Legislation Pending in the Illinois General Assembly Could Benefit or Harm Women and Girls

Literally thousands of bills pending in the Illinois General Assembly could, if enacted into law, benefit or harm low-income women and girls. Here are a few you should know about:

Sex Education.

House Bill 875 and Senate Bill 192 amend the Illinois School Code by adding to the sections on sex education, family life, and comprehensive health education programs this criterion: "Factual information presented in course material and instruction shall be medically accurate and objective." Representatives Judy Erwin (D) and Jeffrey Schoenberg (D) are sponsoring H.B. 875; Sen. Carol Ronen (D) is sponsoring S.B. 192.

Family Law.

H.B. 1767 would limit the number of continuances to two for each party in a court proceeding for the enforcement of a support order. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D) is sponsoring the bill.

S.B. 24 amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to require parties to a prospective marriage to complete a premarital education program with a behavioral health professional or an official representative of a religious institution. Sen. John Cullerton (D) is sponsoring the bill.

S.B. 117 amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act by setting forth factors for consideration in a proceeding to review, modify, or terminate maintenance after the entry of a divorce judgment. Factors include any change in the employment status of either party and whether either party made the change in good faith; efforts of the party receiving maintenance to become self-supporting; and the increase or decrease in either party’s income. Senators Kathleen Parker (R) and Ira Silverstein (D) are sponsoring the bill.

S.B. 304 amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, and the Children and Family Services Act to require further action when a child under 18 is in the household for which a court has issued an order of protection, the court appoints a psychiatrist in a child custody or visitation proceeding, or if a suicide or attempted suicide occurred in the household. Sen. Terry Link (D) is sponsoring the bill.

Employment.

H.B. 909 creates the Illinois FIRST Job Opportunities Initiative. For all state-funded construction contracts over $1 million, the bill would make information about job opportunities available on the job site through the Illinois Department of Employment Services and through several Web sites. The bill would require contractors to submit to the state monthly reports detailing hires for jobs in the preceding month. Rep. Julie Hamos (D) is sponsoring the bill.

S.B. 657 creates the Victims of Domestic Violence Employment Leave Act, which provides that an employer may not discharge or discriminate against an employee for taking time off from work to obtain or attempt to obtain an order of protection. The bill also prohibits an employer with 25 or more employees from discharging, discriminating, or retaliating against an employee who is a victim of domestic violence for taking time off from work to seek medical attention or counseling. Sen. Debbie Halvorson (D) is sponsoring the bill.

S.B. 1118 increases the minimum wage for workers 18 and older to $6.50 per hour on January 1, 2002, and provides for the annual adjustment, beginning in 2003, of the minimum wage to account for inflation. The current minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. Senators Lisa Madigan (D) and Carol Ronen (D) are sponsoring the bill.

The full text and status of all the bills pending in the state legislature are on the Illinois General Assembly’s Web site, www.legis.state.il.us. This site can also tell you who your state representative and senator are and how to contact them. For more information on the legislation, contact Wendy Pollack, National Center on Poverty Law, 312.263.3830 ext. 238.