Shred Day Tomorrow, Legislation, Witness Slips, Events
- Janet
- Apr 17
- 4 min read
In This Issue:
Legislative Highlights
Witness Slip Instructions
Shred Event
April Coffee & Conversation
Dear Friends,
We hit a major legislative deadline this week, with house bills needing to be voted out of the house floor by Friday, April 17. In this month’s newsletter, I’ve highlighted several of the bills that I’ve been working on, which will now be sent to my colleagues in the senate. Much of that legislation came directly from constituents, and my focus continues to be on advancing practical, thoughtful policies that reflect the priorities I hear from you.
You can participate in the legislative process in many ways, including via witness slips. I’ve included below instructions for filing out a witness slip–an important way for residents to make their voices heard. These slips can directly influence how bills move forward, and I want to make sure you have the tools to participate.
Back home, we’re hosting a community shred event on Saturday, April 18 to help you safely dispose of sensitive documents. It’s a simple way to protect yourself from identity theft while taking care of some spring cleaning. And I hope you’ll consider joining us for our next Coffee & Conversation. These gatherings are a great opportunity to connect in a relaxed setting, share your thoughts, and hear updates in person.
Thank you, as always, for staying engaged. Your input helps guide my work every day, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve our community.
Sincerely,
Janet
Presenting bills this week on the House floor for debate and votes.
Legislative Highlights
HB0045 Digital Coupon Accessibility
This bill would require grocery stores and other brick-and-mortar retailers that offer digital coupons to also make those discounts available non-digitally. Constituents throughout our district and state have expressed their frustration trying to access these digital deals. Those without devices, with visual impairments, or who are less adept with technology are especially affected. This consumer protection bill ensures that shoppers actually get retailers’ advertised prices.
HB4438 State Bee
It’s always inspiring to work with students who are passionate about making a real impact in our community, so our office partnered with 8th graders at Lincoln Junior High to introduce this bill, which designates the Black and Gold Bumblebee as the Illinois state bee. The students wanted to heighten awareness of the importance of pollinators, and their work included extensive research, engagement with other students across 86 communities throughout the state, and testifying about their process and findings in Springfield committee hearings.
HB4698 Medical Billing Notices
Constituents have reported to us increases in surprise medical bills during preventative and wellness visits, as some medical practices have become more aggressive in charging for acute complaints or other chronic illnesses brought up during these visits. This bill seeks to mitigate these surprises by requiring medical offices to post notice of those potential charges and obtain written acknowledgement of the charges when possible.
HB4859 Food Sharing Tables in Schools
Schools and students generate a significant amount of food waste, with unopened and untouched items often being discarded rather than consumed. This bill adds sharing tables as an option for schools to comply with food sharing plans for unused food, where students can place unwanted whole or unopened foods for other students to take at no cost. The USDA endorses share tables as a safe and effective method to redistribute food, helping to keep food out of landfills and combat food insecurity.
HB4862 School Staff Mental Health
This bill requires school districts to adopt procedures to support school staff mental health in the workplace by sharing resources available to staff, providing opportunities for feedback from staff, and providing accountability to the school board in these areas. Similar legislation passed in Washington state has resulted in increased retention rates and improved feelings of belonging, relationships, safety, and wellbeing in the workplace. Supporting our educators and school support staff is important to ultimately improving our schools and outcomes for our students.
HB5148 Controlled Substances Reporting
This bill prevents dangerous interactions between certain opioids and stimulants, expanding our tools to continue our fight against the opioid epidemic. It requires checking the Prescription Monitoring Program when doctors first prescribe any Schedule II stimulants, as well as checking all prescriptions for Schedule II opioids and Schedule IV benzodiazepine.
Students from Lincoln Junior High School joined me in Springfield to testify in front of the State Government Administration Committee on behalf of House Bill 4438.
Witness Slip Instructions
It’s important that your voice be heard in the legislative process. In addition to contacting my office directly, you can also do this by completing legislative witness slips when bills are assigned to committees. The process to submit these slips can be complicated, though, so below is a video that walks you through the submission steps and may help answer questions you may have about the process. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have further questions.
Shred Event
Please join Senator Ellman and me this Saturday for our annual, post-Tax Day shred event. This is your opportunity to destroy documents in a secure and convenient manner.
Some things to consider shredding include: Tax Returns - Bank Statements - Outdated Medical Records - Bills - Receipts.
The event will end when the truck is full or at 12 PM, whichever comes first. LIMIT 3 BOXES PER CAR.
What: Shred Event
Where: Naperville Public Library - 95th Street, 3015 Cedar Glade Rd, Naperville
When: Saturday, April 18, 2026, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
April Coffee & Conversation
Join us next Saturday for our monthly Coffee & Conversation. With bills actively flowing through committees, we’ll have much to talk about when it comes to Springfield activity.
Please always feel free to drop by and chat or even just listen. This event is always one of my favorite meetings because of the diversity of views represented and the opportunity for all to learn from new perspectives.
What: April Coffee & Conversation
Where: 41st District Office, 475 River Bend Rd., Suite 500, Naperville
When: Saturday, April 25, 10:00-11:00 AM
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