SPRINGFIELD – A new law sponsored by State Senator Mike Halpin and supported by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul will help stop parents who do not have primary custody of their child from skipping on child support payments.

"We wanted to make sure that parents who refuse to pay their child support can be tracked and held accountable," said Halpin (D-Rock Island). "This new law will assure that children receive the support they need and deserve."

Halpin’s law includes independent contractors in the definition of "employee" so that anyone who reports income on 1099 forms as an independent contractor will be reported to the National Directory of New Hires registry. The registry was established in 1996 to help track parents who are delinquent on child support payments across state lines.

Previously, parents were able to avoid the state database by not self-reporting income because they did not receive a W-2. Under Halpin’s measure, the parent’s 1099 will be reported to the database so the state will know approximately how much income was earned and can enter a court order to pay.

ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin is urging communities across Western Illinois to apply for Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grants.

“This state funding is a great resource to keep our parks clean and safe,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “There are many great public parks all throughout Western Illinois and I believe it is vital for local governments to take advantage of funding that is available.”

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.

ROCK ISLAND– Building upon the smart infrastructure investments supported by Senator Mike Halpin, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced an investment of nearly $500 million in road and bridge improvement projects.

“Andalusia Road isn’t even in the district I represent anymore, but I am committing to seeing safety improved there with needed repairs, before someone is seriously hurt,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “I am also proud to announce that we will see over 100 road and bridge projects coming to the Quad Cities, Galesburg, Monmouth, Macomb and everywhere in between.”

As part of IDOT’s latest Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, the district Halpin represents will see 114 infrastructure projects totaling $498,865,000 over the next six years.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois students will now have access to more educational resources and broader opportunities thanks to two laws championed by State Senator Mike Halpin.

“Through these new laws, students will be equipped with opportunities that suit their individual interests and aspirations,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “By breaking down traditional barriers and expanding access to student directory information, we can enable students to explore a broader range of educational options, which will help keep students in Illinois.”

One of the key components of Halpin’s legislation is expanding access to student directory information for public higher education institutions in Illinois. By Jan. 1, 2024, student directory information will be made available electronically through a secure centralized data system for official recruiting representatives of the armed forces and for public higher education institutions in Illinois. Access to this information enables colleges and universities to reach high school students more effectively, at a lower cost, and inform them of educational and career opportunities for their school.