ELGIN- To encourage voter participation in Illinois, Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) is excited to announce her bipartisan legislation was signed into law today.

“The right to vote is a foundation of our democratic process. This new bipartisan law will encourage more civic engagement and allow more voices to be heard in the legislative process."

The measure, Senate Bill 1933, passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support. The new law will go into effect immediately to allow automatic voter registration to be implemented by July 1, 2018.

Beagle Freedom Act (SB 1884) which would require public research institutions in Illinois to have an adoption policy in place for dogs and cats used in testing rather than euthanizing them immediately.

The new law requires publicly-funded institutions to have an adoption plan for animals deemed eligible by a veterinarian before euthanasia is an option.

Safe Pets Act (Senate Bill 1882) establishes best practices and consistent regulations to protect dogs and cats throughout Illinois.

Illinois now has standards to protect the health and well-being of animals sold within the state.

The primary components of this regulatory standard for pet stores:

• Prohibits pet stores from purchasing animals from large commercial breeders that are USDA-licensed and does not have direct non-compliance citations over a two-year period.
• Pet stores are required to microchip dogs or cats prior to sale.
• Requires pet stores to obtain copies of USDA inspection reports either from the USDA website (if posted online) or directly from the breeder prior to purchasing the cat or dog and must be available to consumers prior to sale.

House Bill 2897 will create a new program to allow Illinois military veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression who are eligible for service dogs through a special program

The new law expands the list of eligible recipients of service dogs through the Helping Paws program to include veterans with PTSD or depression.

The Illinois Department of Corrections operates the Helping Paws Service Dog Program out of the Logan Correctional Center women’s prison. Offenders train dogs that go on to assist people who are visually impaired, use wheelchairs or have a variety of other disabilities. Dogs are provided at no charge.

ELGIN- The Illinois General Assembly will soon have a new tool to help encourage female, veteran and minority businesses to relocate to Illinois, thanks to Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin).

Castro’s measure, Senate Bill 1567, which requires each EDGE credit claimant to submit to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity an annual report containing supplier diversity information, was signed into law today.

“It’s important for legislators to form a complete picture before implementing policies to tackle business development and diversity,” Castro said. “This small step will give us a better look at our state’s strength and weaknesses in attracting veterans, minority and female business owners to encourage economic diversity.”

The EDGE program provides special tax incentives to encourage companies to locate or expand its operations in Illinois when there is active consideration of a competing location in another state.

“I’m here to represent the people of our communities,” Castro said.  “It’s my duty to ensure we take all necessary steps to grow our economy and create new jobs for local residents.  This new law will help accomplish that.”

The program allows companies to reduce the costs of doing business in Illinois when compared with similar costs in other states where operations could have been located.

Senate Bill 1567 passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support. The new law goes into effect immediately.

ELGIN- Active duty military members will now be able to cancel internet and television services with greater ease, thanks to Elgin Democratic State Senator Cristina Castro.

“Illinois’ heroes should not be burdened with unnecessary fees while serving our country,” Castro said. “They have answered the call for duty and it’s our job to make their relocation easier.”

House Bill 2449 was signed into law today.

This measure allows any service member who receives orders to relocate for a period of service of at least 90 days to terminate or suspend contracts for internet services, television and cable services, athletic club or gym memberships and satellite radio services.

“This one small update will eliminate unnecessary hurdles for our active duty military,” Castro said.

The termination or suspension can be completed by delivering a written or electronic notice to the service provider and delivering a copy of the official military orders to the service provider that calls him or her to military service.

House Bill 2449 passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support.