SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, introduced, supported and passed legislation that expands options for law enforcement when faced with juveniles accused of domestic abuse, battery or exploitation.

“When a minor is accused of domestic battery, the situation is going to be layered and complex. It’s important that our law enforcement officers have the right tools to proceed—ones that are not just comprehensive, but compassionate. Before making a decision, officers need to have an understanding of all relevant parties and the circumstances as a whole,” said Hanson. 

House Bill 5489 removes provisions requiring law enforcement officers to use the Adolescent Domestic Battery Typology (ADBT) tool when deciding whether or not to arrest a juvenile accused of domestic violence. The ADBT tool is a set series of questions to help an arresting officer decipher the risk level of a juvenile offender. While it can be effective in some circumstances, the ADBT tool does not consider mental health crises, trauma, intoxications or current events. This new bill reiterates that officers must consider all contributing factors when deciding how to proceed with the accused minor. 

“Juvenile offenses like domestic battery will follow the accused for the rest of their life. We want young people to thrive, but in order to do that, law enforcement needs to be able to accurately and effectively assess these complicated instances. It’s my hope that this bill will streamline the process and further protect young people in Illinois,” Hanson said.

House Bill 5489 is a result of advocate feedback on Hanson’s House Bill 3281, which was passed and signed into law last year. House Bill 3281 developed the ADBT tool.

After unanimously passing the House and the Senate, House Bill 5489 has been sent to the governor for consideration.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Prioritizing the safety of children and young drivers, state Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, introduced, championed, and passed a bill requiring school districts to include railroad safety messaging in their respective handbooks.

“Young children and new drivers especially may not be aware of the dangers around railroad equipment,” Hanson said. “Accidents can happen very quickly. Similar to crossing a street, young people in Illinois need to know to stop, look, and listen. Trains travel in either direction, at any time, and sometimes after one train passes, another one follows. Children need to have access to this information for their own safety.”

House Bill 3743 requires school districts across the state to provide rail safety language in the student handbook. This new language includes information about existing laws on rail safety, best practices when walking or driving nearby or over train tracks, and other general advice to help avoid a train-related accident. For school districts that are not located near train tracks or feel railroad safety is not necessary to include in their handbook, they have the ability to opt out of the requirement.

“I know from my own experience how important railroad safety is. It’s my hope that, with this new legislation, we will be able to better communicate with children about the need for safety precautions and the increased risk around trains,” said Hanson.

House Bill 3743 passed both chambers and is headed to the governor’s desk.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Fighting to restore affordability for Illinois households, state Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, is advancing a series of bills to the governor’s desk cutting costs on everyday purchases and utilities, banning gimmicks that raise prices, and requiring businesses to fairly compensate consumers.

“The rising cost of living has been at the forefront of everyone’s minds. We’re in the midst of a nationwide affordability crisis, and I’ve been hard at work with my colleagues in the House to provide relief whenever and wherever we can,” said Hanson. “Every day should not be this difficult. I look forward to seeing the positive impact of these bills once they are signed into law.”

While federal policies and international instability are making everything more expensive, Hanson is taking charge of what Illinois can control, and championing policy to provide some immediate relief.

Hanson worked to pass the following cost-cutting measures:

• • House Bill 45: Expands access to savings by requiring retailers to honor all advertised sales or coupons, even if customers cannot access an app or operate digital coupons.
  • House Bill 228: Cracks down on junk fees and hidden costs by requiring businesses to disclose all mandatory fees and charges added on top of an advertised purchase price.
  • House Bill 4044: Strengthening consumer rights by banning no-return policies that limit customers to store credit for unused, unopened items for most purchases.
  • House Bill 4514: Allowing residents to voice opposition to general rate increases by requiring public utility companies fully inform residents of their rights prior to a rate proposal.

• House Bill 4248: Prohibits retailers from using AI algorithms to set different prices for consumers based on their personal data.

All five measures successfully advanced through House and Senate chambers. They await governor consideration before being signed into law.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As Illinois taxpayers foot the fallout of Washington’s agenda that’s raised everyday prices, hindered trade and commerce nationwide, and threatened the erasure of constitutional rights, state Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, is taking steps to secure direct property tax relief for Illinois working families, improve the state’s economy and enshrine fundamental rights in the State Constitution.  

“I’m very proud of the work we did in the House this week,” said Hanson. “Property taxes have been a major concern across the state. While everyday expenses keep increasing, we’re focused on providing relief in any way we can. I look forward to seeing how this new legislation can deliver for our community and all of Illinois.”

House Bill 910, backed by Hanson, delivers property tax relief to more communities by allowing local governments to negotiate Payments in Lieu of Taxation (PILOT) agreements for economic developments exceeding $100 million. In exchange for an agreed-upon assessment freeze, large developers would pay into the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund, in which 60-percent of payments aid local homeowners, with the remaining 40-percent earmarked for homeowners statewide. Data centers are ineligible for these incentives.

Additionally, House Bill 910 allows for the reimagination of former undeveloped railyard sites and access to resources to create new tourism destinations in Illinois.

With potential threats from the U.S. Supreme Court to weaken essential elements of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, Hanson worked to pass House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 28 (HJRCA 28), enshrining equal protections into the State Constitution. The measure seeks to counteract nationwide gerrymandering schemes limiting minority representation and ensures that Illinois voices will never be silenced—reinforcing Illinoisans’ protection to vote for the candidate of their choice.

“Illinois is an extremely diverse state. People come here from all over the country and all over the world, to work, live and thrive. This federal administration wants to eradicate diversity in our state government, but with this amendment, we are protecting Illinois voices. It is essential to the legislative process that we represent all Illinoisans, especially minority communities, to ensure we are delivering for everyone,” said Hanson. 

Both House Bill 910 and HJRCA 28 will be brought to the Senate chamber for consideration.

MONTGOMERY, Ill. — State Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, is inviting his district to join him in spring cleaning with two separate events: an Earth Day litter and debris cleanup and a community shred event, both taking place on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The cleanup will be at Montgomery Dam Park from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The free, drive-thru shred event will be at the Montgomery Police Department from 9 a.m. to Noon, or until trucks reach capacity.

“What better way to celebrate Earth Day than cleaning up and recycling!” said Hanson. “Our Community in Action Clean-Up is a chance to spend time outside with friends and neighbors while cleaning up our parks and trails. And our community shred event is an opportunity to recycle old documents and donate to the Illinois Special Olympics. I look forward to seeing everyone next Saturday.”

The Fox Valley Park District is hosting the Earth Day Community in Action Clean-Up to help protect the environment along the Fox River and in local parks. All are welcome to join. Interested volunteers can reserve their spot through the Fox Valley Park District website.

The Community Shred event is co-sponsored by Hanson, the Montgomery Police Department, the Village of Montgomery, and Earthmover Credit Union. Attendees must stay in their vehicle, and recycling materials must be easily accessible from the back seat or the trunk. Only paper documents will be accepted for safe, secure shredding and recycling. Donations are welcome, and will benefit the Illinois Special Olympics.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As prices of everyday essentials continue to rise across the country, state Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, is working to provide some immediate relief to Illinois customers by passing a new measure to ensure discounts offered by businesses are honored or easily accessible.

“Right now, every penny counts,” said Hanson. “There is nothing more frustrating than having a coupon or discount and not being able to access it for whatever reason. A lot of people plan their budget around coupons and we need businesses advertising price reductions to follow through. That’s what this bill ensures.”

Grocery stores, drug stores, and other businesses increasingly entice customers with advertised savings that require apps and digital coupons, which are often unreliable and require smartphone access. In some cases, customers have faced difficulty “clipping” advertised deals on the app, connectivity issues, or technological barriers.

In order to reduce these barriers to savings, Hanson co-sponsored and passed House Bill 45, which requires retailers to honor all advertised savings, even if customers cannot access their app or operate their digital coupons.

House Bill 45 now moves to the Senate.

MONTGOMERY, Ill. — State Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, hosted a workshop last week to help inform the community attendees about funding opportunities and grant resources available to them through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and local United Way organizations.

“Our goal with this event was to help people navigate the process of applying for and receiving a grant, whether that be for a business, a nonprofit, or for personal reasons,” said Hanson. “Accessing these opportunities begins with understanding of how these systems—some of which can seem daunting or complicated—work.”

The event was held virtually last Monday, March 30th, with contributions from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and the Batavia and Fox Valley United Ways. The nearly 50 organizations that attended were able to learn more about grant lifecycles, how to access different funding opportunities, qualifications and compliance requirements for grants, and the state resources available to them. Specifically for up-and-coming nonprofit organizations, this information increases the potential to thrive; the knowledge of the state’s financial support opportunities and how to go about seizing them is crucial.

“Grants are a lifeline to the incredible work in our community. Thank you to the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and the Batavia and Fox Valley United Ways for bringing this vital information to those in our district. It was a great learning experience for everyone involved, myself included,” Hanson said. 

For more information on grants and funding opportunities, visit the Illinois Catalog of State Financial Assistance or DCEO’s grant page.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, is taking action to lower home and auto insurance costs by passing a new bill that ensures Illinois customers are not padding profits of big corporations or covering corporate losses in high-risk states like Florida or Texas.

“The cost of home and auto insurance is a huge financial stressor on families across the state, and it’s only increasing,” said Hanson. “Illinoisans should never be paying the price for uncontrollable events in other states, and should always be notified of insurance rate increases in advance so that they may find alternative options, if needed. The passing of this bill protects ratepayers from these unfair insurance practices that are affecting car owners and homeowners in Illinois.”

Homeowners across Illinois have seen insurance plans rise by nearly 30% in the last year, raising concerns that residents are footing the bill for other states at high risk of natural disasters. In an effort to reduce costs for Illinois customers, Hanson passed Senate Bill 1486, which takes several steps to rein in rising insurance costs by:

• Empowering Illinois Department of Insurance to reject unfair rate increases by subjecting all Illinois homeowners insurance, fire insurance, and auto insurance policies to a comprehensive rate review process.
• Requiring insurance companies give customers 60 days’ notice before double-digit rate increases, giving customers more time to make informed decisions.
• Shrinking auto insurance premiums for drivers over the age of 55 who complete a 4-hour defensive driving program or e-learning course.

“In this current climate where we’re already paying so much for basic necessities, I’m prioritizing providing relief for my community in any way I can. I’m looking forward to passing more legislation like this that directly improves the lives of my constituents,” said Hanson.

MONTGOMERY, Ill. — State Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against some of Trump’s tariff policies this morning, lifting the financial burden from consumers and businesses worldwide:

“I’m pleased by this decision from the Supreme Court. Trump’s erratic tariff impositions are unconstitutional and have strained international trade, tax-paying consumers, and businesses, both big and small. Congress holds power over taxes and tariffs, not the President, but we know Trump is no stranger to making a mockery of the Constitution.

“There is still a lot of uncertainty about how this decision will pan out, but for now I welcome even the slightest bit of relief for the working families and local businesses—especially farmers and skills-based organizations—in our community and across the country.”

NORTH AURORA, Ill. – State Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, and Senator Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, recently visited the site of a new water tower in North Aurora, a project they worked to include within the state’s 2026 budget to ensure accessible drinking water for residents and businesses.

“The weather may be dreary, but the work being done here in North Aurora is far from it,” said Hanson. “The construction of this water tower is making clean, reliable drinking water more accessible for all North Aurora residents. I’m proud to have secured funds for this project and I’m excited to see the final product when construction ends.”

North Aurora’s drinking water system has a storage deficit of over 400,000 gallons, based on the American Water Works Association’s recommended storage capacity. A new, elevated tank will store water for the entire Village of North Aurora, and residents will see improved reliability as a result.

 “Infrastructure funding includes public utilities, and a project like this will ensure our communities have reliable facilities with the capacity to serve growing populations,” said Holmes. “Rep. Hanson and I teamed up to pursue funding to increase storage and consistent access to clean water.”

Rep. Hanson and Sen. Holmes carved out contributions to the North Aurora water tower project within the FY ‘26 State budget. This includes the preparation of the 1.33-acre site, utility installation, construction of a 1.25 million gallon spheroid water tank, pavement and installation, and site restoration. Their visit to the site was hosted by North Aurora Village President Mark Gaffino.

“Projects like this one are tangible evidence of the work we’re doing in Springfield to boost Illinois communities and build a brighter future for everyone in our state,” Hanson said.

The water tower is expected to be complete and operational by late 2026.