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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget Monday:

“As chair of the Senate Revenue Committee, I know firsthand the extreme hardships our residents have been experiencing due to poor leadership in Washington, cuts to critical services and programs that help working families stay afloat and harassment toward Latino communities who are simply trying to live in freedom.

“At a time when so many Illinoisans are forced to live in fear and instability, we are making it clear we value affordability, safety and dignity for our residents – especially immigrant communities – by passing a responsible budget that funds education, food security, health care, violence prevention programs and other essential resources and services.

“This process required tough conversations and practical decisions, but we worked together to uplift those most in need in our state and prioritize affordability for our residents. Our work is far from over, but this budget will act as a crucial line of defense against continued attempts from the federal government to wreak havoc in the lives of working, low-income and immigrant families.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva has sent a strategic approach to addressing domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking to the governor’s desk, advancing the Family Center Justice Act out of the Senate Saturday.

“For many people who have experienced violence, accessing services is a daunting task, often overwhelming for survivors who need assistance with a range of needs or traumas,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “The Family Center Justice Act would help close these gaps in care, ensuring the state, local governments and nonprofits work together to support survivors and provide them with adequate resources.”

A Family Justice Center is a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary service center where public and private agencies assign staff members on a full-time or part-time basis to provide services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking. These centers increase access to services for survivors and their children by reducing the number of times survivors must repeat their accounts and the number of places survivors must go for help. The goal is to ensure families have comprehensive support in one centralized location.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva advanced a proposal out of the Senate Saturday that would implement stricter, mandatory reporting requirements when a patient or client experiences sexual abuse or misconduct perpetrated by a licensed health care professional.

“When a patient or client is assaulted or exploited by the health care professional they entrusted with their safety, it causes severe distress and emotional damage,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “Health care professionals take an oath to do no harm, so if they break that oath by violating someone in a vulnerable position, they must be met with full accountability for their actions and blocked from causing more harm.”

Villanueva’s measure comes in response to a series of investigative reports, which uncovered serious misconduct and abuse in Illinois’ health care system. The investigation identified 52 health care workers accused of sexual misconduct who were allowed to continue working at their respective hospitals and facilities.

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing the importance of reproductive health data privacy for Illinois residents, State Senator Celina Villanueva advanced a measure to directly combat continued attacks on bodily autonomy and keep reproductive data out of the wrong hands.

“The surest way Illinois can protect our residents and their reproductive records is by requiring health information exchanges to implement new policies that keep sensitive information out of bad actors’ hands,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “Time and time again, since 2022 when Roe v. Wade was overturned, we have heard the stories of women across the United States living in fear after seeking abortion-related health care. We have a duty to ensure Illinoisans aren’t being persecuted just because their health records ended up in the wrong hands.”

A health information exchange is used to electronically transfer patient medical data, for the use of maintaining medical records or to share among providers, to improve diagnostic efficiency and the overall quality of patient care. To keep abortion records safe, Villanueva’s measure, the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act, would require health information exchanges to: