SPRINGFIELD – Service members and their spouses will receive professional licenses faster in Illinois thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that was signed into law Sunday.

The measure will make transitions easier for those whose jobs depend on having a professional license and whose living arrangements are often changed by a deployment or cross-country transfer. An airman's spouse who works as an optometrist, for instance, would have an easier time receiving their license to practice in Illinois after transferring to Scott Airforce Base under the plan.

“Service members and their spouses will now have their professional licenses reviewed in a timely manner so they can get back to work,” Belt said. “Many individuals who serve at Scott Airforce Base and their spouses relocate from another state. This will make it quicker and easier for them to get back into their careers.”

The new law requires state agencies that issue occupational or professional licenses to review applications for expedited licensure for service members and their spouses within 30 days, rather than 60 days under current law.

“The men and women who serve our country will no longer wait around for their professional licenses to be approved,” Belt said. “The lengthy delays service members and their spouses face will now be cut in half.”

The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2022.

SPRINGFIELD – School districts will create a food sharing program for unused food that students can take home thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that was signed into law today.

“All children need food to thrive, especially when they leave school,” Belt said. “This program builds upon the state’s breakfast and lunch program that is already in place to ensure that kids are fed three healthy meals a day.”

The new law requires all school districts to incorporate a food sharing plan for unused food into their local wellness policy. The program will focus on needy students, with the plan being developed and supported jointly by the district’s local health department.

Currently, every school in Illinois must offer its free lunch and breakfast program to all eligible students. To be eligible, a student must be the recipient of SNAP benefits or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.

Similar programs already exist in states, such as Indiana. School districts partner with non-profits to take leftover food and prepare frozen take-home meals for students over the weekends.

“Leftover food should not be thrown away, especially when people are in need,” Belt said. “Many families struggle to keep food on the table and this program will help ensure that our youth are not going to bed hungry.”

The law takes effect immediately.

SPRINGFIELD – Major Illinois airports will directly receive and spend federal funding thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that was signed into law Friday.

The new law allows Illinois airports that have 10,000 or more patrons per year to directly receive and spend federal funding. Under the current law, federal funding goes to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s aeronautics division to distribute to airports across the state, with the exception of O’Hare and Midway International Airports in Chicago.

“This will give the major airports in Illinois the authority to make their own financial decisions in a timely manner,” Belt said. “This should help IDOT get these important projects done faster and reduce a considerable backlog.”

Currently, IDOT must approve all planning, construction, development and improvements to hangars. The approval process for these contracts has caused significant delays, and this measure would take the pressure off of IDOT and allow individual airports to move forward with projects on their own timelines.

“Larger airports in Illinois have the resources to manage the funding and make necessary decisions for the projects,” Belt said. “It’s important we include all major airports in the state, not just O’Hare and Midway, to speed up the approval process.”

The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2022.

SPRINGFIELD – Residents who struggle to pay water and sewer bills will have additional financial assistance coming, thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that was signed into law today.

“Utility providers will now have the opportunity to opt in to a financial assistance program,” Belt said. “This will help lessen the financial burden that low-income customers face when they cannot afford their monthly utility bills.”

The legislation creates the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund, authorizing the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to make payments directly to the utility providers on behalf of qualified customers. The fund is financed through the opt-in program. One-third of the available funds will go to the households with the lowest incomes. Older adults and people with disabilities will also be prioritized.

Utility providers can choose to opt in to the program, managed by DCEO, to ensure low-income residents’ water and sewer services are available and affordable.

“For the families who spend a large percent of their monthly income on utility services, assistance may be coming your way,” Belt said. “This will provide stability to those individuals who need it most.”

This law takes effect immediately.