Safeguarding Health Access

On May 31st, I was proud to pass House Bill 2371 to protect access to the 340B Drug Pricing Program and help preserve healthcare services for communities across Illinois.

For more than 30 years, the 340B program has helped hospitals, federally qualified health centers, and other safety-net providers stretch limited resources to serve low-income, uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved patients. Research has shown these savings support specialty clinics, cancer screenings, behavioral health services, prescription assistance, uncompensated care, and other critical healthcare programs.

As providers face rising costs, workforce shortages, and uncertainty surrounding federal healthcare funding, Illinois must do everything possible to protect access to care. HB2371 restores providers’ ability to partner with contract pharmacies, helping ensure patients can access medications closer to home while preserving resources for frontline healthcare services.

This legislation protects patients and strengthens healthcare access, an important step forward for communities across our state.

Protecting Due Process

On May 21st, I passed SB2914, a commonsense reform that strengthens fairness and transparency in Illinois schools while preserving accountability. This legislation ensures that when a Notice to Remedy is issued, educators have a meaningful opportunity to respond to allegations that may be inaccurate, misleading, or unsupported by the facts.

SB2914 does not limit a school district’s ability to address misconduct, protect students, or remove educators who engage in serious or dangerous behavior. Administrators retain full authority to investigate complaints, issue disciplinary notices, suspend employees when necessary, and pursue immediate dismissal in cases involving irremediable conduct.

What this bill does is establish basic due process protections, clear expectations for improvement, and a structured review process when legitimate disputes arise. After extensive negotiations and compromise, we crafted legislation that respects local control while ensuring disciplinary decisions are rooted in facts, fairness, and transparency. Accountability and due process can, and should, go hand in hand.

Insurance Reform

This spring, I supported several important reforms that put Illinois families, consumers, and patients first.

From strengthening oversight of automobile insurance rates and increasing transparency around premium increases with SB0714 to advancing protections against unfair health insurance downcoding practices with SB3114, we took meaningful steps to improve accountability in our insurance system and help control costs for working families. With HB4273, we also supported reforms that promote stronger corporate governance and responsible business practices, helping ensure fairness and integrity in our economy.

These measures reflect a simple principle: government should work to make essential services more affordable, transparent, and accessible. Whether it’s reducing barriers to fair insurance coverage, protecting consumers from unjustified cost increases, or modernizing outdated regulations, these reforms move Illinois in the right direction.

AI Accountability

I am committed to advancing policies that strengthen corporate accountability, protect consumers, and encourage transparency in emerging technologies and financial systems while not sacrificing economic growth.

SB0315, the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act, establishes rigorous standards for frontier AI developers, requiring independent third-party audits, transparency reports, and clear catastrophic-risk assessments before deployment of advanced systems. It ensures that companies operating at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence are held to verifiable safety and governance benchmarks rather than self-regulation alone.

HB4248 reinforces consumer protections by enhancing oversight mechanisms and improving disclosure requirements to ensure individuals are fully informed and safeguarded in their interactions with regulated entities.

Investing in Care

As Chair of the Medicaid Working Group in the House, I passed SB3365, a comprehensive package that strengthens Illinois’ healthcare safety net while maintaining fiscal responsibility amid uncertainty about federal Medicaid funding.

This legislation reflects months of collaboration with members of the Medicaid Working Group, legislative colleagues, staff, state agencies, and stakeholders across Illinois. We developed solutions that improve access to care, support hospitals and community providers, and modernize Medicaid services for the people who rely on them.

SB3365 expands coverage and services for individuals with sickle cell disease, behavioral health needs, disabilities, and chronic conditions; helps keep struggling hospitals open; strengthens support for seniors and nursing home residents; expands telehealth and community-based care; and improves healthcare coordination for individuals reentering society after incarceration.

Protecting Privacy

The General Assembly took another important step to protect reproductive freedom, expand access to contraception, and strengthen patient privacy.

This session, we passed SB3341 to ensure individuals can access contraceptive care without unnecessary barriers and to empower patients to make decisions about their own reproductive health. We also passed HB5295, new protections to shield sensitive abortion and contraceptive information within digital medical records, giving patients greater control over who can access their private health information.

In an era when personal data can be shared, tracked, and requested across state lines, Illinois is making clear that reproductive health decisions belong to patients and their medical providers—not politicians or outside actors. These measures help safeguard confidentiality, protect access to care, and reinforce Illinois’ commitment to reproductive rights.