Margaret Croke, State Representative for 12th District (D) | https://www.facebook.com/crokeforillinois
Margaret Croke, State Representative for 12th District (D) | https://www.facebook.com/crokeforillinois
According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Foster Children's Bill of Rights Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to: (1) establish and maintain a decentralized supply of luggage to be used to transport the belongings of any child in the foster care system; and (2) develop procedures for the storage and distribution of luggage. Requires the Department to provide luggage to a child who is being removed from home or changing placement. Requires the Department, subject to appropriation, to purchase luggage that cannot otherwise be provided through grant or donation to ensure a sufficient supply of luggage for foster children. Provides that the Department shall submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly that summarizes: (i) the number of times a trash bag was used to transport a foster child's personal belongings and the reasons the Department failed to provide the child with appropriate luggage; and (ii) the Department's supply inventory and inventory management practices for its luggage supply."
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends the Foster Children's Bill of Rights Act by mandating the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to establish and maintain a decentralized supply of luggage for children in the foster care system. It requires the department to develop procedures for the storage and distribution of luggage, ensuring that all children being removed from a home or changing placements are provided with luggage instead of using trash bags. The luggage provided to a child belongs to them and cannot be reclaimed by the department. Subject to funding, the department must purchase luggage that cannot be obtained through donations, with a cap of $150 per bag. The department must record instances where a trash bag is used instead of luggage and submit an annual report to the governor and General Assembly detailing these instances and their luggage inventory management practices. This requirement expires Jan. 1, 2028.
Croke graduated from the University of Michigan in 2014 with a BA.
Margaret Croke is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 12th House District. She replaced previous state representative Yoni Pizer in 2021.
Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.
You can read more about bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB0010 | 01/09/2025 | Amends the Foster Children's Bill of Rights Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to: (1) establish and maintain a decentralized supply of luggage to be used to transport the belongings of any child in the foster care system; and (2) develop procedures for the storage and distribution of luggage. Requires the Department to provide luggage to a child who is being removed from home or changing placement. Requires the Department, subject to appropriation, to purchase luggage that cannot otherwise be provided through grant or donation to ensure a sufficient supply of luggage for foster children. Provides that the Department shall submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly that summarizes: (i) the number of times a trash bag was used to transport a foster child's personal belongings and the reasons the Department failed to provide the child with appropriate luggage; and (ii) the Department's supply inventory and inventory management practices for its luggage supply. |
| HB1076 | 01/09/2025 | Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that any individual or group policy of accident or health insurance that is delivered, extended, renewed, or modified after January 1, 2026 must provide coverage for at least one 6-month supply of each of the following for each infant covered by the policy: an early egg allergen introduction dietary supplement prescribed by a health care practitioner; and an early peanut allergen introduction dietary supplement prescribed by a health care practitioner. Provides that the coverage shall be provided without cost-sharing, except to the extent the cost-sharing limitation would cause a catastrophic plan to fail to be treated as a catastrophic plan under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or would keep a high-deductible health plan from being treated as a high-deductible health plan or to the extent the cost-sharing limitation would disqualify the plan from a health savings account. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 and the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code to require that coverage. Effective immediately. |
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