MARTINEZ CREATES STRONG PENALTIES FOR OVERDUE CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Today, Governor Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 1612, sponsored by State Senator Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago).  Senate Bill 1612 is historic child support enforcement legislation that allows the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to place a lien on the assets of parents who owe past-due child support totaling more than $2,500. The legislation also denies parents who have overdue payments the right to obtain a passport.

“I am pleased that my colleagues found this legislation as important as I did,” Martinez said. “We need more legislation like this to make sure that children have every available resource to be successful.”

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                       Governor Quinn Signs Martinez Education Legislation

SPRINGFIELD, IL –Recently, Senate Bill 620, sponsored by State Senator Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) was signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn. The new law creates a commission based on the findings and recommendations of the Chicago Education Facilities Task Force (CEFTF). The commission will help Chicago Public Schools (CPS) produce facility and budgeting plans to improve educational facilities.

“Our children are our future,” Martinez said. “It is important that we continue to invest our resources into schools to create positive learning environments that give our students the best possible results.”

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                     Senator Martinez Passes Mixed Martial Arts Safety Measure

Springfield, IL – Yesterday, Senator Iris Y. Martinez passed legislation that requires the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to authorize and require permits for all professional and amateur boxing or amateur full-contact martial arts.

Martinez introduced the bill after she learned of several occasions when mixed martial Arts competitions took place without proper medical staff on hand and without insurance was purchased to cover the athletes from extreme injury.

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 Senator Martinez Passes Legislation to Foster Safer Communities

Springfield, IL - Today, State Senator Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) passed legislation that will help people keep their families safe by requiring more sex offenders register with the State. House Bill 1253 requires sex offenders who were convicted of sex crimes before the establishment of the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) to register with the state if they commit a felony after the effective date.

The SORA was enacted in 1996. Under the law, convicted sex offenders are assigned a risk level, required to register and must comply with other SORA requirements for example, they must verify their addresses annually, notify authorities of address changes and provided updated photos.

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