SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler is spearheading a measure to require insurance providers to cover hearing aids and related services for people of all ages.

“Illinoisans shouldn’t have to face financial burdens for something that is necessary for a high quality of life,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “Hearing aids are devices that should be covered by insurance, and not by the wallets of those who wear them.”

House Bill 2443 builds upon the 2018 measure Koehler-supported measure that required insurance to cover hearing aids for children under the age of 18. Koehler’s measure expands upon that by requiring insurers to provide coverage for everyone if their doctor prescribes a hearing instrument – which can cost up to $4,000.

“If your doctor is prescribing something to you, it should be covered by your insurance,” said Koehler. “People shouldn’t have to forgo their hearing. It’s time we make hearing aids more accessible for all who need them.”  

House Bill 2443 passed the Senate Insurance Committee Tuesday and now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler is leading a measure to prorate debts of students who are recipients of scholarship programs who need to fulfil their obligations at a later time.

“There are many instances where students have to take a leave of absence or cannot complete their education when they originally planned,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “Students who are pursuing an education degree shouldn’t have to pay more if they fulfill their teaching obligations at a later time.”

House Bill 3498 would allow a recipient of either the Minority Teachers of Illinois, Special Education Teacher Waiver or the Golden Apple Scholar of Illinois to have their debt prorated for completing their teaching obligations at a later time, up to a five year window.

“We have many students who have jobs and responsibilities that can take their time away from the classroom,” said Koehler. “We shouldn’t be punishing these students for trying to accomplish their goals – we should be giving them the opportunities they need to succeed.”

House Bill 3498 passed the Senate Higher Education Committee Tuesday and now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – When Bloomington resident Curt Richardson got his DNA test results back from Ancestry.com, his life – and those of his parents – changed forever when they learned they had been victims of fertility fraud.

Richardson’s story is similar to hundreds of others across the state and nation who have lived most of their lives thinking the very people who raised them were their biological parents. State Senator Dave Koehler is working to bring awareness to fertility fraud and provide justice to the families who fall victim to the heinous act.

“Fertility fraud is an issue that has been overlooked for far too long,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “This is a horrible practice that has gone unpunished. Illinois needs to join other states in taking a stand for those who have been affected by this horrendous act.”

Fertility fraud occurs when a health care provider knowingly or intentionally uses their own human reproductive cells during an assisted reproductive treatment without the patient’s informed written consent.

When Richardson received his at-home DNA test results in June of 2021, he knew he couldn’t be silent. Richardson reached out to Koehler for help to ensure that if any other Illinoisans becomes victim of fertility fraud, they would be able to take legal action.

Senate Bill 380 would create the Illinois Fertility Fraud Act, which would allow people to bring action against health care providers who knowingly or intentionally use their own reproductive cells without the patient’s informed written consent.

The measure provides a civil cause of action for donor fertility fraud against health care providers who treat patients for infertility using donated human reproductive material without consent. It also states that any child born as a result of fertility fraud is entitled to a qualified protective order allowing the child access to the personal medical records and health history of the person who committed the fraud.

Illinois would join states like Texas, California and Indiana in outlining penalties for fertility fraud. The Illinois Fertility Fraud Act, the staunchest legislation of its kind currently being considered, is most similar to the legislation passed in Indiana, brought about in 2019 after a woman’s Ancestry.com DNA test revealed she had at least 50 biological half siblings due to a fertility doctor using his own sperm to impregnate his patients throughout the 70s and 80s.

Senate Bill 380 passed the Senate Friday and now heads to the House for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Dave Koehler led a measure through the Senate to create awareness of the history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois.

“Our state has a lot of history with the Underground Railroad,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “Illinois played a huge role in the path toward freedom. Through a new task force, we will map the search for freedom and justice for African Americans throughout the 1800s.”

Senate Bill 1623 would create the Underground Railroad Task Force. The group would develop a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois, while developing new educational and tourism opportunities.

The task force would identify where historical sites are located, connections they may have to one another, and will paint a picture to recognize the history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois. It would also introduce educational and tourism opportunities throughout the state.

“This task force will give children, historians, and Illinoisans a better understanding of how slavery impacted our state, and how leaders throughout Illinois took charge in helping slaves find their right to freedom,” said Koehler. “These educational opportunities will provide new perspective on just how much slavery impacted our state and nation.”

This bipartisan bill was initiated by Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman in the hopes of bringing awareness to this important part of our state’s history.

“Currently, there are many regional landmarks of the Underground Railroad throughout the state, but there is really no way of connecting them together," said Ackerman. “This task force give us the ability to tie all of these regional pockets together to tell the story of just how long the path the Underground Rail Road was in Illinois, and the lengths that abolitionists and slaves took in search of freedom.”

Senate Bill 1623 passed the Senate Wednesday. It now heads to the House for further consideration.