areas. Additionally, all medically necessary, hour long psychotherapy sessions and services by behavioral health trainees will be covered.

“Mental health services and substance abuse treatment are as viable as any other treatments you can receive at a healthcare facility,” Morris said. “We’re making sure that insurance coverage can start to reflect that.”