SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez’s legislation that would use Lottery revenue to fund grants STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) programs in low-income schools and Alzheimer’s care, support, education and awareness programs is now law.

“Studies show that almost all future jobs will relate in some way to the skills learned in STEAM programs,” Martinez said. “Children in low-income schools must not be left behind. This measure will help make sure all children in our state have equal access to education in these vital areas.”

The measure would require the Department of the Lottery to offer two special instant scratch-off games:

• one for the benefit of grants for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) to fund grants to low-income schools and;
• one for the benefit of grants for Alzheimer’s care, support, education and awareness programs.

Both games will run for only one year, from Jan. 1, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021.

Senate Bill 1669 is effective immediately.

SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) is continuing her work to ensure all qualified applicants are eligible for professional licenses, regardless of their citizenship status.

“If anyone in our state wants to contribute by working hard and paying taxes, they should not be denied because of where they were born,” Martinez said. “I am glad to continue the work we started last year by expanding the ability for immigrants to apply for professional licenses.”

Martinez passed a law last year ensuring that citizenship is not required for licenses issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional or State Board of Education. It also requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to allow an applicant to use a taxpayer identification number as an alternative to a Social Security number.

Her new law signed on Friday expands that requirement by stating that, unless otherwise provided by law, no department shall deny an occupational or professional license based solely on the applicant's citizenship status or immigration status.

The law also specifically modifies the Illinois Explosives Act, the Illinois Plumbing License Law, the Water Well and Pump Installation Contractor's License Act, the Illinois Horse Meat Act, the Liquor Control Act of 1934, the Safety Deposit License Act and the Coal Mining Act to ensure U.S. citizenship is not a prerequisite for licensure.

Senate Bill 1166 takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.

SPRINGFIELD — A new law sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) will overhaul the manner in which sexual assault investigations involving students are conducted.

Martinez passed the legislation out of the Senate this year as a bipartisan effort to address the issue of educator misconduct in classrooms across the state.

“The importance of protecting our children is an issue we can all agree on, no matter our political party,” Martinez said. “The report released last year was shocking, and I am thankful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming together to work on a solution. Students should be able to feel safe at school.”

Lawmakers began working on a solution after a Chicago Tribune article published late last year detailed a series of stories regarding children being harassed or abused during their time as students at Chicago Public Schools (CPS).

The law addresses a multitude of issues such as: changing how a student is interviewed after making a complaint, increasing the frequency with which school districts must check statewide databases, lessening the re-traumatization of a student victim and creating a taskforce to continue to review these policy changes.

Among other provisions, the law also:

• Requires school districts to review their existing policies and procedures concerning sexual abuse investigations every two years.
• Requires the school district as a condition of employment to consider the status of a person who has been issued a finding of child abuse or neglect.
• Provides for alternative hearing procedures if a student is under the age of 18.

Senate Bill 456 passed both the House and Senate without opposition and was signed by the governor. It takes effect immediately.

SPRINGFIELD — Legislation sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) addressing the growing concern of mental illness and suicide on college campuses became law today.

Martinez’s law will require public colleges and universities to make information available to students on all mental health and suicide prevention resources provided by the university.

“We are becoming more aware of the struggles college students are facing,” Martinez said. “They need to be able to readily access help for mental health issues they may be dealing with.”

Diagnoses and treatment of mental health conditions among college students are on the rise, and suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students.

House Bill 3404 takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.