SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt is the sponsor of a measure that would create a statewide program to promote public awareness and early detection of Parkinson's disease.

“People need to be aware of what Parkinson's disease is and understand the value of detecting the symptoms early,” Belt (D-Cahokia) said. “That includes public servants, so they understand how to respond to the needs of people with the disease.”

In addition, House Bill 3247 would allow the Illinois Department of Public Health to accept for the program any special grants of money, services or property from the federal government or any of its agencies or any foundation, organization or medical school.

An estimated 1.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, 50,000 more are diagnosed each year nationally and another 1.5 million people have the disease but have never seen a neurologist.

“It's vital that we educate people because many don’t know they have the disease and are missing out on important care,” Belt said. “People need to be aware of the procedures or possible treatments to manage their conditions.”

House Bill 3247 passed both the Senate and the House and now awaits the governor’s signature.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia) passed legislation yesterday making it easier for the state to ensure its buildings are energy efficient.

The measure would allow the Capitol Development Board to require new state buildings and any renovations or additions to existing state buildings to be able to support solar panels, even if they are not installed at the time of construction.  

“We are removing unnecessary roadblocks toward energy efficiency with this legislation,” Belt said. “Solar energy not only reduces the environmental impact our state buildings have, but it also saves money, as energy-efficient buildings are less expensive to operate.”

This legislation brings the state in line with federal policy by closing a loophole that prohibits the board from requiring new buildings to be solar-ready.

House Bill 2652 passed both the Senate and the House and now awaits the governor’s signature.

SPRINGFIELD – Service members and their spouses would have a designated liaison from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to ensure their licensure applications are managed efficiently under a measure from State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia).

Currently, there is no 60-day expedited requirement for military members and their spouses, nor is there a military liaison position at the department. House Bill 1652 requires the department to expedite an application for a license from a service member or their spouse within 60 days after the date of application.

“House Bill 1652 simply creates a smoother process for military personnel and expedites applications if they provide all the necessary documents,” Belt said. “Anything we can do to remove red tape and make the lives of our servicemen and women easier is worth doing.”

HB 1652 passed the Senate Licensed Activities Committee this afternoon and is scheduled to head to the Senate floor for further debate.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia) is the sponsor of a measure that would provide feminine hygiene products free of charge at all homeless shelters that provide temporary housing assistance to women and girls.

“Homeless women and girls face many challenges, but access to basic hygiene products shouldn’t be one of them,” Belt said, noting that these products are not covered by SNAP or other assistance programs. “It’s impossible to work toward self-sufficiency when you have to worry about basic hygiene. Many of us take that for granted.”

House Bill 2656 creates the Feminine Hygiene Products for the Homeless Act. Under the proposal, homeless women and girls would have access to feminine products free of charge.

HB 2656 passed the Senate Human Services Committee and is scheduled to go to the Senate floor for further debate.