SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Javier Cervantes’ initiative to expand personal care provider eligibility to include a person’s guardian, kin or siblings was signed into law Friday.

“Illinois residents have been pushing for personal care provider qualifications to include family members for a long time,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This law will ensure that family members can assist loved ones without hurting their eligibility for benefits.”

Currently, a recipient’s spouse is the only eligible family member who can contract with the Department of Rehabilitation Services to serve as a personal assistant to a person with a disability, and that individual may not have more than $10,000 in assets in order to be eligible. People who need home-based services can hire their own personal assistants to provide care in their home, based on their DRS service plan, but have not been able to hire and pay family members besides their spouse.

The new law allows guardians, kin and siblings to serve as personal assistants for their family member with a disability. They can provide services such as personal assistance, home-delivered meals, adult day care, respite care, home health services and supported employment services. Under Cervantes’ law, any wages earned by the employee will not count against the $10,000 asset limit required for disabled individuals to be eligible for the program.

“This law ensures that residents in need of home care get the help they need,” Cervantes said. “Families in our state are trying to navigate how to best take care of their loved ones, and this law tackles workforce shortages and lets families provide care in their own homes.”

Senate Bill 505 was signed into law Friday and takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

Work to protect marginalized employees following the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 1515 will continue 

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Javier Cervantes and State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado announced that they would continue their work to protect marginalized employees following the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 1515 that Cervantes sponsored in the Senate and Delgado led through the House.

SB1515 is aimed at protecting our immigration community, yet it fell short from its intention. Instead of moving forward with legislation that may not make Illinois a national example in protecting our immigrant community, Senator Cervantes, Representative Delgado, the Governor and advocates unanimously decided the best approach is to introduce a new bill that will make us leaders in the nation.

“We brought this legislation forward to protect employees and ensure Illinois is following through to protect workers’ rights,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “Unfortunately, we were unable to achieve our goal with this legislation but the job does not stop there. I want to assure residents that I am committed to getting this measure right to protect our community.”

Delgado added, “Senator Cervantes and I are committed to continuing our work to protect all workers and determine a secure path for advancing workers’ rights in the workplace. No one should find themselves subject to, or in fear of name or social security number discrepancy notifications and we remain focused on working together with the Governor's office, labor leaders and advocates to bring forth a permanent solution for consideration during session in the fall.”

Senate Bill 1515 was vetoed by the governor on Friday. Cervantes and Delgado pledge to continue conversations and work with the administration and advocates to bring forth a solution for potential review in the fall veto session.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Javier Cervantes’ measure to prohibit all drivers from using an electronic communications device while operating a motor vehicle in Illinois, including any video conferencing or social media applications, was signed into law Friday.

”This law will ensure Illinoisans are driving safely and not endangering anyone else on the roadways,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This law takes action against drivers video calling and not paying attention to the road. I am proud to play a part in making Illinois a safer place for everyone.”

Cervantes’ law makes it illegal to use any electronic communications device while operating a motor vehicle, including using cell phones and tablets for streaming videos and participating in video conferences on platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and WebEx. Additionally, the law prohibits any social media applications like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or Twitter from being used while operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway.

CHICAGO – State Senator Javier Cervantes has been selected to be a part of the 2023 Edgar Fellows program out of a pool of more than 200 nominees from all levels of government, nonprofit organizations and the business world.

“It’s an honor to be nominated and selected to participate in this year’s Edgar Fellows program,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “I am looking forward to connecting with many other leaders, developing and sharing our expertise and bringing new perspectives back to the 1^st District.”

The 2023 fellows will gather for the first time Aug. 6 for an Executive Leadership Training Program featuring more than two dozen policy experts and experienced practitioners. They will also have the opportunity to learn from each other through discussions on issues such as workforce development, climate change, public safety, disaster planning and intergovernmental cooperation.

The Edgar Fellows Program is an initiative designed by former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar and the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs to inspire respectful and collaborative leadership to address the state's major challenges. Senator Cervantes is one of 40 participants selected for the program this year.

More information about the Edgar Fellows program is available here.