Serving our communities means showing up when families need us most, fighting for policies that protect our children, and creating opportunities that make a difference in the lives of our neighbors. This week, I’m sharing updates on new laws strengthening child safety, efforts to improve accountability in government, and the many ways our district continues to come together.
Topics below include:
- Honoring a Young Life Lost While Working Toward Safer Communities
- New Law Strengthens Child Care Safety
- Child Welfare Accountability Measure Signed into Law
- Calling for a Release of Ethics Report
- Nearly $150,000 Returned to Constituents Through Senator Hills’ I-PASS on Demand and ICASH Event
- Recycle & Shred Event Helps Residents Protect Their Identities While Making a Lasting Environmental Impact
- Recognizing Local Students Selected for American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation
- Kid’s Fair Saturday, August 1st
Honoring a Young Life Lost While Working Toward Safer Communities
Last week, our community experienced an unimaginable tragedy when 14-year-old Tyler Waldal lost his life in a crash involving an e-bike in Wauconda. My heart continues to go out to Tyler’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved him during this incredibly difficult time.
As a mother and as a representative of the Wauconda community, this loss is heartbreaking. No family should ever have to experience the pain of losing a child, and Tyler’s loved ones remain in my thoughts and prayers.
Following this tragedy, I joined several Chicago media outlets to discuss Tyler’s loss and the importance of ensuring children and families have the information, protections, and resources they need regarding e-bikes and other electric devices.
This tragedy underscores why I worked alongside my colleagues this spring to advance Senate Bill 3484, which addresses e-bike safety. This legislation is about one thing: helping prevent future tragedies and keeping Illinois children safe.
Senate Bill 3484 passed through the General Assembly this spring and is awaiting the Governor’s signature. I am calling on the Governor to sign this bill and put safety first. I will continue working to ensure families across Illinois have the tools and protections they need.
You can watch my full conversation with ABC7 Chicago here.
New Law Strengthens Child Care Safety
Keeping children safe is one of my highest priorities, both as a legislator and as a mother. That’s why I was proud to carry House Bill 2190 in the Senate, which has now been signed into law! This legislation helps ensure more child care providers receive the emergency training needed to respond when every second counts, while also making it easier for families to access quality child care.
Parents deserve peace of mind knowing their children are in safe, capable hands whenever they leave for work or school. Supporting Illinois families means ensuring children have access to safe environments with caregivers who are prepared for emergencies. I was proud to support this bipartisan effort and will continue advocating for policies that put the health, safety, and well-being of our children first.
HB 2190 was signed into law on Friday, July 24th.
Child Welfare Accountability Measure Signed into Law
Illinois families deserve confidence that our child welfare system is working in the best interest of children. As Chief Senate Sponsor of House Bill 4242, I was grateful to work alongside State Representative Regan Deering and Representative Nicole La Ha to advance this important legislation through the General Assembly. The new law strengthens transparency and oversight in child welfare investigations, helping ensure these sensitive cases are handled with greater integrity while reinforcing public trust in the system.
As the Senate Republican Spokesperson on the Child Welfare Committee, I remain committed to advancing policies that improve outcomes for vulnerable children and support Illinois families. While there is always more work to do, this legislation represents another important step toward ensuring our child welfare system is transparent, accountable, and focused on protecting children.
HB 4242 was signed into law on Friday, July 24th.
Calling for a Release of Ethics Report
Following the resignation of a Democratic state representative amid allegations of sexual harassment, I am calling on the public release of the Legislative Inspector General’s report on the investigation into the accusations.
Young professional women should never have to fear harassment, intimidation, or retaliation in any workplace. Protecting them requires full transparency, accountability, and an understanding of how this was allowed to happen so we can ensure it never happens again. That is why I am calling for the immediate public release of the Legislative Inspector General’s report into these allegations. Every woman deserves to feel safe and respected in her workplace and conduct like this should never have been allowed to go unchecked.
Senator Hills was also highlighted on the Center Square.
Click here to watch me speaking with Illinois Insider on this issue.
Nearly $150,000 Returned to Constituents Through Senator Hills’ I-PASS on Demand and ICASH Event
It was incredible, and honestly emotional, to see so many people discover money they didn’t even know was theirs while also getting help with important state services.
At my recent I-PASS on Demand and ICASH event, residents had the opportunity to receive hands-on assistance with their I-PASS accounts, ask questions, and get support resolving issues, all while having the chance to search for unclaimed property through the ICASH program. By the end of the event, nearly $150,000 in unclaimed funds was returned to constituents.
Seeing the surprise, relief, and excitement on people’s faces as they learned they had money waiting for them was truly special. Events like this are about making state resources more accessible and bringing services directly to the people who need them.
I’m grateful we were able to connect residents with these programs and help make government work a little easier for the families and communities I represent.
Recycle & Shred Event Helps Residents Protect Their Identities While Making a Lasting Environmental Impact
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Recycle & Shred Event! Together, we securely recycled nearly five tons of paper, which is equivalent to saving 68 trees and more than 34,000 gallons of water while helping protect against identity theft!
We also collected donated bicycles and bike parts that will be refurbished and provided to individuals and families in need.
A special thank you to St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish and Father Christian for graciously hosting this year’s event and helping make it such a success!
Recognizing Local Students Selected for American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation
Last week, I met with Pushti (Barrington High School) and Shivani (Oswego East High School) who are Illinois’ two delegates to The American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Girls Nation in Washington D.C.
Girls Nation is a premier weeklong civic training program where high school seniors spend a week in Washington, D.C., experiencing firsthand how the federal government works. Two “senators” are selected from each state’s ALA Girls State program to participate. During the event, participants are sworn in as senators and engage in mock Senate sessions, write and debate bills, campaign for elected offices (including Girls Nation President and Vice President) and visit Capitol Hill and national monuments.
The 2026 Girls Nation took place from July 18th to July 25th.
Pushti and Shivani had drafted a federal Senate bill focused on responsible AI data center development to present at Girls Nation. They were very interested in my legislation, Senate Bill 1050, particularly the 3-mile setback provision and the thinking behind that specific distance requirement as they draft their own bill.
It was a pleasure meeting with these two outstanding young leaders and seeing their passion for civic engagement firsthand. It is inspiring to see the next generation get involved in the democratic process and work toward making a difference.
Kid’s Fair Saturday, August 1st
Last year’s Kids Fair was a blast, and we’re excited to do it all again! Join us for this year’s Kids Fair to explore local and state resources, connect with community organizations, and enjoy a day of family fun with face painting, a live animal show, performances from local studios, Touch-a-Truck, and so much more.
When: Saturday, August 1, 2026
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Where: Foglia YMCA
1025 N. Old McHenry Rd.
Lake Zurich, IL 60047
We can’t wait to see you there! Bring the whole family for a fun-filled morning!
Back to School Drive
Our office is proud to partner with OMNI as a drop-off location for a school supply drive benefiting students in Diamond Lake School District 76.
Now through August 7, community members are encouraged to donate back-to-school essentials to help EC-8th grade students start the school year prepared and confident.
Drop-off locations include:
West Oak Campus, 26156 N Acorn Ln, Mundelein
Mundelein Police Department, N Lake St Mundelein, IL 60060
Senator Darby Hills’ office, 795 Ela Road, Suite 208, Lake Zurich
Can’t drop off in person?
You can also shop our Amazon Wish List and have items shipped directly to Senator Hills’ office: Amazon Wish List
For questions, please contact Samira Calderon at 224-548-6845 or scalderon@dist76.org.
We are grateful to partner with OMNI to support students and families in Diamond Lake School District 76 and help ensure every child has the supplies they need for a successful school year.
As always, my office is here to help if you have any questions or need assistance with anything. You can contact us here or call (224)662-4544.
Yours truly,
Senator Darby Hills