Illinois Rep. Hirschauer’s inspector general authority bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Maura Hirschauer aims to expand the inspector general’s authority to assist the Department of Early Childhood with audits and oversight of public aid programs, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 70 Democrats and 36 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 38 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Hirschauer introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Feb. 5, 2026 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB5364, was passed on May 30, 2026 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Inspector General to, at the request of the Secretary of Early Childhood, exercise one or more specified statutory powers as if those powers related to the Department of Early Childhood. Requires the Inspector General to report his or her findings to the Secretary of Early Childhood.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill expands the authority of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ inspector general to assist the Department of Early Childhood. It allows the inspector general, at the request of the secretary of early childhood, to use existing investigative and oversight powers as if they applied directly to that department, including conducting audits, investigations and other integrity functions related to public aid programs. The inspector general must report findings from these activities to the secretary of early childhood.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jason Plummer (Republican-55th District) and Sen. Lakesia Collins (Democrat-5th District).

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Hirschauer graduated from Colby College with a BA.

Hirschauer, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 49th House District, replacing previous state representative Karina Villa.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.

While the final vote determined the bill’s passage, lawmakers in both chambers held an additional vote related to a concurrence. This earlier vote is included below for context.