CHICAGO – Expanding on efforts to create meaningful partnerships within the community, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas was excited to host a series of Youth Advisory Council meetings with teens from across the district she represents.

“Giving our young people the tools they need to advocate for themselves and their community is important to forming strong, confident leaders,” said Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “By centering the experiences and voices of teens in our community, we can ensure our policies work for everyone.”

The 20^th District Youth Advisory Council met five times through May and June. Participants are high school-aged students with a passion for community-building and the legislative process.

The meetings allowed local young people discuss collective values and goals for their communities, formulate policy ideas and more.

The council built upon the work of the 20^th District Policy Roundtables, which feature participants who live and work in the district coming together to inform a legislative agenda in the core areas of health, housing, education, environment, small business/workforce and violence prevention.

“I have always said that the people closest to the problems are often the ones with the best solutions,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Seeing these young people come together and share ideas was invigorating, and it gives me hope that our future is in good hands.”

Some members of the Youth Advisory Council look forward to continuing work in Sen. Pacione-Zayas’ district office through the One Summer Chicago program.

People interested in getting involved in the policymaking process are encouraged to learn more and sign up for the 20^th District Policy Roundtables here.

CHICAGO – Thanks to support from State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas, a law to protect restaurants, bars and retailers from having their brand used by third-party entities without permission was signed into law Friday.  

“Local businesses are the heart of our communities, and it’s imperative we protect them from practices carried out by third parties that may misrepresent them or lose them business,” said Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “This issue came to my attention from a constituent who was taken advantage of by a third-party delivery service, and I am proud to see this law addressing their issue directly.”

The Fair Food & Retail Delivery Act prohibits a third-party delivery service from posting or advertising a menu or other trademarked property belonging to a restaurant or retailer without express written consent from the business.

Local businesses have reported delivery services listing menus and items on their platform without making the business aware—essentially using the brands of these establishments that might not want to utilize delivery services.

“Now, our businesses will have more control over their brand and their products,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Hopefully, this law will also discourage third-party delivery services from partaking in these deceptive practices to begin with.”

The Fair Food & Delivery Act goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023.

CHICAGO – Students of public universities and colleges will soon have access to an on-campus point-person to help them find and apply for assistance programs thanks to a law sponsored in the Senate by State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago).

“There are countless assistance programs offered by campuses, communities and the state for students to take advantage of,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Now, an on-campus benefits navigator can help students find and apply for programs for food or housing assistance, scholarships, and more.”

The new law requires each public university and community college in Illinois to designate a benefits navigator to assist students in identifying and applying for benefit programs and campus-wide and community assistance programs.

Additionally, the benefits navigator will participate in a statewide consortium with navigators from other universities and colleges to develop best practices and coordinate information.

“The benefits navigator will be a go-to person for students needing to traverse campus and community resources and will help to address resource insecurities like food and housing that many college students face,” said State Representative Maurice West, House sponsor of the legislation. “Having benefit navigators in our colleges and universities will ensure many students obtain the tools and resources they need to successfully complete college and make a better life for themselves and their families.”

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the measure into law Tuesday. It goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

CHICAGO – A law to help identify families in need of additional financial assistance for college savings accounts was signed Tuesday, thanks to the hard work of State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas.

“A big part of helping families afford college is making sure they know what financial assistance resources are available,” said Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “This law will not only allow for additional deposits in a Children’s Savings Account for students from financially unstable households, it will also help us understand who is taking advantage of the program and allow us to target outreach to families who might not be aware of it.”

The Illinois Children’s Savings Account program will go into effect in 2023. Under the current program, applicable families will receive a seed deposit of $50. The new law, formerly Senate Bill 3991, allows the state treasurer’s office to supplement CSA’s for financially insecure households with additional funds.

Additionally, the law requires the treasurer’s office to collect more data on program participants to keep track of the social and geographic makeup of those who are utilizing these accounts. This will help further ensure equitable roll out of the program.

“As a parent of three children, I have spent years advocating for a statewide children’s savings account program. I didn’t go to college, but my son was lucky enough to receive a scholarship,” said Liliana Olayo, Co-President POWER-PAC IL and member of the Steering Committee of Financial Inclusion for All Illinois. “With a statewide CSA program that promotes equity, more families like mine will have hope for the future and an investment in their children’s potential early on.”

The law was signed Tuesday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023.