Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed off on a new LGBTQ+ rights advancement package that tackles a few of the community's hurdles and updates older legislations and systems.
Pritzker signed the bill into law on Tuesday, July 27, and it covers health issues facing the community and adds more inclusivity to the marriage system.
The four bills in the passed legislation include:
- Expanding infertility insurance to LGBTQ+ families and single parents, as well as reducing wait times for women over age 35
- Updating the marriage certificate process to allow for gender-neutral language and allows recipients to correct and change information on already-existing certificates
- Creating a state-wide standard for marriage certificate name changes that county clerks must follow
- Decriminalizing the transmission of HIV, which often threatined those suffering from the condition with arrest, prosecution, and incarceration regardless of if they transmitted the virus to another person.
“Today, I’ll sign four new bills into law that advance Illinoisans’ ability to live their fullest lives as their truest selves,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “In our continued efforts to shape a safer and more inclusive Illinois, my administration is on a mission to lift up and empower those who too often have been overlooked or forgotten. Today, the State of Illinois is taking another step to advance that mission.”
