Dear Neighbors,
The 2024 legislative session is in full swing and I am hard at work on legislation to protect Illinoisans from emerging digital threats, working to create property tax relief for seniors, and as always, passing a balanced, responsible budget.
At the direction of Speaker Welch, House Democrats formed a New Arrivals Working Group to address this growing issue in our state. I am honored that the Speaker has requested I lead this effort and look forward to working with a group of individuals who are actively engaged on this topic and can provide quality feedback.
While much of what drives migration is out of the State’s control, it is imperative that we ensure that all of our communities, schools, and human service providers are prepared to responsibly meet the needs that are within our control.
As always, if you are ever in need of resources or assistance, do not hesitate to contact my office. We are available weekdays at (847) 486-8810, you can also email us at info@gonggershowitz.com.
Sincerely,
Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
Happy Lunar New Year!
Gong hay fat choy! Wishing everyone good luck in the Year of the Dragon!
Rep. Gong-Gershowitz files new legislation this Session
In addition to bills that address rising healthcare costs and property taxes, the legislation Rep. Gong-Gershowitz introduced this session reflects the need to position Illinois as a leader in innovation with responsible safeguards to protect public safety. Below is a summary of key bills relating to artificial intelligence (AI), social media safety and other issues:
HB5380 Sammy’s Law: Requires social media companies to give parents the option of utilizing third party safety software to monitor their minor children’s social media usage and alert parents when dangerous content is shared, enabling life saving interventions at critical moments.
HB4762 AI/Contract Rights to Image/Likeness: Protects artists from unconscionable contracts by rendering provisions unenforceable for personal or professional services if the contract allows for the creation and use of digital replicas in place of in-person work and they have not been adequately represented by counsel or through a collective bargaining agreement.
HB4875 Right to Publicity/AI Generation: Protects artists’ identity from being exploited through deepfake tech by amending existing Illinois Right to Publicity laws to include AI-generated audio recordings distributed for commercial purposes.
HB4933 Political Deepfakes: Creates a civil cause of action for digital forgeries used for political content within 90 days of an election to safeguard our elections against misinformation.
HB4624 Protect against Election Fraud: Updates the Conspiracy to Prevent Vote Statute to include digitally-altered or created content designed to misinform voters through deception or forgery.
HB4763 Digital Forgeries Act: Creates a new cause of action against any person who creates or distributes a digitally altered (deepfake) image of an individual to harass, extort, threaten, harm or incite violence.
HB4623 Criminalizing AI generated Child Sexual Abuse Material: Amends the child pornography section of the criminal code to include digitally-altered or created images.
HB4351 Process serving changes: Allows Cook County to use private process servers when serving court documents, saving tax dollars and allowing the Cook County Sheriff’s office to stay focused on fighting crime instead of serving process.
HB4420 Senior property tax relief: Helps seniors remain in their homes by adjusting the income threshold for seniors to be eligible for property tax relief.
HB4780 Dental Loss Ratio: Ensures that a set percentage of dental insurance premium dollars are spent on patient care rather than overhead or shareholder profit at the same loss ratio as health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
HB5432 Fighting Housing Discrimination: Prohibits municipalities from enforcing policies that impose a penalty on a resident, owner, tenant or landlord in contradiction of existing state law as a consequence of contact with a law enforcement agency, even without any conviction.
Rep. Gong-Gershowitz attends briefing on AI policy
hosted by Northwestern University
Recently I had the opportunity to build on our work in the House Judiciary-Civil and Cybersecurity committees to learn about Artificial Intelligence.
Speakers included Dan Linna, Director of Law and Technology Initiatives at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Kris Hammond, Director of the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Program at Northwestern.
They provided an overview of the full AI landscape, including generative AI for language and images; a look at current policies to capture AI benefits and mitigate risks; AI accuracy, impacts, harms, and bias; as well as exploring specific AI applications, including government services and the judiciary.
2024-25 FAFSA Applications Are Open
The 2024-2025 FAFSA Application is officially open. With expanded eligibility for aid this year, federal officials expect hundreds of thousands more students nationwide to qualify. Make sure to visit https://studentaid.gov to start your application today.
Local Park Districts awarded grants for upgrades to facilities
Recently the Glenview Park District and the Northbrook Park District announced they each received $2.8M from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources through the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act grant program. I was proud to support both of these projects alongside my colleague Sen. Laura Fine.
Glenview Park District will be utilizing the grant to enhance the Splash Landings Indoor Aquatic Center located at the Park Center. The proposed upgrades include updating pool finishes, adding new mechanical systems allowing for the activity pool and lap pool temperatures to be controlled separately, and introducing features such as a retractable ninja course in the lap pool and a replacement play feature in the activity pool.
Northbrook Park District will be using the PARC funds to renovate the Leisure Center on Walters Ave ensuring this facility can be upgraded and utilized for residents for years to come.
Intern Spotlight
Recently our office was lucky to have Sarina Harjani join us for a Winter internship! Sarina is a junior at Glenbrook South High School (“GBS”) interested in government and politics. She is a member of GBS’s debate team, mock trial team, and Model United Nations. She greatly enjoys public speaking and also conducting research on topics she is passionate about. Sarina is greatly passionate about women’s rights, racial equality, and environmental conservation. Throughout her time at the office Sarina help with constituent casework and doing policy research.
Events and Opportunities
- Evanston’s Black History Month Celebration will take place on February 24 from noon to 9pm at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center located at 1655 Foster St. Celebrate the rich cultural heritage, triumphs, and adversities that are a part of our country’s history. There is no charge to attend. For more information click HERE.
- Wilmette Park District’s Summer Job Fair for age 15+ will take place on February 24 from 10am – noon at the Community Recreation Center, 3000 Glenview Road. Perks of the job include a beach parking decal, beach & pool membership and ice skating membership. For more information click HERE.
- Village of Glenview’s Winter Restoration Work Days at Fuller Air Station Prairie will take place on February 24th from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Assist in the restoration efforts at Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie by helping with a variety of restoration activities such as removing non-native invasive plants or collecting seed. For families and individuals ages 8+. Volunteers under 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. For more information click HERE.
- Skokie Park District’s Exhibit on Casting a Historic Vote: Suffrage for Women in Illinois, will be on display at the Skokie Heritage Museum on March 2, 2024 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm. All ages are welcome no charge to attend. For more information click HERE.