SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Paul Faraci passed legislation aimed at creating a hunger-free campus grant program.

“Student hunger is grave and it's crucial that we exhaust all means possible to aid our students in having access to nourishing and healthy food,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “This proposed legislation is a significant stride toward resolving this issue and creating a campus that's free from hunger for our students. The grant program is an essential aspect of this legislation.”

House Bill 2528 aims to address student hunger by providing funding for grants to higher education institutions that have one or more campuses designated as hunger-free campuses. The grants will be used to leverage sustainable solutions, raise awareness of existing services on campus and build strategic partnerships to address food insecurity among students. The legislation also requires each institution to establish a hunger task force to determine strategies for achieving a hunger-free campus in order to be eligible for the grant.

Representative Carol Ammons (D-Champaign) sponsored this measure in the House.

Other states including California, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, Louisiana and Pennsylvania have already adopted customized versions of the Hunger Free Campus legislation. Swipe Out Hunger reports that more than $100 million has been distributed nationwide through the Hunger Free Campus Act, with California alone supporting over two million students.

House Bill 2528 passed the Senate on Wednesday and awaits further action before the governor.

DANVILLE – Following the Danville City Council’s ordinance to prohibit the shipment of Mifepristone – which is commonly used for abortion and miscarriage management and other reproductive health care needs – State Senator Paul Faraci urged the state’s attorney general to take immediate action against the unconstitutional mandate.

“The government should not get involved in decisions made between a person and their doctor. People deserve to have access to reproductive health care free from infringement from politicians,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “During my time in the Senate, I will continue to be an advocate for women’s health care access and ensure that protections are in place to allow residents to make the best health care decisions for themselves.”

On Wednesday, Faraci sent a letter to Attorney General Kwame Y. Raoul, urging him to take swift action to address Danville’s ordinance. It comes the day after the Danville City Council passed an ordinance that would prohibit the shipment of abortion pills, such as Mifepristone, to the city.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Paul Faraci advanced a measure aimed at creating the hunger-free campus grant program.

“Student hunger is a serious issue, and it’s important that we do everything we can to support our students and ensure that they have access to healthy and nutritious food,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “This legislation is an important step towards addressing this problem and creating a hunger-free campus for our students.”

The purpose of the House Bill 2528 is to address student hunger by providing funding for grants to higher education institutions that have one or more campuses designated as hunger-free campuses. The grants will be used to leverage sustainable solutions, raise awareness of existing services on campus and build strategic partnerships to address food insecurity among students. The legislation also allows each institution to establish a hunger task force to determine strategies for achieving a hunger-free campus in order to be eligible for the grant.

Representative Carol Ammons (D-Champaign) sponsored this measure in the House.

Other states including California, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, Louisiana and Pennsylvania have already adopted customized versions of the Hunger Free Campus legislation. Swipe Out Hunger reports that more than $100 million has been distributed nationwide through the Hunger Free Campus Act, with California alone supporting over two million students.

House Bill 2528 passed the Senate Higher Education Committee on Tuesday and awaits further action before the full Senate.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Paul Faraci advanced legislation to expand university admissions opportunities to community college transfer students who meet certain academic requirements.

“We have seen tremendous success with this pilot program at the University of Illinois,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “This action will give more students across our state the chance to stay in Illinois for higher education.”

House Bill 3760 would require Eastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University and Western Illinois University to create a four-year admissions program that admits community college transfer students each semester, beginning with the 2024-2025 academic school year.

The new program would guarantee university admission to all applicants who have enrolled at an Illinois community college after graduating from an Illinois high school, have earned a minimum of 36 graded, transferable semester hours at the time of application to the university, have attained a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all completed transferable coursework, and have satisfied the university’s English language proficiency requirement.

House Bill 3760 builds upon two existing laws that provide automatic admissions to Illinois universities, with one designated for high school graduates and the other for community college graduates. The previous law required the University of Illinois to admit community college transfer students who meet certain requirements, and House Bill 3760 would extend that guarantee to four additional Illinois universities.

"This measure will ensure that Illinois community college transfer students who meet certain academic requirements will have guaranteed admission to these universities,” said Faraci. “It’s a win-win situation for both the students and the universities as it provides opportunities for students to continue their education while also helping the universities to fill their enrollment goals."

House Bill 3760 passed the Senate Higher Education Committee on Tuesday and awaits further action before the full Senate