SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) is working with Representative Camille Lilly (D-Chicago) to improve the openness and transparency of Illinois state government by ensuring that Illinois residents know more about the services their state government offers.

They are sponsoring legislation that will create “Department Ambassadors” within the Department of Human Services. These ambassadors will work directly with the public to help ensure that everyone knows about the services the department offers and to connect people with the appropriate offices to apply for relevant programs.

“Too often, people don’t even know what their government does for them,” Harmon said. “Creating Department Ambassadors is a way to push government services to the people and communities who need them.”

The Department Ambassadors project within the Department Human Services will be a test program. If the program is successful, it may be expanded to more government agencies.

Though the program is an initiative of Representative Lilly, Senator Harmon is shepherding it through the Senate. It has passed the Senate Human Services Committee and now awaits a vote in the full Senate.