McLean County Times

Sen. Chapin Rose has provided an update on one of his bills through a news release issued on May 11.

The bill in question, Senate Bill 1115, was initially filed by Sen. John Curran on February 2, 2023. However, on March 15, Rose was appointed as the bill's chief sponsor.

"Bad guys don’t care what department a cop works for, and when an officer gets hurt, it shouldn’t matter either," Rose said. "They should get the same benefits whether they work for university police or city police. Our brave men and women in blue need to know that we support them, and this is one small way that we can do that."

The proposed legislation aims to provide disability benefits for university police officers who become disabled while serving in their line of duty. According to the bill, the disability benefit would be calculated as the greater of two options: either 65% of the participant's basic compensation, excluding wage or salary increases after the disability, or 65% of the participant's average earnings during the 24 months leading up to the disability.

The bill successfully passed in both the State Senate on March 30 and the House of Representatives on May 8. It currently awaits the signature of Gov. J.B. Pritzker to become law. This development marks a significant milestone for Rose and underscores his commitment to advocating for the welfare and rights of police officers.

Sen. Chapin Rose has served the Illinois Senate since 2013, representing Senate District 51. Prior to that, he had a career as a member of the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2013. Sen. Rose has consistently demonstrated his dedication to public service and his constituents' interests throughout his tenure.