SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Paul Faraci championed legislation that will waive fees for veterans adopting dogs or cats.

“Animals can be incredibly helpful in providing comfort to people who suffer from PTSD,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “We are cutting fees so veterans can access the sense of companionship that animals provide.”

Across the state, pet adoption fees vary widely depending on the organization, ranging from $50 to $275. The measure requires animal shelters and animal control facilities to waive the adoption fee for military veterans in Illinois.

For our returning troops, the benefits of bonding with a pet is important to aiding the transition back to civilian life. The bond created between people and animals can reduce grief, lessen loneliness, and improve mental health and overall well-being. Pets have the ability to improve the lives of veterans and, likewise, veterans can improve the lives of sheltered animals by giving them a home.

"Every little bit helps, and this a small way we can thank those who protect and serve our country,” said Faraci.

House Bill 2500 was signed into law on Friday and takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored State Senator Paul Faraci aimed at creating a hunger-free campus grant program was signed into law.

“This is a good step in the right direction to address inequalities when it comes to access to food on campus,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “If we want to help students, we have to make the necessary investments in all different aspects of college.”

Faraci’s legislation aims to address student hunger by providing funding for grants to higher education institutions that have one or more campuses designated as hunger-free campuses. The grants will be used to leverage sustainable solutions, raise awareness of existing services on campus and build strategic partnerships to address food insecurity among students. The legislation also requires each institution to establish a hunger task force to determine strategies for achieving a hunger-free campus in order to be eligible for the grant.

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Paul Faraci’s measure to allow local government agencies, including law enforcement, to receive grant money for harm reduction deflection programs was signed into law.

“Many times there are circumstances where the best thing that can happen to a person is being admitted into a deflection program that avoids spending the night in jail,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “I am a firm believer that people struggling with mental health and substance use disorder should have an alternative to sitting in jail.”

The new law will allow law enforcement and other first responder agencies to create deflection programs in partnership with licensed providers of substance use disorder treatment and other community members and organizations. The programs are designed to connect persons with substance use and mental health disorders with treatment instead of arrest or other involvement with the criminal justice system.

CHAMPAIGN – State Senator Paul Faraci is urging agencies across Champaign and Vermilion Counties to apply for Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grants.

“Public parks give our community a great place to go to spend time with their families,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “This state funding is extremely important for the upkeep of our local parks.”

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will be accepting applications for Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, grants through Aug. 31.

The program offers state-financed funding assistance to local governmental agencies for acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and outdoor recreation areas. A total of $56 million is available for this round of OSLAD grants. In addition, IDNR will once again provide funding to cover 100% of eligible projects located in economically distressed communities.

Applications are being accepted through Aug. 31 and should be submitted to IDNR. For more information on the OSLAD program, visit IDNR’s website.