SPRINGFIELD – To make canceling physical fitness services easier for customers, State Senator Javier Cervantes is moving legislation to require these services have easy and simple ways to cancel a contract.

“This is a simple matter of updating business practices to fit with modern times,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “Giving consumers simple and efficient methods to cancel their subscription or contract is one way we can ensure residents are not falling victim to automatically renewing payments for services they no longer use.”

Under the new legislation, businesses offering physical fitness services like gym memberships would need to allow customers to cancel their contract either online or by email, instead of only by mail. 

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Javier Cervantes is leading legislation to direct over $16 million in state funding to a program that would provide grants to independent living centers.

“Folks in our community that live in independent living centers understand the need for improvements and funding for our centers across Illinois,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “We are advocating for better funding for our residents who need these services in order to live independently, and Illinois needs to invest in their future.”

Independent living centers offer core services like counseling, skills training, referrals and more to empower people with disabilities to live and participate fully in their communities. Senate Bill 3214 would direct $16,358,900 to the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Rehabilitation Services Bureau for grants to independent living centers – a $10 million increase from the prior year’s budget.

SPRINGFIELD – To continue his commitment to union workers across Illinois, State Senator Javier Cervantes and members of the Senate Appropriations-Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing Wednesday to discuss a measure that would further protect the labor rights of frontline and direct support staff.

“With this legislation we are making sure residents with developmental disabilities do not see an interruption in their services from direct care service agencies,” said Cervantes. “This applies to programs in the Division for Developmental Disabilities and provides workers with collective bargaining tools while benefiting the workplace environment for many of our essential services in Illinois.”

To ensure the continued, uninterrupted provision of services to people with developmental disabilities in Illinois, Cervantes is leading a measure to bring this type of agreement to the state’s home- and community-based services programs.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Javier Cervantes joined members of the Service Employees International Union at a press conference Wednesday to advocate for higher wages under a new legislative initiative.

“Being a longtime advocate for SEIU has shown me that our home care workers deserve a living wage and deserve to know that Illinois has their back,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “Creating a way to incentivize a high-quality home care workforce leads to better outcomes for our residents and provides our SEIU workers with an avenue to a living wage that grows with their experience and essential work.”

Illinois’ Community Care Program allows seniors to receive care and community-based services in their own homes. Thanks to the program, over 100,000 Illinois seniors are able to receive in-home care, allowing them to live independently without the need to move to a more restrictive setting like a nursing home or institution. Currently, only 77% of CCP rates paid by the state go toward employee wages, resulting in a current minimum wage of $17 per hour and leading workers to call on lawmakers to address the low wages fueling the home care workforce shortage.