Treatments for Alzheimer’s disease will soon be more accessible thanks to a new law championed by State Senator Laura Murphy.

“If individuals receive treatment in time, it can slow the progression of this terrible disease,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “When a family member has Alzheimer’s, every moment counts, so people shouldn’t be denied treatments that are effective.”

An initiative of the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter, the law requires group and individual health insurance plans to cover FDA-approved treatments or medications to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Diagnostic testing for doctors to determine the appropriate use of treatments or medications will also be covered.

In recent years, the FDA has approved medications that have been shown to delay cognitive decline for people impacted by the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Under this measure, any individual with insurance will able to access these life-changing treatments.

“We have been joining the fight against Alzheimer’s for years,” said Murphy. “Having access to these breakthrough treatment options shouldn’t depend on your insurance plan. This law puts patients first.”

Senate Bill 126 was signed into law Monday. A majority of the bill goes into effect immediately.

State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) issued the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2026 budget:

“Once again, Illinois has produced a balanced budget that provides funding for essential services, without putting additional tax burdens on working families. It is a plan that puts people first while navigating a complex fiscal landscape. Despite financial challenges, this budget takes a responsible approach to ensuring stability and continued investment in our communities.

“In Illinois, we are fighting to ensure students have access to an equitable education. K-12 education will continue to be fully funded through the evidence-based funding formula, ensuring our youth have the support and resources needed to succeed. The investments in higher education are also notable with a $10 million increase for MAP grants and funding to keep momentum at community colleges all over the state.

“I’m also glad to see wage increases for community care workers and direct support professionals. They are the backbone of support for our seniors and people with disabilities, this wage increase helps recognize their essential work. We need these essential workers in our communities, so I will continue to fight for future increases to support a high-quality workforce to care for our seniors and those with disabilities.

“We are maintaining our funding responsibilities to local governments. Local governments are on the front lines of our communities. Keeping level funding is essential to ensure they have the resources to meet their residents’ needs and keep communities vibrant.

“This budget does the difficult job of ensuring vital services continue to be funded, regardless of the uncertainty of funding from the federal government. I would like to thank my colleagues for coming together to ensure that financial needs of this state are addressed in a fair and equitable way.”

SPRINGFIELD – To keep human traffickers off Illinois roadways, bring to justice to victims of human trafficking and shield everyday Illinoisans from unnecessary exposure, State Senator Laura Murphy passed legislation to expand the expressway camera program to target traffickers while prohibiting images taken by license plate readers from being released via FOIA requests.

“The expansion of this program would empower law enforcement with the tools necessary to swiftly identify human traffickers in real time,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “This bill sends a clear message that Illinois will not be used as a safe haven for these criminals.”

Human traffickers often use highways to transport victims. Truck stops in particular are often hotspots for this kind of illicit activity and those vehicles can be tracked using an expressway camera.

Building on Murphy’s efforts to address public safety in 2022, the new initiative would expand the existing expressway camera program to Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties and enable police to use expressway cameras for human trafficking and involuntary servitude investigations. The current camera program is limited to target gun violence, vehicular hijacking and other offenses.

Law enforcement has already used these cameras to great effect in the 20 counties currently authorized for their operation. According to Illinois State Police, automated license plate readers helped identify a suspect or a witness in 82% of interstate shootings in 2024.

On the issue of privacy, Murphy’s legislation would exempt images captured on automated license plate cameras from Freedom of Information Act requests. This is in line with current state law prohibiting data collection tools like license plate readers from being used by out-of-state law enforcement to target people traveling to and around Illinois to access reproductive and gender-affirming care.

“There are bad actors out there who may use these images to track or stalk someone,” said Murphy. “Additionally, if the public or media gain access to photos while building a criminal case, it could tip off criminals. Exempting photos taken from expressway cameras is the right thing to do for public safety.”

House Bill 3339 passed the Senate Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – To keep human traffickers off Illinois roadways, bring to justice to victims of human trafficking and shield everyday Illinoisans from unnecessary exposure, State Senator Laura Murphy has pushed forward a bill to expand the expressway camera program to target traffickers while prohibiting images taken by license plate readers from being released via FOIA requests.

“We are giving our law enforcement an invaluable tool to bring human traffickers to justice,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “This legislation proves we are serious about cutting down on length of investigations, rescuing victims and making the police’s job easier.”

Human traffickers often use highways to transport victims. Truck stops in particular are often hotspots for this kind of illicit activity and those vehicles can be tracked using an expressway camera.

Building on Murphy’s efforts to address public safety in 2022, the new initiative would expand the existing expressway camera program to Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties and enable police to use expressway cameras for human trafficking and involuntary servitude investigations. The current camera program is limited to target gun violence, vehicular hijacking and other offenses.