SPRINGFIELD – Clean energy alternatives are within reach for more Illinois households under a new law sponsored by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) preventing property owners’ associations from putting up unnecessary barriers to solar installation.

“Solar panels are getting sleeker, more affordable and more powerful all the time,” Johnson said. “We should encourage—not punish—homeowners who want to take advantage of this developing technology and reduce their environmental footprints.”

The law expands the Homeowners’ Energy Policy Statement Act to prevent property owners’ associations from enacting policies that outright or effectively prohibit their members from installing solar energy systems on buildings under 60 feet in height that do not have a shared roof. Previously, the act only covered buildings under 30 feet in height.

Property owners’ associations can still determine the configuration of the solar energy system on a roof, as long as the new configuration does not prohibit installation in any way or limit energy production by more than 10%.

Johnson’s initiative also shortens the timeline for property owners’ associations to respond to solar energy system installation applications or requests for policy statements, helping reduce delays for individuals looking to install solar panels on their homes.

“Greener, cleaner energy is the future,” Johnson said. “Residents should be able to make the switch without worrying about obstacles and delays.”

House Bill 644 takes effect immediately.

SPRINGFIELD – Individuals who have overcome addiction can no longer be denied life insurance coverage or charged sky-high rates solely because they have undergone treatment for substance abuse under a new law sponsored by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove).

“For too long, life insurance companies have discriminated against those who have shown exceptional strength and commitment in seeking treatment for their addiction,” Johnson said. “This new law empowers them to move forward from their past and celebrate their recovery.”

The new law prohibits a life insurance company from denying or limiting coverage or charging higher rates based solely on whether an individual has participated in a substance use treatment or recovery support program more than five years prior to application.

Insurance companies are also now prohibited from discriminating based on whether the applicant has previously been prescribed an opioid antagonist such as Narcan or Naloxone.

“Overcoming an addiction means putting your future first,” Johnson said. “I’m excited to see insurance companies will no longer be able to punish individuals for changing their lives for the better.”

The legislation does not prohibit life insurance companies from making coverage decisions based on physical and mental conditions caused by substance abuse.

House Bill 33 takes effect Jan. 1, 2022.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois homeowners can more quickly, easily and affordably remove racist language from their property deeds under a new law sponsored by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove).

“Racial covenants have held back Black and Brown families for generations, and many residents may not even be aware that the language still lingers in their property deeds,” Johnson said. “Homeowners shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to strike such harmful and antiquated provisions from their property records.”

The law allows individuals, condominium associations, unit owners’ associations and other property owners to remove language for unlawful restrictive covenants from recorded property interests, including deeds to property, by submitting a request to the local county recorder.

Under Johnson’s law, the recorder can charge a fee of no more than $10 for filing a restrictive covenant modification.

“No one should feel unwelcome in their own neighborhood because of disgraceful and archaic language in their property ownership documents,” said State Representative Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove), the sponsor of the measure in the House. “The new streamlined process to remove those provisions will advance our goal of building a state where no one is disadvantaged because of their race or religion.”

Starting in the 1920s and continuing throughout the mid-20th century, the Federal Housing Authority actively segregated metropolitan areas, guaranteeing bank loans for the construction and development of suburbs on the condition that the sale of the homes in that suburb be restricted by race. Deeds to these homes also included racial restrictive covenants prohibiting resale of the home to people of a certain race.

In 1948 the Supreme Court deemed all racial restrictive covenants unenforceable. Despite this ruling, developers and realtors continued to include racial restrictive covenants in deeds until 1968, when the FHA outlawed these covenants altogether.

“Racial covenants are no longer enforceable, but they are a painful relic of the historical harms done to our communities of color,” Johnson said. “Eliminating racist language from our government documents is an important step toward rooting out racism in all our systems.”

House Bill 58 takes effect Jan. 1, 2022.

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. – To provide a fun way for the community to beat the heat while learning about what’s going on in Springfield, State Senators Julie Morrison and Adriane Johnson are hosting an ice cream social Sunday, July 25.

“One of my favorite parts of my job as a state senator has always been meeting people in the community and sharing the strides we made in Springfield while hearing their feedback,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “After more than a year of not being able to host face-to-face events, I’m excited to get back out into Lake County and talk with the people who make the district such a great place to live.”

Community members are invited to visit the outdoor gazebo at Horizon Park, located at 378 Schoenbeck Road in Wheeling, from 1-2p.m. on July 25. Senators Morrison and Johnson will provide free ice cream, discuss the successes of the spring legislative session, and answer questions from attendees.

The event is free and open to the public, and all ages are welcome.

“In light of the challenges of the past year, I’m looking forward to spending time out in the community and getting to know our neighbors,” Johnson said. “My first spring legislative session was a busy one, and I can’t wait to discuss all the important things we’ve been working on.”

Anyone with questions can call Senator Morrison’s office at 847-945-5200 or Senator Johnson’s office at 847-672-6201.