SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A new bill led by state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-West Chicago, would require online retailers to disclose their use of “surveillance pricing”—a growing phenomena that uses artificial intelligence-powered tools to charge higher prices for certain customers based on prior browsing history and demographic information inferred by a consumer’s digital footprint.

“HB 4248 is about drawing a clear line: no more secret pricing games. If companies are using your personal data to charge you more, you have a right to know—and a right to say no. This bill forces transparency, bans the use of deeply personal characteristics, and cracks down on deceptive tactics designed to trick consumers. It protects real choice, real fairness, and real accountability. HB 4248 makes it clear: in Illinois, consumers come first.”

With the growing consumer preference for mobile shopping, retailers are increasingly collecting data from online shoppers. Hirschauer is sponsoring House Bill 4248 which would create standards for businesses utilizing surveillance pricing. The measure would require online businesses to provide a clear disclosure when they are using the consumer’s personal information or search history to dictate the cost of a good or service. The bill would further allow consumers to opt-out and pay a baseline price. Additionally, the bill prohibits the use of sensitive personal information, like race, religion and immigration status, to determine pricing.

House Bill 4248 is now on second reading and awaits a vote on the House floor.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Representative Maura Hirschauer, D-West Chicago, introduced legislation that would establish a grant program for the restoration or replacement of natural resources that have been damaged resulting from court settlements due to hazardous waste release, pollution events or long-term industrial contamination.

“As the federal government continues to cut down protections and funding for our natural resources, major corporations have taken the opportunity to disregard the health of our natural environment,” said Hirschauer. “This grant program would allow local government, environmental organizations and recognized tribes to help continue to restore and protect our wetlands, waterways, forest preserves and agricultural lands.”

Hirschauer is sponsoring House Bill 4566, which would create the Natural Resources Restoration Trust Grant Program. The grant program would be administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The grant would not be awarded to applicants that are responsible for the damage of natural resources. 

Eligible applicants include:

• Units of local government
• Soil and water conservation districts
• Area-wide agencies, including counties regional planning agencies, or both
• Nonprofit organizations
• Public or private institutes of higher education
• Port authorities
• Federally recognized tribes. 

“The health of our environment directly affects our health, that’s why it is important that we, in the state of Illinois, provide grants to local organizations to help our natural environments thrive,” said Hirschauer. “A healthy natural environment means a healthier life.”

House Bill 4566 is out of committee and awaits further process.

WEST CHICAGO, Ill. – State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-West Chicago, is inviting residents to attend a virtual Know Your Rights Town Hall in partnership with State Representative Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Tuesday, March 10 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Know Your Rights Town Hall will focus on topics such as first amendment rights, civil rights overview, governor’s accountability commission information, best practices for engaging with law enforcement, discretionary decertification process and new complaint portal for Illinois law enforcement training and standards board. Constituents must RSVP in advance to receive the link to the meeting on March 10 at: https://forms.gle/QMXuX7R7Y2V1U5Cj8.

“Now more than ever, it’s important to provide our communities with resources to protect their constitutional rights from unlawful federal government actions,” said Hirschauer. “We need to empower our communities to speak up and protect their rights, and through this town hall, we are providing them with crucial knowledge and power.”

The Know Your Rights Town Hall will be held virtually. Community members interested in attending must RSVP prior to the event. 

For more information, please contact Rep. Moeller’s district office at (847) 841-7130 or email at staterepmoeller@gmail.com. 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Representative Maura Hirschauer, D-West Chicago, responded to the governor’s annual budget address on Wednesday, releasing a statement to establish her commitment to a state budget focused on families’ budgets.

“Since the federal administration has taken office, they have overwhelmed working-class families by increasing taxes, disinvesting in affordable healthcare, freezing funds for educational programs and cutting investments for childcare services. While we can’t reverse Washington’s failed policies or extreme cuts, we can take charge of what we can control.

“For the next couple of months, my colleagues and I will negotiate a compassionate and responsible state budget that invests in an affordable future for all Illinoisans. Our priorities will focus on bringing costs down for families to help them make ends meet. 

“I personally will focus on funding the Child Tax Credit, expanding Child Care Assistance, investing and funding education at every level and directing funding to food security resources for at-risk communities. 

“I will continue to work here in Springfield to make sure our future continues to be bright and strong for our constituents. I look forward to negotiating a compassionate budget worthy of our community.”

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WEST CHICAGO, Ill. – State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-West Chicago, is working to honor service members who never returned home with new legislation creating a commemorative day for Prisoners of War (POW) and those declared as Missing in Action (MIA) during their service to the United States.

“Our communities thrive because others answered the call to serve. We remember with deepest gratitude those who never returned, the missing and the captured, whose sacrifice remains unfinished in our hearts,” said Hirschauer. “It is especially important to the family members of those missing and captured that we keep the memories of their loved ones alive through an annual recognition day.”

Hirschauer’s House Bill 4309 commemorates the third Friday of September each year with a POW/MIA Recognition Day Proclamation. This official proclamation will call the public to reflect on the sacrifices made by United States armed forces, especially those who were held as prisoners in foreign countries or who have been designated as missing in action during war or hostile times. The bill also recognizes the resolve of family and friends who continue to seek the fullest possible accounting for missing loved ones.

“More than 80,000 service members remain unaccounted for from the United States with over 4,000 of those soldiers from Illinois. That’s why, it is crucial that as a state, we make sure our communities don’t forget our service members who answered our country’s call to action and were never able to come back home, said Hirschauer. “Their lives and sacrifices need to be honored and remembered in our history.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In advance of Gov. JB Pritzker’s 2026 Budget Address, the Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus released this statement outlining their budget priorities for promoting equity and opportunity despite attacks from the federal government:

“Major priorities for our caucus during the budget crafting process will include defending the rights of women, children and vulnerable communities, and promoting a future where privacy for women seeking an abortion is not at-risk, where women living under threat of domestic abuse have an economic safety net to support them if they leave, where single moms don’t have to work non-stop to afford childcare and where every woman can live a life of equity and opportunity,” said Caucus Chair, state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights. “Our caucus will not stand by while the Trump Administration targets millions of women with a misogynistic agenda designed to strip essential rights from women and claw back decades of progress for women and families.”

“At a moment when Washington is advancing cruel and reckless cuts, Illinois must lead with compassion and responsibility,” said Caucus Treasurer, state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia. “The IHDWC budget priorities are clear: protect access to healthcare so families can see a doctor, safeguard SNAP so no child goes hungry and preserve childcare subsidies so working parents can stay in the workforce. We refuse to balance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable neighbors. Illinois Democrats will continue to invest in people, stabilize communities and mitigate the real harm caused by extreme federal policies.”

“As we begin the budget process, we are committed to working relentlessly to ensure that the programs and legislation that support women and children receive the critical funding they need to succeed,” said Caucus Secretary, state Rep. Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake. “Illinois has a long and proud history of strengthening and protecting women’s rights, and we intend to build on that legacy. Despite the noise and chaos at the federal level, the women of the Illinois House Democratic Caucus remain laser focused on advancing policies that uplift the women, children and families of our state.”

“The Women’s Caucus remains committed to protecting the rights we’ve worked tirelessly to secure, especially in an anything-but-ordinary year where the current administration continually seeks to undermine them. It is also vitally important that we continue to provide services to our most vulnerable citizens—children, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and low-income seniors,” said Caucus Vice-Chair, state Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Carpentersville. “With the uncertainty surrounding federal dollars, it’s vital that the state utilize our resources to the best of our ability without undermining or losing ground on all the important work we’ve done the past several years.”

WEST CHICAGO, Ill. – Aiming to spread awareness and improve health outcomes for women who are in cardiac arrest and require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-West Chicago, is leading a bill that would require secondary schools to utilize a female manikin or chest cover during CPR training. 

“According to a recent study, women are 14–25% less likely than men to receive bystander CPR in public, leading to poorer survival after cardiac arrest. This gender gap is largely driven by bystander hesitation stemming from fears of inappropriate touching, sexual assault accusations, or injuring a woman’s chest. We can address this discrepancy by expanding training requirements to cater to both male and female anatomy, which differ significantly in the chest area, due to estrogen and blood vessel function,” said Hirschauer. 

Studies show that women who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) have a 30-day survival rate at 6.2%, compared to 10.7% for men. Some experts believe that factors like social norms about touching or exposing a woman’s chest, biases in medical training, and the under-recognition of heart disease in women explain the differences in survival rates between sexes during cardiac arrest.

This policy change is spearheaded by Naperville Central High School senior, Ashlynn Goldstein. In her duties as a lifeguard, Ashlynn has taken several hours of CPR training, and has noticed a gender bias. 

“I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve taken a CPR class, but I can count the number of female manikins I’ve seen in my life: 0,” said Goldstein. “High schoolers need to be prepared to face anything in the world. My hope for them is to experience what I never did. I hope they can support women in need with less fear than before.”

Hirschauer’s House Bill 4788 seeks to close this gap in care by requiring both male and female manikins to be available during CPR training. The requirement, which would go into effect during the 2028-2029 school year, would apply to all Illinois public and private high schools due to state law that mandates CPR/AED training for all students prior to graduation.

“A measure like this deserves awareness, and I am grateful to Ashlynn Goldstein for bringing this to our attention. I’ve heard firsthand stories of women going into cardiac arrest, only to be unable to recover because a CPR administrator was uncomfortable or unable to forcefully provide CPR compressions to a feminine chest. It’s a disturbing occurrence and a significant barrier to fully understanding women’s health. My hope is that we get this bill through the finish line so that women who experience a cardiac scare have a better chance to live.”

WEST CHICAGO, Ill. – State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-West Chicago, is one of over 200 lawmakers from all 50 states to sign a comprehensive letter organized by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), and the Child Care for Every Family Network urging the federal government to restore childcare funding.

“It’s simply unacceptable that families nationwide are now in a position where their child’s future is jeopardized by the federal government, who has inhumanely made it their mission to remove the most basic of support systems for children and their families—especially children who live with disability, chronic illness, or are facing traumatic conditions such as poverty—by no fault of their own,” said Hirschauer. “It’s terrifying to see the safety nets parents and children count on daily unravel right before our eyes.”

In January, the Trump administration announced its intention to cut childcare funding in five states, including Illinois. The funding freeze will affect over 100,000 Illinois families, more than 152,000 children, and 275 organizations statewide. Additionally, the federal government’s “Defend the Spend” policy is targeting social services and childcare programs by forcing agencies to provide excessive and unnecessary documents before receiving any kind of funding, causing nationwide delays.

Hirschauer serves as vice-chairman for the House Child Care Accessibility & Early Childhood Education and has been integral to passing progressive measures that protect and support young families, children, and education access. Recently, Hirschauer passed House Resolution 621, calling for the immediate release of the $10 billion in child care funds frozen across democratic-majority states, including over $1 billion to Illinois families and children facing poverty, chronic illness or disability.

“Child care costs remain the biggest bill for families across the state—no matter their income or situation. As a mother myself, I’ve seen firsthand how working parents pay more for day care than they do for health insurance—even housing in some cases. I’m proud to stand alongside over 200 lawmakers to call out this grotesque move that directly harms our nation’s children. They deserve to grow up in a country that supports them, not one that sweeps the most vulnerable of lives under the rug.”

The collaborative letter can be read here.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, cosponsored resolutions this week condemning the reckless and vindictive actions of the Trump administration. The resolutions cite the imposition of harmful tariffs, the pursuit of misguided foreign policy, and the drastic cuts to child care and family support programs. The measures also denounce lethal immigration enforcement policies implemented under Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which, according to reported data, have resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 individuals, including U.S. citizens.

“Trump’s so-called ‘America First’ agenda is nothing more than ‘Tax America First,’” said Hirschauer. “Families are being crushed. Prices are soaring. Communities are being pushed into crisis. Because of this administration’s political spite, more than 100,000 Illinoisans will lose their health insurance, and another 100,000 children will be left without child care. This is deliberate. And it’s devastating.”

The Hirschauer-backed resolutions condemn Trump’s unchecked military actions—from operations in Venezuela to threats of forcibly seizing Greenland—while working families at home lose critical support. The resolutions note that these actions cost more than stabilizing SNAP for over 310,000 Americans, renewing ACA subsidies, and funding child care—programs the administration has instead cut, particularly in Democratic-led states. Hirschauer also condemned deadly domestic extremism under DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, citing unlawful shootings, illegal detentions, and violations of constitutionally guaranteed due process.

Hirschauer voted to:

• Urge Congress to reinstate the healthcare subsidies within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to keep healthcare affordable and accessible for over 500,000 Illinoisans who depend on the ACA marketplace (House Resolution 620).
• Call for the immediate release of the $10 billion in child care funds frozen across democratic-majority states (House Resolution 621).
• Prompt the United States Treasury to issue $2,000 payments to every American household with an annual income below $250,000 to account for the lost wages and savings caused by Donald Trump’s tariff scheme that raised prices for every U.S. family (House Resolution 623).
• Call on Congress to hold Donald Trump accountable for his illegal use of military action and American dollars to fund illegitimate operations, including in Venezuela, unprovoked attacks toward Cuba and Iran, and threats of forcefully pursuing Greenland’s autonomous territory (House Resolution 624).
• Condemn the excessive and deadly force deployed by civil immigration agents under the direction of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, by calling for her immediate resignation and an independent investigation into committed, directed, or covered up acts of violence, killings, and deaths in immigration custody (House Resolution 622).

“These resolutions matter to every Illinoisan,” said Hirschauer. “The Trump administration’s illegal attacks on our communities, alongside its reckless foreign policy, are making daily life harder, more expensive, and more dangerous.”

“House Resolution 622 is especially critical for communities that have been on the front lines defending basic human rights and keeping each other safe. We must demand that federal agents obey the Constitution, respect due process, and end the excessive and deadly force being used by immigration authorities in our neighborhoods.”

WEST CHICAGO, Ill. – A staunch advocate for safe firearm practices and lessening the rate of preventable gun violence across Illinois, state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, is highlighting a first-of-its-kind safe storage law that went into effect Jan. 1st. 

“This law is a product of hundreds of hours of collaboration among elected officials, advocates, law enforcement and judicial courts. It is fine-tuned to ensure that Illinoisans who legally carry firearms have the information and tools necessary to keep them stored, locked and safe,” said Hirschauer. “Too many headlines detail the uptick of gun violence in our communities—violence that can be prevented by enforcing safe practices that are too often not followed in cases that end tragically. That’s what this safe gun storage law codifies, and ultimately, keeps guns out of the wrong hands.”

Hirschauer successfully led Senate Bill 8 last spring session, also known as the Safe Gun Storage Act, to enhance gun storage safety and address stolen firearm requirements. The new law requires firearm owners to secure their weapons in a locked container, rendering them inaccessible and unusable to anyone except the owner or an authorized user—with an ultimate goal to prevent access to firearms by minors, at-risk individuals, and those prohibited from possessing them. 

Additional provisions in an accompanying measure, House Bill 850, finetunes lost and stolen gun reporting requirements to lower the chance of mishandled firearms trafficked in Illinois communities. Studies show that states with similar laws decreased unintentional shootings by children by 78% and the movement of illegal guns in communities by 46%. 

“Commonsense gun safety and the rights of law-abiding gun owners are not mutually exclusive—in fact they are one and the same,” said Hirschauer. “I’m pleased to see this law go into effect after the tireless work of advocates and law enforcement alike. Making these best practices universal will help save lives and keep our communities strong.”

Senate Bill 8 was signed into law in July of last year. The measure went into effect Jan. 1st.