Subject: The Advocate, Update, July 29, 2003

From:

Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:15:21 EDT

Hello Advocates,

Congratulations to all advocates for MS.  The Emergency Evacuation Plan Act, HB-3095, has been signed into law by Governor Blagojevich and becomes effective January 1, 2004.  A special congratulations to advocate Leigh Gilmore who was the inspiration for this legislation.

This legislation provides that an evacuation plan must be established even if the owner has not been notified of a need for evacuation assistance by a disabled occupant of the building.  The building owner (rather than the plan) must provide for a means to notify the occupants of the building that the owner maintains a list identifying persons with a disability in need of emergency evacuation assistance and those occupants can place their names on that list.

Thank you one and all for your support and especially those phone calls.  I know I call on all of you quite a bit to make phone calls and write letters, but look how it has paid off.

Also, let us thank our House and Senate sponsors.  I recommend giving them a call, especially if you are a constituent, but even if you are not a constituent, and thanking them.

House Sponsors:
Rep. James H. Meyer, Jack McGuire, James D. Brosnahan, Eileen Lyons

Senate Sponsors
Sen.M. Maggie Crotty & Dave Sullivan)

Next, we wait for news from the Governor's office on SB-293, adding multiple sclerosis to the Circuit Breaker legislation.

Thanks, everyone,

Yolanda Treiguts, Chair
Advocacy/Government Relations Committee
Greater Illinois Chapter
National Multiple Sclerosis Society