Holmes obtains $162 million in infrastructure improvement investments for Kendall, Kane, DuPage and Will Counties

• IDOT
• Rebuild Illinois
• Infrastructure Funding
• Multi-Year Plan

AURORA – Building upon the Illinois Department of Transportations’ Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, State Senator Linda Holmes is pleased to announce infrastructure investments of $162,156,000 in road, bridge and rail crossing improvement projects in the 42^nd District. The 31 projects in the plan for Fiscal Years 2024 – 2029 include repaving, adding lanes, rebuilding bridges, replacing culverts, improving railroad crossings and upgrading safety features.

“Thanks to the ongoing Rebuild Illinois program, these investments will improve roads and bridges across the state and provide improved access to jobs and opportunities in our area,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “Our counties are seeing considerable growth; transportation infrastructure expands our capacity for those commuting for work, running errands, or providing goods and services. This work also improves accessibility and safety, and creates a number of good-paying jobs.”

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Two new Holmes laws ensure safety for people and captive animals in labs and roadside menageries

• Animal Welfare
• Roadside Zoos
• SB1883
• Medical Experiments
• SB1882

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Linda Holmes, a frequent sponsor of animal welfare legislation, saw two of her recent measures signed into law last week: one addresses the dwindling need to use cats and dogs in laboratory settings for testing, the other takes action against roadside zoos that allow public contact with wild animals that are unsafe for the animals and visitors.

Senate Bill 1883 is Holmes’ Wild Animal Public Safety Act to address concerns with roadside zoos by prohibiting public contact with all primates and bears. These collections of animals in cages where passing motorists may stop and see, feed or play with the animals are notoriously unsafe and dangerous for people, and inhumane for the captive animals. It will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

“The use of these animals continues a cycle of endless breeding where they are born into captivity to be used as props and business commodities,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “Their lifetime of confinement and mistreatment could contribute to an interaction resulting in harm to the person or animal in such a situation. That risk could create a terrible tragedy.”

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Holmes’ measure to extend period for prosecution of COVID-19 fraud signed into law

• COVID-19
• Pandemic-Related Fraud
• HB3304

SPRINGFIELD – As a frightening pandemic swept across our country and the world in 2020, medical researchers and doctors scrambled to find ways to stop the spread and save lives. As during most catastrophic events, ways to commit fraud spread everywhere, creating even more victims and an extra element of suffering. Initial action was established to prosecute scammers and now, a measure from State Senator Linda Holmes has been signed into law to extend the period of limitation on prosecutions from three years to five.

House Bill 3304 says that prosecution may begin within five years following the discovery of the fraudulent act. The current statute of limitations period for fraud relating to COVID-19 relief programs is three years; this change allows the Attorney General’s Office more time to act.

“The variety of scams is staggering, perpetrated in the form of stolen identities to claim unemployment benefits, or posing as government officials demanding personal information or threatening fines, forfeiture or arrest if you don’t pay them,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “The volume and ongoing attempts of COVID-related fraud warrant additional time to bring the fraudsters to justice.”

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New Holmes law modernizes state’s hiring process

AURORA – State Senator Linda Holmes is ready to bring the state’s hiring practices out of the 1950s and into the present so Illinois’ ability to recruit and hire quality applicants is improved and streamlined. The future is now, as Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2228 into law Tuesday.

“It’s difficult to believe Illinois’ Personnel Code has not been systematically updated since it was adopted in 1955, but I’m pleased we can make these substantial updates now so the process will move more quickly with greater accessibility and transparency,” said Holmes (D-Aurora).

Senate Bill 2228 changes the code to implement modern processes and best practices in the state's hiring methods, while reducing the time it takes to hire and grow the state's workforce. It also provides for real-time review of proposed rules by JCAR and the Civil Service Commission to reduce the time it takes to make necessary regulatory changes. This improves transparency and access to workforce data, too.

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