SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro voted Tuesday to guarantee that Illinoisans, health care providers and patients from other states will not be punished for seeking or providing reproductive health care services in Illinois.

“House Bill 4664 makes clear that everyone deserves access to safe and legal reproductive health services and the affirming care these spaces provide,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “While Illinois is one of the few states that has continued to uphold the right to choose, this additional action was critical to ensure that family planning and abortion care providers can continue to operate safely and without fear of punishment from the increasingly regressive policies of surrounding states.”

House Bill 4664 protects the Illinois licenses of health care providers who are penalized for providing reproductive services that are outlawed in another state. It also shields people in Illinois from punishment related to reproductive health care services that are legal in Illinois and prevents insurers from charging higher out-of-pocket costs when patients have to seek out-of-network care due to an in-network provider’s objections.

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure families with limited economic resources have access to affordable, permanent housing, State Senator Cristina Castro is co-sponsoring legislation to provide increased funding for the Rental Housing Support Program.

“Housing instability is a main driver of homelessness, incarceration, health disparities and more,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Prioritizing the equitable distribution of funds in this program will assist families with limited income in finding affordable homes.”

Since 2005, the Rental Housing Support Program has provided rental assistance to households by subsidizing rental apartments and homes so that low-income families only have to pay 30% of their rent while living in a partnered home or complex. The program is designed to subsidize landlords so they can charge affordable rent for low-income tenants. This legislation will provide more funding to further support the Rental Housing Support Program.

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro celebrated the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity’s announcement Friday of an all-new, $40 million annual grant program under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act that will provide funding to communities undergoing a significant energy transition.

“Passing CEJA was a massive undertaking and the opening of the Energy Transition Community Grant Program is just the beginning,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “CEJA isn't just about lowering emissions, it is also about economic development, workforce training and building a better future for all Illinois communities.”

Under CEJA, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will invest $40 million per year for the Energy Transition Community Grant Program that will help communities transitioning away from coal mines and fossil fuel plants and prepare the state’s workforce for the jobs of the future.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro voted for a bill Thursday that would clarify language in portions of the Pretrial Fairness Act and ensure a smooth transition to implementing the law.

“These historic reforms are a result of collaboration between a diverse group of advocates, law enforcement, states attorneys, victims’ rights organizations and other stakeholders,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Today, along with my colleagues in the Senate, we voted to preserve and reaffirm the Pretrial Fairness Act’s commitment to improving equity, safety and justice in our state’s criminal legal system.”

A joint effort, the bill provides clarification to common misconceptions spread about the Pretrial Fairness Act portions of the SAFE-T Act since its passage in January 2021. In recent months, a smear campaign against the law overwhelmed social media and headlines of fake newspapers, leaving many Illinoisans confused about what the law actually does.