New Year, New Laws

Posted on January 16, 2012 in Business, Community, Legislative

State Representative Sara Feigenholtz recently informed her constituents about a handful of new laws taking effect in the New Year. The list below includes those that impact businesses and the way of life in Lincoln Park specifically:

Backseat Seat Belts: House Bill 219 requires all passengers in a vehicle (instead of just front seat passengers) to wear a seat belt. Backseat taxicab passengers are exempt.

Electronics Recycling: To help keep hazardous material out of landfills, Senate Bill 2106 requires many types of electronic equipment to be recycled including televisions, computers, and video game consoles. Illegally throwing these items away could result in a $25 fine. You can recycle your used electronic equipment at Recycle Tech Solutions (3639 North Broadway or 2000 West Division) or at the City of Chicago's Recycling Center (1150 North Branch). If you have trouble getting to these locations, please contact my office for assistance.

Lock Changes on Rental Units: House Bill 1233 requires Cook County landlords to change a unit's locks in between tenants.

Nursing Home Infection Control: I introduced House Bill 1096 to improve nursing home safety regulations by requiring each facility to develop policies to control the spread of infection and communicable diseases. Facilities must designate at least one staff member to be responsible for the implementation of these policies.

Insurance Recoupment: Currently, there is no time limit on insurance companies deciding that a patient was ineligible for the benefits for services provided and can recoup the payment at any time. This can often happen months or even years after the services were rendered leaving providers, doctors and patients with the cost years after the fact. House Bill 1193 prevents insurance companies from recouping more than 18 months after the original payment was made.

Financial Exploitation of the Elderly: House Bill 1689 stiffens penalties for financially exploiting a person over the age of 60. For example, under current law the exploitation of an individual over the age of 60 is a Class 1 felony (punishable by 4 to 15 years of jail time and up to a $25,000 fine) if the property is worth $100,000 or more. Under the new law, exploitation of a person over the age of 60 is a Class 1 felony if the property is worth $50,000 or more.