New law enforces workers’ rights to rest thanks to Villanueva

• ODRISA

SPRINGFIELD–State Senator Celina Villanueva spearheaded an initiative to increase worker protections during the work week that was signed into law Monday.

“We humans perform at our best when we are well-rested and taken care of,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “This law helps ensure that employers respect the rights of workers so that they are both safe and productive in their work environments.”

The new law was brought to Senator Villanueva by the Illinois Department of Labor and Arise Chicago, a community-based organization fighting workplace injustice through advocacy and public policy. Thanks to the cooperation of businesses, agencies and community organizations, Senator Villanueva led the Senate in passing Senate Bill 3146, which modernizes the language of the One Day Rest in Seven Act –an existing law that details the duration and amount of breaks workers are entitled to in a work week. Villanueva’s measure also increases the penalties employers receive for violating this law and adjusts the cost of the penalty based on the size of the workforce where the violation occurred.

“Labor laws protect an extremely important component of all workforces: the worker,” Villanueva said. “Without the worker, no business can stand on its own, which is why we have to do all we can to make sure Illinois’ hardworking populations are neither taken advantage of nor deprived of the conditions and treatment they deserve in the workplace.”

The new law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023.

Villanueva: Expanding awareness to student-parent resources will tackle barriers to college success

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) championed a new law to bring awareness to child care assistance opportunities for college students with dependents.

“A lack of resources and support systems can shut out parents from pursuing higher education,” Villanueva said. “Education is a fundamental right, and our state’s student-parent population should not be barred from exercising their right to building a better life for themselves and their children.”

The new law, previously Senate Bill 3149, enhances the effectiveness of assistance programs for students with dependents. It requires that students with dependents be notified of resources that aid them with parenthood, higher education and balancing the two. Senator Villanueva sponsored the measure in the state legislature to bring equity to students whose parenthood might put them at a financial and social disadvantage in higher education institutions.

“This law will help these students focus on their education by helping them achieve independence and stability,” Villanueva said. “Setting them up for success at home increases their chances at succeeding in school and beyond.”

This measure was signed into law Friday.

Villanueva law to give quality care to people with dementia

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) championed an initiative to bring additional training requirements on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias for emergency medical service providers that became law Friday.

“Attending to patients with dementia requires heightened analysis of the current state of the individual and careful consideration for appropriate care,” Villanueva said. “An impaired ability to recall information, make decisions and think critically is common among the many types of dementias, making it imperative that our medical services personnel are well-equipped to approach and handle these situations.”

This spring session with the help of the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter, Senator Villanueva introduced House Bill 4388, which sets training guidelines for emergency medical services personnel to help them better serve patients with dementia. The new law requires training on the assessment, diagnosis and care of dementia after each renewal of one’s EMS license. This training will also include dementia-effective communication strategies for the betterment of interactions between EMS personnel and people with dementia.

“For our medical services workers, responding to emergency situations doesn’t always mean performing life-saving measures and transporting injured people to proper medical facilities,” Villanueva said. “Sometimes their service takes the form of caregiving to remove the dangers a person’s condition poses to them in the moment, which takes quality training on the evaluation of a variety of diseases and conditions.”

The law takes effect immediately.

Anti-deception law helps families get more bang for their buck

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) supported a new law signed by the governor Friday that will simplify the grocery store experience for families in all reaches of the state.

“We all look for sales in our stores to make sure we’re getting the best product for the best price,” Villanueva said. “Now with proper notice of the sales retail stores have, Illinois residents will get more out of their shopping experience.”

The new law standardizes the display and advertisement of grocery item discounts by requiring stores to clearly show the original and discounted prices of goods while also showing the amount saved at purchase. The law also ensures that customers are notified of available sales by requiring stores to disclose existing discounts through a variety of channels seen by the consumer.

“By clearly displaying the original and discounted prices of store goods, we move away from a culture of deceptive business practices that bank on the customer not reading fine print or thoroughly checking the actual price,” Villanueva said. “Financial insecurity thrives on these forms of deceptive marketing, and clarifying the markings on purchase tags will no doubt help people before they get to the register by allowing them to calculate exactly what they’re getting for how much they’re spending.”

This law takes effect immediately, meaning grocery trips will now be more cost effective for Illinois families thanks to this Villanueva-supported initiative.