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.

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.

CHICAGO – State Senator Celina Villanueva is encouraging local homeowners to take advantage of assistance offered by the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund.

“This is a resource that will keep our community members in their homes by helping them avoid debt and even foreclosure in extreme cases,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “I encourage all eligible homeowners to apply for this opportunity and receive the support they need.”

The ILHAF program is providing free assistance of up to $30,000 to homeowners who have outstanding housing payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This relief is meant to cover the costs of past-due mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance and other late expenses. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority, which is responsible for facilitating the program, offers assistance with rent, utility and legal aid. These services can be found at www.illinoishousinghelp.org or by calling 866-454-3571.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many inequities in our health and economic systems,” Villanueva said. “Programs like this are especially important because they prioritize communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of the pandemic, which most often are comprised of individuals of color.”

These and other resources on the Illinois Housing Development Authority website are available in both English and Spanish.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) issued the following statement Tuesday in response to the leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade (1973) decision:

“Today, I seethe with anger over the leaked majority opinion, and I am in fear of women’s safety and our future. This decision is a direct attack on the rights of women, which have been under assault for the majority of our nation’s history. A woman’s right to choose is fundamental, and to remove the protections set forth by the critical 1973 ruling is to create dangerous, undue burden for one of our most vulnerable populations. Removing this precedent would not stop people from seeking abortion, but it would make them far less safe for those who employ their inalienable bodily autonomy to decide the course of action that is best for them.”

“I resent and reject the notion that forced birth does not amount to a violation of a person’s rights under the U.S. Constitution. This opinion will no doubt determine the trajectory of our nation and our states over the next few years. Choosing to abandon this federal protection of a woman’s ability to terminate her pregnancy will lead us down a dangerous path in which little by little our access to safe and supportive environments is removed until we reach a point of blatant inequality. I am infuriated at the constant exertion of power by officials who are so far removed from the lives of the people whose interests they claim to represent. They will not stop until they have total control over women and other marginalized communities, and that is disgusting, appalling and degenerate.

“While Illinois will continue to be a beacon of hope for those seeking refuge from these abhorrent practices, the implications of this leaked opinion demonstrate that we must act now. This breach of trust in our law is a grand set back that takes us to a place we do not want to be, tarnishing the work of many who sacrificed their lives to build equity into our systems. It is a terrible day indeed.”