ISACo

On December 1, the Illinois House and Senate approved the SAFE-T Act trailer bill (HB 1095). A summary of several key provisions can be viewed by clicking on the title.

On Wednesday, November 30, Representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-Aurora) filed HB 5853. This legislation is the much anticipated trailer bill to a new law enacted on May 6, 2022, that made changes to the relationship between counties and their Veterans Assistance Commissions (VAC). ISACo has been working with Representative Kifowit and the Attorney General's Office to include provisions improving oversight, transparency, funding and accountability. Some of ISACo's proposed changes are included within HB 5853, either wholly or partially. An ISACo Issue Brief with more information about the content of the legislation is available by clicking on the title of this news story.

On Sunday, July 24, Will County Board Member Denise Winfrey was elected President of the National Association of Counties (NACo). President Winfrey is also a member of ISACo’s Board of Directors. She previously served as Vice President and 2nd Vice President of NACo.

The Illinois State Police (ISP), under the direction of Governor Pritzker, submitted an emergency rule change to the Illinois Secretary of State's Office implementing broader use of clear and present danger reports that can bar applicants from receiving a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card or revoke a current FOID card. The rule change allows for the use and maintenance of historic clear and present danger information even if the subject was not actively seeking or holding a FOID card at the time a Clear and Present Danger report was made and allows for use of these reports in possible future evaluations.

On July 15, 2022, Governor JB Pritzker announced that the Illinois Department of Human Services’ (IDHS) Division of Mental Health, in coordination with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is expanding Illinois' mental health safety net by rolling out 988, a new, nationwide suicide prevention and mental health crisis line. The code will be available nationally beginning July 16, 2022. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which has existed since 2005, is now available nationwide via a three-digit dialing code – 988 – making it easier for those in crisis to get the help they need. Converting to this easy-to-remember number offers the public increased access to potentially lifesaving, trained crisis counselors. State and federal funding have made it possible to increase staffing at Illinois’ six existing 988 call centers to ensure that calls are answered in-state.