CHICAGO – Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) commended the governor’s signing of three measures that will provide security and support for undocumented immigrants across Illinois.

“Illinois has always been a refuge for people from all over the world,” Munoz said. “For that reason, we are proudly one of the most culturally diverse states in the country. These measures ensure that our immigrant families feel safe and will remain here at home.”

The following legislation was signed into law today:

• House Bill 2691, which provides access to financial aid for undocumented students and other groups of students who have limited access to aid.
• House Bill 2040, which bars the state and local communities from entering into contracts for private immigration detention centers.
• House Bill 1637, which bars law enforcement agreements that deputize police to act as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

House Bills 2040 and 1637 are now under effect, while HB 2691 goes into effect on Jan. 1.

CHICAGO – Gov. JB Pritzker signed the state budget and fair tax legislation on Wednesday. Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) reacted with the following:

“This year’s budget is a representation of the principles and goals of the people in my district. I’m proud to bring a balanced and functioning spending plan that invests in our schools, communities and workforce.

“Additionally, voters will get to decide to implement the tax rates approved by the governor today when the fair tax is put on the ballot in 2020.”

This year’s budget continues Illinois’ path toward stability by meeting the state’s pension obligation for the seventh year in a row while investing in our future by funding programs to benefit middle-class and working families.

The budget appropriates $375 million in additional funding for K-12 education, $25 million more than required by the evidence-based school funding formula. It also includes $50 million in new funding for early childhood education programs and expands eligibility for the Child Care Assistance Program.

Human service providers that are still struggling to recover from the previous governor’s budget crisis will receive millions in funding, from domestic violence shelters to early intervention programs.

Home health care workers will also get a long-awaited and much-needed raise. Those who care for seniors and individuals with disabilities are set to receive an increase of approximately $3.50 per hour.

SPRINGFIELD – To prevent more tragic losses of emergency responders and highway workers, Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) passed legislation through the Senate on Thursday that strengthens Scott’s Law and finds a way to end senseless roadway fatalities.

“We need drivers to yield to first responders on the side of the road,” Munoz said. “It’s absolutely unacceptable that we are losing officers who are trying to keep us safe due to reckless driving.”

This year, Troopers Christopher Lambert, Brooke Jones-Story and Gerald Ellis were killed in the line of duty when hit by vehicles while their patrol vehicles were stalled on the side of the road. The law was initially passed in memory of Lieutenant Scott Gillen.

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SPRINGFIELD – To help with locating missing persons, Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) is carrying legislation that strengthens the relationship between local law enforcement and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems.

“When someone is missing, we want to make sure law enforcement is able to use every tool available to find them,” Munoz said. “By utilizing this national system we have the opportunity to find people sooner.”

House Bill 2708 adds NamUS to the list of laboratories law enforcement agencies can coordinate with under the Missing Persons Identification Act. NamUS is a national information clearing house and resource center for missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases across the country.

Missing people’s information would need to be submitted to NamUS within 45 days. In high-risk missing person cases, law enforcement would be required to submit a packet of all relevant DNA samples to NamUS within 30 days.

Law enforcement agencies would also be allowed to attempt to collect and create a reference DNA sample from family members of the missing person, and collect a DNA sample of the missing person. All DNA samples collected in missing person cases from family members of the missing persons cannot be retained once the person has been located or identified.

The proposal was approved by the Senate and will head back to the House on concurrence.