SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Representative Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Romeoville, passed legislation in the House that encourages language proficiency by offering pay incentives for bilingual individuals seeking employment. 

“The Illinois tollways are meeting points for differing people and communities all over Illinois,” said Avelar. “It’s important that we find a way for Illinois State Tollway employees to be able to communicate with everyone. By offering pay incentives for different languages and ASL, we ensure the public has access and information they need when interacting with tollway employees while providing extra income for bilingual individuals. This legislation incentivizes those that make the effort to learn more than one language or those that have been multilingual since childhood.”  

House Bill 5071 allows the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to offer special pay supplements for positions that require a spoken, written, or signed language besides English including American Sign Language. The bill seeks to both attract multilingual employees to this line of work and also encourages current employees of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to become fluent in another language besides English.

“Language is a matter of accessibility, and we need to make sure all facets of Illinois life, including toll highways, are accessible to all,” said Avelar. “When we offer incentives to those who know more than one language and encourage individuals to learn another language, we are creating opportunities for employment, compensation and integration into diverse communities.”

This bill has passed the House and is now moving to the Senate for further consideration. 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Romeoville, is cleaning up abandoned gas tanks that can leak chemicals into our drinking water and hold back neighborhood development by passing legislation to promote the removal of abandoned, underground storage tanks containing fuel or hazardous chemicals. 

“Often, underground storage tanks left over from old and abandoned stations rot and leak hazardous chemicals into the soil and groundwater, presenting a real risk to public health,” said Avelar. “While negatively impactful for the environment, they’re unfortunately also expensive to remove. This legislation will help eliminate that barrier and foster a closer connection between our communities and the promise of a more sustainable future.” 

Avelar’s House Bill 5317 gives cities and towns the ability to step in, clean up these abandoned tanks, and get reimbursed for the cost. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will fund up to five cleanups a year, helping communities tackle sites that would otherwise sit polluted for decades to comply with the requirements of the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Program. 

Orphan tanks are underground storage tanks that do not have owners or operators and are considered abandoned. 

“Across Illinois, old gas stations and abandoned properties still have underground tanks with no owner responsible for cleaning them up, leaving communities stuck with pollution risks and stalled development,” said Avelar. “When tanks leak fuel and waste into our soil and groundwater, they contaminate local ecosystems, water supplies, and ultimately our drinking water. This legislation will help create cleaner neighborhoods, safer water, and transform abandoned properties into spaces that generate jobs and opportunity. It’s a meaningful step toward protecting our communities and future generations.”

This bill has passed out of the House unanimously and goes to the Senate for further consideration. 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Romeoville, is cracking down on junk fees that cost consumers an estimated $3,000 every year, with a new measure that holds businesses accountable for charges added on top of advertised purchase prices.

“Every year we find that new hidden fees are being added to every transaction that eventually add up and cost hardworking people a lot of money,” said Avelar. “It is time that we crack down on these businesses and the excessive fees they charge. The price that is displayed is the price that people should be charged, plain and simple. Springfield’s top priority continues to be helping hardworking individuals and families make ends meet and save for the future. This measure will help us do that and make companies more accountable and transparent to their customers.”

The Avelar-backed House Bill 228 would require businesses to display all mandatory fees and charges they are adding on top of a purchase price. The bill also gives the attorney general’s office more authority to hold businesses accountable for not disclosing surprise fees — cracking down on these “convenience” or “processing” fees that many businesses use to charge more for everyday retail purchases and services including hotels and rental cars.

The bill was passed out of House and moves to the Senate for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.- Working to reduce the spread of inaccurate health information, state Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Romeoville, is backing new legislation that would establish an expert team under the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to monitor and counter the distribution of health misinformation damaging to Illinois residents and consumers. 

“We have seen time and time again how quickly misinformation can spread, putting families and communities at risk,” Avelar said. “By creating a dedicated team to identify and respond to harmful misinformation, we are taking a proactive step to protect public health, strengthen transparency and hold bad actors accountable when they deliberately mislead consumers.”

Avelar backed House Bill 4596, which would establish the Health Misinformation Response Unit under IDPH to monitor the spread of health misinformation on social media, community forums or other web or news sources, in order to develop effective countermeasures, like public health advisories. The legislation aims to protect Illinois’ credibility as a repository of reliable health information, during a time where health decisions out of Washington are increasingly politically aligned, rather than evidence-based.

By utilizing state grants to implement health literacy programs, House Bill 4596 seeks to recruit and train messengers within the new unit to assist with communicating accurate health information to the public, while providing accurate sources for residents. This ensures that the health information sent out to the public comes directly from reviewed sources and is strictly science-based. It also establishes that entities who violate this Act will be held accountable and punished under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. 

“We have a responsibility to meet this challenge head-on by investing in trusted voices and credible information,” said Avelar. “This legislation is about ensuring Illinois residents have access to accurate, science-based health information they can trust. We are not only correcting falsehoods, but also building a stronger foundation of health literacy so residents can make informed decisions for themselves and their families.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With uncertainty surrounding new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules, state Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar is looking to deliver emergency relief payments to qualified low-income families that have been denied, terminated or face reduced SNAP benefits.

“The so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ has left too many families choosing between putting food on the table and meeting these new requirements,” said Avelar. “Stripping or reducing SNAP benefits because someone may not be able to secure a job–often through no fault of their own–is not financial reform, it is a harm on families. The Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) Program would provide critical relief to reduce the harm directed toward low-income families that the federal government has created.” 

Subject to available funding, Avelar’s House Bill 4730 would establish the FRESH Program through the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide one-time emergency relief lump sum payments of $600 to households that have been denied, reduced or completely lost SNAP benefits as a result of changes from Congress’ H.R. 1 “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Qualifying residents would not need to apply, but would still need to meet federal SNAP eligibility requirements and be living below the poverty line. 

Recently, H.R. 1 made new eligibility requirement changes to SNAP benefit receivers making it so that some recipients had to have a job in order to continue to receive benefits unless they were seniors or disabled. This change impacted many families, resulting in a loss of or reduced SNAP benefits as a consequence of members in the household not being able to obtain a job. The FRESH Program would help individuals in this situation if they meet certain job waiver requirements.

“Every day, people are seeing their grocery bills go up and it’s becoming increasingly expensive to purchase food for larger families,” said Avelar. “This emergency relief payment to households pushed into crisis will offer a necessary lifeline to those hit hardest by these changes. In Illinois we are strengthening food access and supporting vulnerable communities – not creating new barriers to basic survival.”

For more information, please contact info@repdagmara.org.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Working to cut back on hidden fees targeting taxpayers, state Rep. Dagmara ‘Dee’ Avelar, D-Romeoville, is supporting legislation that would prohibit income tax returners from charging a separate fee for returns filed electronically. 

“Taxpayers should not be penalized with surprise fees and extra charges simply for choosing the fastest and most convenient way to file their taxes,” said Avelar. “This is about fairness and transparency, ensuring Illinoisans can file their taxes without worrying about hidden costs.”

The Avelar-backed House Bill 1074 would restrict any income tax returner or software company from charging a separate fee to file tax returns electronically. It also requires that software companies offer two versions of software for tax filing, one that charges a separate fee for e-filing and one that does not. Violations of this act would result in a fine and civil penalty. 

“Working families are already doing everything they can to stretch their budgets with rising costs and inflation,” said Avelar. “By prohibiting separate e-filing charges and requiring companies to offer a no-fee option, this legislation puts consumers first and gives taxpayers clearer and more affordable choices. We have the opportunity to lead on protecting Illinoisans from hidden fees, and that’s exactly what this bill aims to do.”

Illinois would be the second state in the nation to prohibit these hidden fees if passed, following New York. 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.- In an effort to improve transparency for prospective homebuyers, state Rep. Dagmara ‘Dee’ Avelar, D-Romeoville, has introduced new legislation that would require sellers to include the known age of a property’s roof in the residential real property disclosure report. 

“Buying a home is one of the most important financial decisions families make,” said Avelar. “Ensuring buyers have clear information about the age of a roof helps them make informed decisions, plan for potential future repairs, and avoid unexpected costs after closing.”

Avelar’s House Bill 2559 amends the Property Disclosure Act in Illinois to require that the age of the roof be disclosed in Disclosure Reports by property sellers before a sale is finalized. Currently, the reports only disclose material defects and hazardous conditions, such as structural and water issues in the roof, basement and walls, lot disputes, soil and Earth stability and any past or active pest infestations. This bill applies to all types of properties and buildings. 

“In today’s market, the age of a roof can directly affect whether a homeowner is able to secure or maintain homeowners’ insurance,” Avelar said. “Providing this information upfront allows buyers to better understand potential insurance requirements and financial responsibilities before completing a purchase. Homebuyers deserve access to the information that can impact both the value of their investment and their ability to protect it. This proposal simply ensures that buyers have the knowledge they need to make responsible decisions and avoid surprises after moving into their home.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Romeoville, is supporting legislation to provide extra support to seniors and other eligible adults who may be vulnerable to fraud or scammers. Financial institutions and their employees will be able to pause suspicious transactions, preventing any fraudulent transactions from being completed.

“Many times, we find that seniors are victims of fraud, because they are unaware how to verify who is calling and if they are a real or trusted source,” said Avelar. “This is why scammers find it easy to contact seniors first, because they are more likely to have accumulated wealth and live alone and without family nearby to detect and prevent fraudsters from scamming them. This legislation holds scammers accountable for targeting vulnerable seniors.” 

House Bill 4767 names investment advisers and other financial institution employees as mandated reporters of potential fraud or exploitation. This will allow a financial institution and its employees to hold transactions that seem suspicious and conduct an internal review of the transaction according to each institution’s review policies. It also increases the penalty from a class 1 felony to a class 4 for scammers that attempt to exploit seniors with disabilities. 

“Seniors have spent their lives working hard to build financial security in retirement, and they should not have that security stolen by scammers,” said Avelar. “This legislation empowers financial advisors to step in when they suspect fraud, helping stop scams before they cause serious harm to seniors. We must continue to protect seniors and ensure that they keep their hard-earned money in their pockets, and this legislation does just that.”

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – To create more pathways for an affordable higher education for high school students, state Rep. Dagmara ‘Dee’ Avelar, D-Romeoville, is supporting a bill that would prioritize Illinois public school students for admission and tuition protections at public colleges and universities.

“The sad reality is that public school students get overlooked constantly in higher education applications even when they’re at the top of their class,” said Avelar. “With this legislation we are ensuring that these accomplished students get accepted to a school that has affordable tuition, great programs and are prioritized for admission.”

Avelar-supported House Bill 4343,aims to make higher education more affordable for Illinois high school students by amending multiple higher education Acts, including;

• Requiring the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to guarantee admission to at least one public university for top-performing high school graduates;
• Requiring transparency through annual reporting that would illustrate admission, tuition and graduating trends for in-state students;
• Requiring each public university to prioritize in-state students during admission cycles and ensuring there is a 70% residency requirement for high-demand programs with limited capacity;
• Prohibiting the governing board of a public university from increasing its in-state tuition based on inflation beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year; and
• Creating workforce incentive grants and loan forgiveness to encourage graduates, especially from underserved regions, to work in Illinois after graduation.

“Making higher education affordable and accessible has always been the goal in Illinois,” said Avelar. “Many times, we find that students have to choose between working a job they don’t want and a college education. Time and time again we see them choosing the job because they can’t afford the education,” said Avelar. “That’s why we’re focused on expanding accessibility for students of lower income families and underserved communities to be able to have the same college opportunities as other students who come from better funded schools or families.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.- State Rep. Dagmara ‘Dee’ Avelar, D-Romeoville, has introduced legislation that would require new cybersecurity provisions to be applied to entities that manage public water systems responsible for supplying, treating and delivering fresh drinking water in Illinois in order to combat cyber-attacks. 

“Other states have implemented cybersecurity laws toward their public water facilities to prevent the disruption of water flow in their states and communities, and it’s about time that Illinois does the same,” said Avelar. “We need to ensure that Illinoisans are not impacted by these cyberattacks that could negatively affect their day-to-day lives.”

Avelar’s House Bill 3576 would require water purveyors, entities managing fresh water and waste water in public communities, to develop a cybersecurity program within 120 days of the bill passing that would establish accountable, comprehensive policies to combat cyber risks and prevent attacks. Within 180 days, they will be required to have and apply to the water systems. 

Many water purveyors have a digitized and online monitoring, operations and communications system that can be outdated and/or have weak passwords making them potentially hackable. These attacks can alter chemical levels in water, disrupt the flow of water to customers, steal customers data and even shut down the water pumps. 

“This legislation reforms the procedures our public water facilities take to improve basic cybersecurity measures and prevent customers from paying the price,” said Avelar. “With rising costs, everyday utilities and necessities have become expensive, and this legislation removes one more potential cost taxpayers could pay. As we face the challenges of evolving technology, Illinois must stay ahead of the curve.”