August 21, 2007

SPRINGFIELD – Several bills sponsored by State Senator Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) were recently signed by the Governor, including a measure that will halt the spread of a deadly bacterium that has become increasingly prevalent in Illinois hospitals.

  Radogno said that Senate Bill 233 was introduced in an effort to combat a dangerous, rapidly spreading bacterium that has developed a strong resistance to common antibiotics. The bacteria, Methicillin-resistent Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) is particularly dangerous in hospitals, where intensive care and “at-risk” patients are predominantly threatened.

  “MRSA is a growing problem in hospitals across the nation,” Radogno said. “In just three years the number of hospital patients in Illinois who were infected rose by around 54 percent. If the state’s hospitals and medical facilities don’t make a serious effort to combat this crisis now, the situation will only deteriorate.”

  The new law requires hospitals to establish an MRSA control program to identify, isolate and record all cases of MRSA-infected patients to the Department of Public Health, and also mandates that hospitals establish and strictly enforce aggressive hygiene procedures.

  Also signed by the Governor was Senate Bill 166, which will enhance bus safety measure for all Illinois school children. The law calls for all school districts to enact a policy to ensure that school bus drivers complete a post trip inspection of the bus to make sure no school children are accidentally left behind or remain on the vehicle at the end of a bus route, a work shift or the work day.

  “Several years ago, a four-year-old disabled child in my district was left strapped in his seat on an empty school bus for an entire day because the driver simply forgot to check to make sure no children were on the bus before leaving the vehicle,” Radogno explained. “The boy’s father came to me with the idea for this legislation in the hopes that a law would be signed to hold both school districts and bus drivers accountable for checking the bus for children at the end of the route.”

  Currently school bus drivers are required to check the bus at the end of their work shift; however, there is no law which requires them to check the bus at the end of each route or shift, and school districts are not required to implement a school bus policy to address these concerns.

Finally, legislation sponsored by Radogno was signed by the Governor and will impose an additional $500 fine for individuals convicted of child pornography.

  The legislation, House Bill 170, was introduced at the suggestion of the Lake County State’s Attorney. Senator Radogno explained that the revenue from the additional fine will be given to the unit of local government whose law enforcement officers investigated the case that resulted in a conviction for child pornography.

  “This new law will not only increase the financial penalty for people convicted of victimizing a child, but the fine will be used to help law enforcement target and convict future child predators,” said Radogno.

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