Witness Slips Needed to Move Key Disability Bills Through Illinois Legislature
Right now, we need your help to move several important disability bills through the Illinois legislature. Friday is an important deadline week for the Illinois House and Senate to move bills out of committees, and those committees are having their votes this week. We need advocates to help file electronic witness slips for several key bills listed below IMMEDIATELY.
What is an electronic witness slip/How to fill out
An electronic witness slip is a way to officially record your support or opposition for Illinois bills. The names of supporters and opponents are read out in committee. Today, we are asking you to be proponents for certain bills. A “proponent” is a supporter.
For each of the bills below, please click on the link and fill out the form. If you are representing an organization, please enter the organization name; if you are just representing yourself, put “self.” Be sure to click “Proponent” and then “Record of appearance only”. Each slip helps show there is support for these bills. The bills are as follows:
March 8:
Aging Equity Act: Please file in support of HB 1237 by 2 pm TODAY. This bill would create a planning commission to create a strategic plan for aging equity.
March 9:
Fight for Nursing Home Residents: Please file in support of HB 3629 by 8:30 am on Thursday, March 9. This bill would re-create an emergency backup PA program and develop resources for a program for moving people out of nursing homes on an emergency basis. It would also increase nursing home residents’ personal needs allowance from $30/month to $90/month. The bill would also create a prohibition on nursing home retaliation against nursing home residents who complain about facility services.
Home Modifications Act: Please file in support of HB 1222 and HB 1438 by 8:30 am on Thursday, March 9. These two bills together would create a home mods program run by Centers for Independent Living, with $7 million in funding.
Mental Health Equity Access and Prevention Act: Please file in support of HB 2847 by 10 am on Thursday, March 9. This bill aims to improve access to health care for people with mental health disabilities