SPRINGFIELD – To further educate young people on the dangers of drug overdose, State Senator Laura Fine led a measure that improves our state’s curriculum on substance abuse for school-age students. This initiative, formerly known as SB 2223, was signed into law on Friday.

“Research has shown that the current school curriculum around substance abuse is insufficient; too many young people are finding themselves in danger of overdose without knowing what they need to do to save their life or help a friend,” said State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview). “We need to improve harm reduction strategies to better support young people in our state.”

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health’s Newborn Screening program will soon scan for Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, or MLD, a rare genetic disease, thanks to legislation from State Senator Laura Fine.

“Newborns are tested for a variety of disorders with the Newborn Screening Program so that caregivers can plan to support their child’s treatment quickly,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “Including MLD will ensure caregivers of children with MLD are also able to begin their treatment plans as soon as possible.”

MLD is a genetic disorder leading to progressive loss of nervous system function and early death. Currently, MLD is diagnosed through a blood test looking for enzyme deficiency, a urine test or genetic testing. Additional tests can be conducted on those who show progressive symptoms of MLD. While there is no cure for MLD, diagnosing the disease early can lead to treatment options that make a significant difference in the patient’s quality of life.

SPRINGFIELD – An initiative from State Senator Laura Fine to ensure reports of abuse or neglect in state-operated developmental centers are thoroughly investigated and addressed was recently signed into law. The legislation intends to address allegations of abuse at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna, Illinois, where some staff members have been accused and charged with multiple accounts of abuse to patients.

“Residents and loved ones in state-run mental and behavioral health facilities are trusting their providers to not only provide high-quality treatment but to also offer them dignity and respect. We cannot allow violations of these basic human rights to occur without systemic change or justice for the victims,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This initiative ensures employees who take advantage of people in the state’s care will face consequences for their actions, as well as employees who do not report this behavior from their colleagues, further protecting our most vulnerable from abuse and neglect.”

Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center serves patients living with mental and behavioral health concerns and/or developmental disabilities. Some former employees of Choate have been charged with and found guilty of physically or emotionally abusing patients, as well as obstructing official probes and lying to investigators about wrongdoing.

SPRINGFIELD – During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people began utilizing mental health counseling via telehealth appointments. With many Illinoisans still benefiting from this form of treatment, State Senator Laura Fine passed legislation to ensure these telehealth appointments will continue to be covered under Medicaid insurance plans even though COVID-19-related telehealth policies are expiring.

“Patients prefer telehealth appointments for a variety of reasons, including time-saving convenience or having the opportunity to get treatment from a specialist who is not locally available,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This initiative will ensure Medicaid patients are still able to access this care with their insurance.”

Last year, the General Assembly passed a law that ensured private insurance policies would cover telehealth appointments for mental health visits just as they cover in-person appointments during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Senate Bill 1913 makes this expansion of telehealth coverage permanent under Medicaid as well. Like the previous law, this initiative would require telehealth services to be available without any barriers, such as requiring an in-person appointment before a telehealth service is available or imposing specific requirements for Medicaid patients to qualify for telehealth services.