[IL-Talk] State Legislation Subcommittee Meeting, March 18 2021

[Bill Reif]

Hello Committee Members,

It turns out there were two omissions in my previous message. The time 
of the Thursday meeting is at 7:00. Also: I was not successful in 
pasting the notes from our last meeting, which should be at the bottom 
of this message.


Cordially,

Bill



This is a reminder of our second NFBI STATE legislation Subcommittee 
meeting, set for Thursday March 18th. Zoom meeting details to follow. 
This meeting will update us on important developments on several bills 
we are monitoring or involved in, most importantly the efforts to make 
vote-by-mail elections more accessible and private. Please read Dave 
Meyer's meeting notes below.


I hope all committee members can attend, and invite others interested in 
our work to attend as well.


Cordially,

Bill Reif, State Legislative Co-chair



STATE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE MEETING

March 4, 2021

The following people were in attendance. Bill Reif, David Meyer, Marilyn 
Green, Patti Chang, Debbie Stein, Mary Grunwald Dustin Cather Michal 
Nowickiand Kira O’Bradovich.

Accessible voting: There are two bills that are addressing this topic. 
 From what Patti was able to tell, these bills do not address all of our 
concerns. Dave asked about implementing electronic signatures. Patti and 
bill said it was absolutely possible to do them. Bill says that there is 
a digital standard for these signatures. It was also agreed upon that 
military people can use electronic signatures. There are four states 
that are implementing electronic signatures on some level. Patti’s 
sentiment is that we should push for everything that we want. Another 
reason for this is that signatures would not have to be authenticated. 
The bills we are talking abouthave been introduced with no hearings so 
far. Bill will develop an amendment and try to shop it. We should not 
have to register as disabled voters. Rather, we should be able to 
register and then request an electronic ballot.

HB1981: It was moved by Patti and seconded by Mary not to take a 
position. Motion carried.

We have not been able to find anything concerning a switch of 
rehabilitation from the department of Human Services to the Department 
of Commerce. We will not deal with this presently.

There is another bill, the number of which I am unable to find that will 
extend the end of school for someone in special ed from a student’s 
22^nd birthday, to the end of the school year in which the student turns 
22. We will support this idea. Bill will pass details onto the committee.

SB180. We will try to contact the sponsor on this bill to find out where 
blind people fit in. We will also try to get in on the task force 
associated with this bill. It was moved by Patti and seconded by Dave to 
get om the task force and support the bill. Motion carried. Bill will 
check on particulars about the bill.

Web access in schools: We will support this bill and try to work with 
the sponsor to try to strengthen it.

This was following a motion by Patti and a second by Debbie.

Bill Dustin and Debbie will be on a committee about this bill with 
Dustin will chair. We should also get a student on the committee. 
Possibly Sarah or Ellen Bartelt.

We will also ask Jennifer Howe to be a parent representative of this 
committee as well.

We are not taking a position on HB864.

The next meeting will take place at 7:00 on March 18.