Policy Research and Bill Drafting with Illinois State Representative Maura Hirschauer
Session Number
1
Advisor(s)
Representative Maura Hirschauer
Location
IN2 Commons
Discipline
Biology
Start Date
15-4-2026 10:15 AM
End Date
15-4-2026 11:00 AM
Abstract
The internship was focused on researching and drafting two education policy bills to address important gaps in Illinois law. The first proposal builds upon HB 2594 to establish a standalone personal finance course as a high school graduation requirement, analyzing implementation models from over 25 states that have recently passed similar legislation. The second is an original mental health counseling expansion bill addressing Illinois's severe staffing shortage–currently 1 counselor per 494 students compared to the national recommendation of 1:250–and building upon the recently-passed SB 1560 mental health screening mandate. Research included comparative policy analysis across multiple states, fiscal impact projections, stakeholder identification within education and mental health advocacy organizations, and examination of why similar bills succeed or fail in committee.
Policy Research and Bill Drafting with Illinois State Representative Maura Hirschauer
IN2 Commons
The internship was focused on researching and drafting two education policy bills to address important gaps in Illinois law. The first proposal builds upon HB 2594 to establish a standalone personal finance course as a high school graduation requirement, analyzing implementation models from over 25 states that have recently passed similar legislation. The second is an original mental health counseling expansion bill addressing Illinois's severe staffing shortage–currently 1 counselor per 494 students compared to the national recommendation of 1:250–and building upon the recently-passed SB 1560 mental health screening mandate. Research included comparative policy analysis across multiple states, fiscal impact projections, stakeholder identification within education and mental health advocacy organizations, and examination of why similar bills succeed or fail in committee.