SPRINGFIELD – With lifesaving medication being one of the most effective means of preventing HIV diagnoses, State Senator Mike Simmons is proud to support the Illinois Department of Public Health’s initiative to allow Illinois residents to obtain HIV preventive medication known as PrEP directly from a pharmacist without requiring a doctor’s prescription.

"PrEP saves lives, and removing the prescription barrier means more people – especially in the LGBTQ+ community – will be provided with lifesaving care,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “This is a major step forward in health equity in Illinois.” 

In June 2022, Simmons passed House Bill 4430 into law, which allows pharmacists to dispense and administer drugs, order laboratory tests, and consult individuals on HIV pre-exposure drugs and post-exposure drugs like PrEP.

SPRINGFIELD – An avid cyclist himself and supporter of bike riders, State Senator Mike Simmons passed two bills through the Senate that would remove current prohibitions on bicyclists in Illinois.

“Current rules prevent cyclists from doing what is safe in favor of what is required by law,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “We want to remove and clear up language surrounding bike riders to give all travelers better and safer options when cycling.”

Under the new legislation, Senate Bill 2111, bicyclists would be able to treat stop signs as yield signs only when it is safe to proceed if they give a signal, slow to a reasonable speed and yield to the right of way. This would not apply to railroad crossings or youth under age 18.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons is continuing his push to remove barriers to accessing housing and state resources for unhoused Illinoisans.

“Unhoused individuals often have no form of legal identification, affecting their housing, job prospects, transit options and more,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “To get an identification card, these individuals are required to have a signature from a notary, which comes at a cost. This legislation will ease the requirements to make the whole process easier.”

Currently, application fees for standard Illinois state IDs are waived for unhoused individuals, but their application must be accompanied by a notarized affirmation. This can be difficult for individuals with little financial resources, as notary fees vary but can cost up to $25. Under Senate Bill 1173, notaries would no longer be able to charge a notary fee to unhoused individuals trying to apply for and obtain a state ID.

SPRINGFIELD – To provide transparency on government infrastructure projects and how tax dollars are allocated, State Senator Mike Simmons advanced a bill to ensure a list of public municipal infrastructure projects is viewable online.

“Taxpayers deserve to know how their dollars are being used, especially for public infrastructure projects,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “This bill will enable folks to be able to see a list of contractors who are awarded major contracts for public infrastructure projects at $5 million or more.”

Under the new legislation, Senate Bill 634, municipalities would be required to compile and post a list of contracts for public infrastructure projects valued at $5 million or more, ensuring the list is available to the public on their websites.