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I hope everyone’s year has been off to a happy and healthy start! The 103rd General Assembly started early this month and House leadership spent the later part assigning roles and committees to members. I am pleased to announce that I have been named Assistant Floor Whip for the Democratic Caucus and will continue in my role as Chair of the Higher Education Committee.

As we get ready to move into February, I want to urge my constituents to share with me any questions, concerns, or ideas they may have. I am hosting events throughout this month across the district where you can do so, the details for which can be found below, or please feel free to reach out to my office at any time.

The House will be in session every Tuesday through Thursday this month, and you can watch live committee hearings here. Friday, February 17th, is the deadline by which all House Bills must be submitted in order to be considered during the current session. I have provided in the Committees & Legislation section of this newsletter an overview of some of the legislation I have sponsored and cosponsored so far this session, as well as some important legislation that went into effect on January 1st of this year.

Finally, changes to the districts in our state went into effect on January 11th of this year. I have provided a link to the map of our new district, District 112, here.

 Best,

Katie Stuart

State Representative 112th

LEGISLATION EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1st:

HB4729 and HB5193 focus on increasing gun awareness and safety in our communities. House Bill 4729 mandates that the Illinois Department of Public Health develop a 2-year statewide campaign to educate on the proper storage of firearms, focusing primarily on areas most affected by gun violence. Building on House Bill 4729, House Bill 5193 will focus specifically on Illinois schools and educating children at all levels on the proper storage of firearms.

HB5441 - We have responded to the spike in sexual assault cases with House Bill 5441. Before this bill, it was not considered a crime to sexually assault someone who was voluntarily intoxicated. House Bill 5441 fights for all victims of sexual assault, making sexual assault a crime under any circumstance.

SB2535 - Madison County has experienced one of the highest increases in opioid deaths across the state in recent years. Senate Bill 2535 will help prevent addiction by requiring a prescriber or pharmacist to inform a recipient that the opioid drug they are receiving is addictive before giving the prescription.  This bill also requires an opioid counteractive, such as Narcan, to be given to the patient by the prescriber or pharmacist.

SB2109 and SB3936 -  To help protect children in our community I supported Senate Bill 2109 and Senate Bill 3936, which will both help combat child abuse. Senate Bill 2109 will provide training for all school employees to help better detect warning signs of trauma. Senate Bill 3936 creates the Student Confidential Reporting Act, which will provide a way to report self-harm, potential harm or criminal acts intended towards students, staff, or schools located in Illinois.

HB4798 - A 2021 survey showed that nearly 90% of schools in Illinois are facing a shortage of teachers and substitute teachers. Illinois ranked second highest in the nation for the 2021-2022 school year in the number of unfilled teaching positions. House bill 4798 will allow students pursuing teaching degrees to help in our classrooms sooner by allowing them to start substitute teaching after completing 90 credit hours towards their degree. Previously, a bachelor’s degree was required to substitute teach in this state. By shifting the requirements, this bill will help fill the teacher shortages many of our communities are experiencing.

HB3296 and SB3990 - Decisions made during high school have never been more important: the cost of higher education continues to rise, and job placement out of college remains more unstable than in decades past. House Bill 3296 and Senate Bill 3990 will improve the level of counseling high school students receive regarding college and career opportunities. HB3296 helps high schoolers focus on exploring high-skilled, high-wage, and in-demand careers. SB3990 focuses on establishing career plans with high schoolers and then identifying the appropriate postsecondary education necessary to meet that plan, as well as career and technical education the student can take while still in high school.

LEGISLATION FILED IN THE CURRENT SESSION:

House Bill 291 will allow National Board Certified teachers more opportunity to provide mentoring to colleagues seeking this prestigious endorsement. By allowing mentors to increase the number of hours they spend with mentees, they can help us grow our pool of highly effective educators across the state.

HB 1350 will provide an income tax credit to caregivers of disabled veterans equal to 5% of the total cost of caring for said veteran, not to exceed $1,000 in any taxable year. I filed this bill in my continued efforts to help support veterans and their families and to ensure veterans are receiving the quality care they deserve.

HB 1286 will allow for businesses, who want to create gender neutral multiple occupancy restrooms, the ability to make new or convert current restrooms into one. Additionally, it prevents facilities who are choosing to provide  all-gender multiple-occupancy restrooms from converting only a men’s room or only a women’s room into all-gender; they must convert both, or add a new all-gender option. This legislation passed the House during the 102nd General Assembly with the support of groups such as the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois Architects Association.

HB 1124 will implement the hiring of at least five universal screeners by the Illinois State Board of Education to help aid school districts in  screening for dyslexia in students grades kindergarten to second grade that show risk factors. This measure ensures any student showing risk factors of dyslexia be screened by an administered screener.. This legislation will guarantee that  all students have the proper support and care they need to succeed in their education.  

Email: repkatiestuart@gmail.com

Facebook: Representative Katie Stuart's Facebook

Website: https://repstuart.com

District Office: 2105 Vandalia St. Unit #16, Collinsville, IL 62234

Phone: (618) 365-6650

I appreciate all feedback from residents who are engaged in our community and want to improve it.  For more information on COVID and COVID resources, please click here. If you have questions or comments about state or local issues, upcoming events, or this newsletter, feel free to let me or my office know. You can also fill out the survey here to express your thoughts. Thank you for all of the support and feedback!

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