Johnson law ensures transparency and dignity in end-of-life care for incarcerated individuals

SPRINGFIELD — In honor of Eddie Thomas — a man who died alone in a prison infirmary without access to hospice care — State Senator Adriane Johnson led the passage of a new law aimed at bringing dignity, transparency and compassion to end-of-life care within Illinois correctional facilities.

“Eddie’s Law is about ensuring humanity doesn’t stop at the prison gates,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “No one, regardless of their past, should face death alone, in pain or without access to basic care. This law is a step toward a more compassionate and just correctional system.”

House Bill 2397 requires the Illinois Department of Corrections to publish an annual report detailing the availability, scope, and use of hospice and palliative care services in state correctional facilities. The report will serve as a tool to inform lawmakers, advocates and the public about the gaps in care and help drive future reforms to address them.

Hospice and palliative care programs are designed to ease pain and support individuals with serious or terminal illnesses — yet access remains rare in U.S. prisons. Nationally, fewer than 5% of correctional institutions offer formal hospice care. In Illinois, where approximately 1,000 incarcerated individuals are over the age of 55 and serving long-term sentences, the need for compassionate end-of-life services is growing.

“As our prison population ages, we have a moral responsibility to ensure people are not left to suffer in silence,” Johnson said. “This law brings overdue transparency and will guide efforts to provide humane, medically appropriate care — even in the final stages of life.”

House Bill 2397 was signed into law Friday.

Johnson law prevents discrimination in final expense life insurance policies

SPRINGFIELD — Committed to advancing equity and dignity in financial planning, State Senator Adriane Johnson’s new law will prohibit insurers from denying or limiting final expense life insurance coverage solely due to a prior felony conviction.

“Everyone deserves the chance to care for their families, even after they’re gone,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “This law ensures that a person’s past doesn’t disqualify them from planning for the future with dignity and compassion.”

House Bill 2425 prohibits companies that offer final expense life insurance policies from rejecting applicants, limiting their coverage or inflating their premiums solely based on a felony conviction—provided the applicant is not currently incarcerated. Final expense policies—often referred to as burial or funeral insurance—are smaller-scale, affordable forms of whole-life insurance meant to help families handle end-of-life costs, including funeral services and medical bills.

By extending existing non-discrimination protections already provided in Illinois law to cover past felony convictions, this measure continues the state’s commitment to fair treatment. Current law already bars insurers from discriminating based on disability, veteran status and other personal history factors.

“This law is a step toward meaningful reintegration,” Johnson said. “When people complete their sentences, they deserve a chance to move forward—not face a lifetime of punishment. This change offers that opportunity.”

House Bill 2425 was signed into law Friday.

Johnson law removes barriers to compensate student teachers

SPRINGFIELD — Student teachers across Illinois will now have greater opportunities to receive compensation for their classroom contributions, thanks to a new law championed by State Senator Adriane Johnson.

“Student teachers put in long hours and shoulder real responsibilities — it’s only fair they have the option to be compensated,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “This law brings us one step closer to a more equitable, inclusive education system where aspiring educators aren’t pushed out due to financial hardship.”

House Bill 3528 prohibits public universities from enforcing rules that bar student teachers from receiving payment during their placement. While the law does not require student teachers to be paid, it eliminates longstanding prohibitions that blocked school districts, higher education institutions and nonprofit partners from providing stipends, wages or other forms of compensation.

Under previous policies, many student teachers worked full-time without pay for an entire semester — a financial burden that often discouraged talented candidates from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds from pursuing teaching careers.

“This law is about fairness and flexibility,” Johnson said. “By removing outdated barriers, we empower schools and teacher preparation programs to offer support that better reflects the demands placed on student teachers and helps diversify our education workforce.”

House Bill 3528 was signed into law Friday.

Johnson secures more than $8 million in additional funding for local school districts

• 30th District
• Evidence Based Funding

BUFFALO GROVE – State Senator Adriane Johnson announced that 12 school districts across the 30^th District will receive over $8 million in evidence-based funding, in addition to the base funding that the state provides.

“We have to make investments into our schools to ensure our students have the best educational opportunities available,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “With evidence-based funding, we can identify the school districts that need more funding and direct resources toward educators and institutions that need and deserve assistance.”

The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula — an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.

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