Senator Fine advocates for universities to provide more accessibility resources to students with disabilities

SPRINGFIELD – To make the transition to higher education smoother for students with disabilities, State Senator Laura Fine is sponsoring The Removing Barriers to Higher Education Act. This legislation will make it more convenient for students to provide documentation to the school to demonstrate that they have a disability.

“Under current law, students may have to undergo costly assessments to prove they qualify for disability services in college,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This initiative will allow students to save time and money by allowing them to submit documentation of accommodations that they received during their K-12 years.”

 Senate Bill 99 would establish a process for students with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations from public universities and colleges.  This measure defines the types of documents that state universities must accept as proof of a disability, including previous diagnostic testing or other recent documents. From this information, colleges and universities could provide reasonable accommodations that they deem to be appropriate for the student requesting the services. This will ensure that students will receive the support they need to thrive in higher education.

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Senator Fine fights opioid epidemic, plans to distribute naloxone nasal kits to prevent overdose

SPRINGFIELD – In 2021, more than 3,000 people in Illinois died from an opioid overdose. Although emergency medical providers have access to 4-milligram naloxone nasal spray kits, that is no longer strong enough to reverse an overdose. In response, State Senator Laura Fine is proposing a pilot program to provide first responders with 8-milligram kits.

“Opioid and drug addiction has been devastating to our communities and our state,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “Studies have found that multi-dosing of naloxone is needed to save lives.  By increasing the dosage, this will save medical professionals valuable time in saving a life.”

To increase access to this essential treatment, Senate Bill 1402 would start a two-year pilot program through the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide FDA approved 8-milligram naloxone nasal spray kits to licensed community substance use providers and public health departments in Cook, DuPage, Winnebago, Sangamon and St. Clair counties.

Read more: Senator Fine fights opioid epidemic, plans to distribute naloxone nasal kits to prevent overdose

Senator Fine to make higher education transcripts more accessible

SPRINGFIELD – Obtaining official transcripts can be a roadblock for college and university students across Illinois if they owe a past-due debt to the institution. This can hamper their efforts to pursue post-graduate opportunities. State Senator Laura Fine introduced legislation to address this issue, making transcripts more accessible to students, as well as requiring universities to make the process of withholding transcripts more transparent.

“Whether a student is seeking employment or further education after graduation, they will likely need their transcript to demonstrate their academic record and achievements in higher education,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This legislation will help students who may be struggling financially access  their transcripts.”

Senator Fine, who is a former college instructor,  is a longtime advocate of supporting university students working to pay off their student debt. Last year, she passed legislation prohibiting universities from withholding transcripts from students with a past-due debt if the transcript is needed for a job application. This ensured students would be able to use their hard-earned transcripts to find a well-paying job, from which they could repay their debts to the university and pursue a career best suited to the skill set they developed in college.

Senate Bill 49 would expand on this legislation by requiring institutions to provide official transcripts to current or former students if the student requires the transcript to transfer to a different institution, to apply for financial aid, to join the U.S. Armed Forces or to pursue other post-secondary opportunities. The measure also would require higher education institutions to outline the process a current or former student must go through to obtain a transcript or diploma that has been withheld due to debt to the university — making sure students have a clear path to receive their transcripts if they are being withheld.

“A student’s debt does not negate their hard work and academic success,” said Fine. “This initiative will guarantee they are able to access their transcripts to pursue further education, apply for jobs, or transfer to other institutions based on their achievements..”

Senate Bill 49 passed the Higher Education committee on Tuesday, March 7. It now goes to the Senate floor for debate.

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Senator Fine and Representative LaPointe respond to DHS plan to improve Choate Mental Health Center

SPRINGFIELD – This morning, the Illinois Department of Human Services and Governor Pritzker announced their comprehensive plan to improve care at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center. Following this announcement, State Senator Laura Fine and State Representative Lindsay LaPointe, chairs of the Mental Health Committees in the Senate and House respectively, responded to this plan.

“I am encouraged by the proposed changes from DHS. The safety of mental and behavioral health patients needs to be the top priority,” said Senator Fine. “I applaud DHS and the Governor for announcing a plan that prioritizes patients. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with them and other partners to best support patients at Choate and their caregivers.”  

Equip for Equality, the independent, federally mandated Protection and Advocacy organization; the IDHS Inspector General; and the Illinois State Police have all been reviewing abuse and neglect allegations at Choate and making constructive recommendations to the state about the center’s future. To address the issues found, DHS has proposed a comprehensive plan including:

• Repurposing the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center (“Choate”) over three years in partnership with the SIU School of Medicine, and
• Implementing new safety enhancements at Choate and across all state-operated developmental centers including appointing a chief resident safety officer, and
• Expanding support for families and individuals to pursue opportunities for community-based living while continuing to invest in provider capacity.

In coordination with their families and guardians, and with support from the SIU School of Medicine, a majority of the current residents at the Choate Center in Anna who have  intellectual and developmental disabilities will have the opportunity to transition into community-based settings or other state centers where they will receive comprehensive, personalized care.

During the next three years, portions of the Choate campus will be repurposed to meet patient capacity and other urgent state needs. Safe, gradual and carefully planned resident transitions will take place in close coordination with residents themselves, and their families and/or guardians. Resident well-being and dignity will guide every step of the process.

While this initiative will be carried out over several years, IDHS is taking additional, immediate action to protect resident safety, including hiring 10 new staff for the Office of the Inspector General and appointing Ryan Thomas IDHS’ first-ever chief resident safety officer. IDHS is also partnering with the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Arc of Illinois to launch a Family Liaison Team to support families, guardians and residents with questions and concerns about the change to provide peer support, resources and friendship for those experiencing fear and/or uncertainty.

“First and foremost, it’s critical that the well-being and dignity of every resident of the Choate campus is prioritized during a thoughtful transition period,” LaPointe said. “Upon hearing media reports of abuse this summer, I traveled to Choate and immediately got to work. I look forward to ongoing work with DHS and others to make this critical plan a reality, which includes relentlessly building up our community-based developmental disabilities system and shrinking our 14,000 person PUNS list."

Senator Fine and Representative LaPointe look forward to seeing this plan in action and collaborating with stakeholders to address issues at Choate.