State Senator Doris Turner is advancing a pair of measures aimed at improving safety and accessibility for Illinois residents, with both proposals recently passing the Illinois Senate with bipartisan support.

One of the measures focuses on protecting students with disabilities who rely on service animals in school settings. Turner’s proposal, Senate Bill 2761, would require additional training for teachers, administrators, and school personnel on how to properly handle and support service animals. The training would be added to existing requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Turner says the goal is to ensure students who depend on service animals are treated with respect and understanding in the classroom.

The legislation was prompted by a reported incident involving a Rochester High School student who uses a medical alert dog to manage Type 1 diabetes. The student told school officials she experienced harassment from classmates, including inappropriate behavior toward the dog. Turner says the situation highlighted the need for clearer guidance and education in schools.
The bill now moves to the Illinois House for further consideration.

In a separate effort, Turner is also working to improve public access to medication recall information. Her second proposal, Senate Bill 3223, would require pharmacies across Illinois to post a visible sign near counters and drive-up windows with a QR code. The code would link patients to recall information available through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.

Turner says the measure is designed to give patients quicker, more direct access to important safety information about their medications without placing additional burdens on pharmacists.

That measure has also passed the Senate and now heads to the House.