Suburban towing company holds hearing aid hostage, Cunningham responds with legislative action

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced a measure that would add medical devices to the list of items that can be recovered from a towed vehicle and seeks to address over-the-top towing fees on stolen vehicles.

“I was shocked to find out that car owners are currently not allowed to recover medical devices, like hearing aids, from their vehicles – even if their vehicle is stolen and later towed,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This is a commonsense fix. I think we can all agree that private towing companies shouldn’t be able to hold medical devices hostage in a towed vehicle.”

The legislation was brought to Cunningham from a constituent of the 18^th District. The constituent’s vehicle was stolen from outside their residence in Chicago and was eventually located by law enforcement and towed in Alsip. The constituent did not find out where their vehicle was located until a week after it was recovered, receiving a letter in the mail from a suburban towing company that was holding the vehicle. When the constituent went to recover the vehicle, they were told they would have to pay a fee of $1,500, and were not allowed to recover a hearing aid from the vehicle until the fee was paid.

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Cunningham secures over $430,000 in transportation funding for individuals with disabilities

CHICAGO– State Senate Bill Cunningham announced two social service providers in Alsip and Oak Lawn are set to receive a combined total of $432,000 to offer reliable and accessible transportation options for people living with disabilities.

“People with disabilities are valuable members of our community, and we need to look out for opportunities to increase accessibility in transportation wherever possible,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This is vital funding because it ensures residents have access to reliable transportation for things like medical appointments, the grocery store and service programs.”

Through the Consolidated Vehicle Procurement Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, more than 500 paratransit vehicles valued at $57.1 million have been awarded to 113 transit providers. The vehicles are delivered to public transportation providers as well as nonprofit organizations serving seniors and individuals with disabilities.

Park Lawn School and Activity Center in Oak Lawn was awarded $240,000 for two vehicles. The nonprofit organization provides services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including community day services and supportive employment.

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Cunningham responds to the governors proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025

Cunningham legislation reforms BIPA while protecting businesses and employees

• Digital Privacy
• Biometric Information
• SB 2979

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to shield Illinois employers from costly lawsuits without rolling back the state’s strict digital privacy protections, State Senator Bill Cunningham filed Senate Bill 2979, which makes changes to the liability guidelines in the Biometric Information Privacy Act.

“Given the rash of cybersecurity breaches we hear about, Illinoisans should be proud that we have arguably the strongest digital privacy laws in the nation. However, our laws have not kept up with changes in technology, which has left some small businesses facing overwhelming financial liabilities,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “SB 2979 will keep the current privacy restrictions in place and hold violators accountable, as well as ensure businesses are not unfairly punished for technical violations of the law.”

Under BIPA, private entities must obtain written consent before collecting and storing biometric information, such as an employee’s fingerprint. If a business is sued for violating BIPA, they can be ordered to pay damages for each instance where biometric information is collected — even if they repeatedly collect the same information. This has led to situations where an employer can be ordered to pay millions in liquidated damages, and in a case involving White Castle, billions of dollars, because each collection counts as a separate violation. For instance, businesses that use digital fingerprinting systems for employee timekeeping often take swipes of each employee’s fingerprint multiple times per shift — like when the employee arrives for work, leaves for and returns from a lunch break, or checks out at the end of the work day. Under BIPA, each of those swipes can qualify as a violation of the law if the employee has not provided written consent, exposing the business to a minimum of $1,000 in damages every time a swipe is taken.

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