SPRINGFIELD – Substitute teachers will be able to spend more time in the classroom under a law championed by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel in an effort to continue her fight to tackling the teacher shortage.

“Students need to be familiar with their teacher, even if it’s for a short period of time,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “For students, they will be able to continue learning and growing while maintaining consistency in the classroom.”

The new law allows a substitute teacher who has filled a vacancy left by a licensed teacher to teach in an emergency situation for 90 days or until the end of the semester, whichever is greater, if the school district files a written request with the appropriate regional office of education.

Previously, a substitute teacher could only fill a vacancy left by a licensed teacher under contract in an emergency situation for up to 30 days.

“We continue to see the impact the teacher shortage has on our students, schools and teachers,” said Loughran Cappel. “We have to collaborate with school districts so they have the resources to be flexible and adapt to unforeseen situations.”

House Bill 3442 was signed into law Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – Reconstructive surgeries as a result of a traumatic experience will be covered by insurance under a new law spearheaded by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel.

“It’s not easy to be reminded of a traumatic experience every time a survivor looks in the mirror,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “We have to provide the essential resources so survivors can recover without being burdened by hospital bills.”

The new law requires HMOs, Medicaid and individual and group health insurance policies to cover medically necessary reconstructive surgeries to restore a person’s physical appearance that was damaged by trauma.

Currently, Medicare patients pay 100% of non-covered services, including most cosmetic surgeries. There are no provisions for cosmetic surgery for state employee’s group insurance. Reconstructive breast surgery is covered if it’s in connection with a mastectomy.

“This initiative was designed to help survivors continue to process and recover from their tragedy,” said Loughran Cappel. “They no longer will have to weigh the cost versus necessary health care.”

House Bill 1384 was signed into law Friday and takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

SPRINGFIELD – United States Submarine Veterans can now receive a special license plate, thanks to a measure spearheaded by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel that was signed into law Friday.

“We have to uplift our veterans by honoring the sacrifices they have made,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “This is one way we can show our support and thank them for their service.”

The new law allows the Secretary of State to issue United States Submarine Veteran license plates to Illinois residents who served in the United States Navy as a submariner. New York and Connecticut offer similar submarine service license plates.

The Illinois Secretary of State's Office offers a number of different specialty license plates. Requests for these license plates can be accepted at Driver Services Facilities.

"I think it has been at least five or six years since we began to push the idea of Illinois Submariner license plates,” said United States Submarine Veteran Steve Benicke. “Although few in number, the WWII heroes, Cold War and peacetime veterans and currently serving Illinois submariners can now be recognized with the issuance of the Submariner plates. It is important to recognize those "Brothers of the 'Phin" who diligently pursued the idea, as well as the support and advocacy given to us by the many State of Illinois Senators and Representatives, who voted the idea to fruition.”

House Bill 1581 takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel, a staunch advocate for education, supported the Fiscal Year 2024 budget that was signed into law Wednesday, putting Illinois on a path toward fiscal responsibility and investing in education from preschool to college.

“As chair of the Senate Appropriations-Education Committee, this budget is a win for all levels of education,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “We are paving the way for kids to be lifelong learners. Investing in Early Childhood, K-12 and higher education is essential for our future leaders.”

The FY 24 budget puts a total of $250 million toward a new program – SMART Start Illinois – a multi-year program to provide investments in preparing children to be lifelong learners. As part of the plan, $75 million will be sent to the ISBE Early Childhood Block Grant to increase preschool availability with a goal to add 20,000 slots by 2027 and provide every Illinois child with access to a preschool spot if they want one.

“Research has shown how vital Early Childhood education is. By supporting early intervention we are setting students up to succeed in the classroom,” said Loughran Cappel. “When we invest in Early Childhood education, we have to ensure that there will be teachers available to teach. That’s why I pushed to invest in our teacher pipeline so that we can tackle the teacher shortage before it’s too late.”

The budget increases the state’s tuition assistance program, the Monetary Award Program, funding by $100 million – a 75% increase in funding over five years. This increased funding allows nearly all community college students and 40% of public university students at or below median income levels to have their tuition and fees covered through MAP and Pell Grants.

Middle class families will also be able to take advantage of the $50 million investment for the AIM HIGH program which provides merit-based, means-tested student financial aid to first-time, full-time undergraduate students and transfer students who are Illinois residents attending any of the 12 Illinois public four-year universities.

“I spent 15 years in the classroom,” said Loughran Cappel. “My career has led me to be a strong advocate for our teachers and students. I’m proud of what this budget does for our schools, students, families and education professionals.”