SPRINGFIELD – Children who walk to and from school will be safer under a new law championed by State Senator Laura Murphy.

“Every parent wants to know that their child reached their school safely, but with distracted driving on the rise, even a simple walk to school can be dangerous,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines.) “One thing that we can do to help reduce distraction is installing flashing beacons at crosswalks.”

Senate Bill 1941 allows local governments to install rapidly flashing beacons at pedestrian crosswalks near schools. These beacons activate when pedestrians use the crosswalk, alerting drivers to their presence.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Laura Murphy championed a new law that requires schools to establish emergency evacuation plans.

“This law ensures that schools are prepared for emergencies involving hazardous substances to protect students, staff, and visitors,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Preparing for accidents isn’t just taking precaution – it’s demonstrating responsibility.”

Under this legislation, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency-Office of Homeland Security would be required to work with the Illinois State Board of Education to develop guidance detailing the potential impacts of an explosion or release of hazardous substances near schools. The guidance must include recommendations for evacuation plans, communication protocols and how to identify a school district’s local disaster agency. This guidance would be shared with all local emergency planning committees, emergency services and disaster agencies and school districts in the state by Jan. 2027.

DES PLAINES – State Senator Laura Murphy is teaming up with the Illinois Department of Insurance to host a health insurance webinar on Sept. 9.

“The world of health insurance can be a difficult one to navigate, but you don’t have to walk it alone,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “At this webinar, you will have the chance to gain answers to all the questions you have about health insurance.”

The webinar will be held Tuesday, Sept. 9 at noon via Zoom. It will be presented by the Illinois Department of Insurance and is free and open to the public. A recording will be made available following the presentation.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn about basic insurance terminology, how to understand their insurance plans, mental health parity and new laws that have been passed in Illinois. Following the presentation, there will be a question and answer session. Participants can join via bit.ly/HealthWebinar2025.

For more information, contact Murphy’s office at 847-718-1110 or online.

SPRINGFIELD – A loophole that left schools in the dark regarding educator misconduct investigations will be closed thanks to a new law championed by State Senator Laura Murphy.

“Investigations into educator misconduct are vital to ensure children are protected in school, which is why closing this loophole is not only important – it’s necessary,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “When school districts are informed about misconduct investigations, they are able to safeguard students.”

Prior to Murphy’s law, the Illinois State Board of Education was prohibited from providing information on pending misconduct charges or ongoing investigations to an educator’s current employing school district. This left school districts in the dark about whether they unknowingly hired a teacher engaged in misconduct, potentially putting their students at risk.