Villanueva works to support communities in need

• Domestic violence
• Reproductive Rights
• FY25 Budget
• ARPA
• Child tax credit

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which supports funding for a child tax credit, reproductive health care, and domestic violence resources:

“This budget season was particularly difficult without American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help fund crucial state programs. We fought hard for programs that represent the best of what Illinois has to offer. We will continue fighting as long as it takes for underrepresented communities to get the resources they need.

“With that being said, I am pleased that we were able to continue to prioritize reproductive health care by investing into clinics, hotlines, training programs, and consultations. We are also seeing additional funding for domestic violence assistance.

“We have further maintained supporting underrepresented communities by making an increase investment to the child tax credit. These investments ensure that Illinois continues to provide additional support to communities in need.”

Villanueva advances measure to protect driving privileges

• HB 277
• Driver's License Suspension

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva advanced a measure to allow driver’s license holders more notice for court appearances prior to suspension.

“By eliminating license suspensions for a failure to appear in court, we are able to more effectively use law enforcement resources,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “A lot of the time, these initial court notices are not reaching people at their correct addresses. It is simply unfair to revoke driving privileges when people are not even getting proper notice.”

Under House Bill 277, if a person fails to appear in court, the court may text, call or email the person's last known contact information with notice regarding the continued court dates. The notice will include a statement that a future failure to appear could result in a warrant or consequences affecting their driving privileges. The current penalty for failure to appear in court is immediate license suspension by the Secretary of State.

“It is imperative we offer drivers the courtesy of an electronic continued court date notice before we issue warrants or license suspension,” said Villanueva. “Individuals who lose their licenses are likely to continue to drive out of necessity, leading to further legal penalties and creating a cycle of legal non-compliance.”

House Bill 277 passed the Senate on Thursday and heads to the governor for further consideration.

Villanueva measure to safeguard reproductive health care records passes Senate

• Reproductive Rights
• HB 5239
• Health Records

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Celina Villanueva championed a measure through the Senate to ensure reproductive health care records are not being improperly disclosed.

“As the war on reproductive rights continues throughout the nation, we must ensure that those who are seeking reproductive health care are protected in every way possible,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “As a safe haven state, we have a responsibility to protect individuals’ rights to care and ensure their health care records remain private.”

Last year Villanueva led House Bill 4664 – a law to shield out-of-state patients and in-state providers from legal action originating from other states regarding abortions performed here.  To expand upon that measure and provide further protections, Villanueva led House Bill 5239 this year.

The measure would ensure that location information and health records for reproductive health care performed in Illinois would not be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Further, it would ensure that units of local governments could not assist in imposing a civil or criminal liability against a person or provider who received reproductive or gender affirming care in Illinois. 

“In the absence of federal protections, state-level protections are essential to counteract restrictive laws in other states,” said Villanueva. “This preventative measure will offer the necessary protection from the overarching laws of other states.”

House Bill 5239 passed Senate Thursday and heads to the governor for further consideration.

Villanueva champions measure to give first-time offenders a second chance

• HB 5285

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Celina Villanueva passed a measure through the Senate to ensure those who plead guilty to a possession charge receive a second chance in exchange for diversion into a probation program.

“Supportive measures like this allow first-time offenders of possession to reintegrate into society with the tools they need to succeed,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “Harsh penalties only serve to solidify a cycle of recidivism.”

Currently, a person who successfully completes a probation program will have their sentence or conviction vacated. This clean record applies while the person is enrolled in the program as well as for those who successfully complete the program.

House Bill 5285 would protect individuals who plead guilty to a possession charge in exchange for diversion into a probation program with the promise that a felony will not be included on their record upon successful completion of the program. This measure is necessary because background checks often misinterpret diversion into special probation programs as a “conviction.”

“First-time offenders deserve a second chance rather than severe penalties,” said Villanueva. “This measure encourages compassion and restores hope for a society that believes in second chances and recognizes that people can learn from their mistakes and contribute positively to their communities.”

House Bill 5285 passed Senate Thursday and heads to the governor for further consideration.