Speaker Hastert named him to the Department of Justice Medal of Valor Review Board, an advisory group to President George Bush.
[citation needed] On October 6, 2007, Republican incumbent Todd Sieben announced that he would not run for reelection in the 2008 general election.
[5] Upon his swearing in, Minority Leader Frank Watson assigned Bivins to the following committees: Agriculture and Conservation, Licensed Activities, Commerce and Economic Development, State Government and Veterans Affairs.
[6] Four of five bills sponsored by Senator Bivins in his first legislative session – covering ethics, local schools, county jails and law enforcement – were passed by lawmakers.
During the fall of 2008, he sponsored a number of public hearings in northwestern Illinois about the closing of state parks and historic sites by former Governor Rod Blagojevich.