OAKBROOK TERRACE – Illinois now has a new law in place to help some of the people who have the most power to fight one of the fastest-growing criminal activities in the world: Hospitality workers.

Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) championed House Bill 3101, which would require hotels and motels to train employees to recognize the signs of human trafficking and know what to do when reporting it to authorities. It was signed into law on Friday.

“This new law will arm hospitality workers with the tools to spot and report human trafficking,” Glowiak Hilton said. “Just like we have discovered that teachers or hairdressers can be the ones who most readily spot the telltale signs of domestic violence, we’re learning that hotel employees might be the ones who spot human trafficking. This new training will give hospitality workers the knowledge and build the confidence to be able to identify signs of human trafficking and act quickly to do the right thing.”

Under the new law, the Illinois Department of Human Services will develop a human trafficking recognition training program for hotel and motel employees.

Human trafficking is now the second-largest criminal activity in the world and the fastest-growing. The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally.

“It’s crucial that we take the lessons learned by other states and implement them in Illinois to help put a stop to this criminal activity,” Glowiak Hilton said.

House Bill 3101 goes into effect immediately.  The Department of Human Services has until July 1, 2020 to develop and publish the human recognition training program.

OAKBROOK TERRACE – Illinois now has new laws in place to encourage residents to pursue vocational training programs.

State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) supported three new laws that will help expand and attract students to vocational and apprenticeship programs to help expand the state’s economy.

Glowiak Hilton, an engineer herself, passed a new law that will require the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to conduct a study on the potential expansion of apprenticeship programs.

The study outlined in Senate Bill 2024 will focus on underserved communities with high unemployment. The Commerce Department will report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by June 1, 2020.

“This study will ensure that the state dedicates more time to research how we can better meet the needs of employers across Illinois, Glowiak Hilton said. “Our goal is to ensure the state’s workforce is meeting the needs of employers to maximize opportunities to grow our economy.”

Glowiak Hilton also supported two measures to increase enrollment in apprenticeship and workforce development programs in Illinois.

OAKBROOK TERRACE – Minors across Illinois will soon have easy access to EpiPens, thanks to a new law supported by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton.

Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) advocated for House Bill 3435, which requires certain insurers to cover medically necessary epinephrine injectors for minors – the fast-acting treatments for severe allergic reactions.

“It’s our duty to take the necessary steps to ensure this life saving drug is affordable and easily accessible to children in Illinois,” Glowiak Hilton said. “Children with serious allergies should not have to go without a vital epinephrine injector simply because they cannot afford one.”

Epinephrine injectors – commonly known by the specific brand name EpiPen – deliver the life-saving drug epinephrine to individuals experiencing a severe allergic reaction. Epinephrine works by narrowing blood vessels and opening lung airways, reversing the symptoms of a potentially fatal allergic reaction.

OAKBROOK TERRACE – Illinois consumers will now have stronger notification laws surrounding cybersecurity breaches, thanks to Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton.

Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) championed a new law that will require companies to notify Illinois consumers of cybersecurity breaches and compromised personal data sooner. Senate Bill 1624 was signed into law last week.

“Illinois residents go online every day to complete simple tasks, from paying their water bills to checking their bank balances,” Glowiak Hilton said. “In the event that a company experiences a security breach, residents should be notified in order to take proper precautions. We need that assurance in an age where we carry all our most sensitive data in our pockets at all times.”

Senate Bill 1624, will require companies that hold Illinois residents’ personal information to report data breaches which affect more than 500 Illinois residents to the Attorney General as soon as possible.