SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, ended the 2026 spring legislative session by helping craft a responsible budget that makes life more affordable for working families and passing legislation that creates new consumer protection laws, particularly protecting against the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI).
“These past few months have been focused on addressing both familiar kitchen table issues and protecting our state from the harmful effects of the AI frontier,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “While our federal leadership stands by as costs skyrocket and technology evolves, my colleagues and I are committed to fighting for the families of our state.”
Gong-Gershowitz, worked to pass a budget that cuts the cost of government bureaucracy, gives local governments tools for property tax relief, fully funds community-based approaches to public safety and provides funding for social services amid federal cuts.
In addition to her work in passing a balanced budget, Gong-Gershowitz was the lead sponsor of House Bill 5511 and, as chair of the House Democratic AI Working Group, guided all three of the following measures through the General Assembly:
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House Bill 5511, which creates the Child Social Media Safety Act, banning the addictive algorithmic feeds that keep children glued to their screens. The measure passed the House with bipartisan support.
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Senate Bill 318, which restricts automated bots from purchasing mass amounts of event tickets online, driving up costs for consumers.
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Senate Bill 315, which mitigates catastrophic harms created by AI Frontier Models. Under this bipartisan legislation, AI firms would be subject to new reporting and disclosure requirements for potential safety incidents.
Gong-Gershowitz chairs the House Democratic AI Working Group, which was established by Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch earlier this year in order to launch a multifaceted approach to AI policy in Illinois.
The working group has been instrumental in building consensus around common-sense, consumer-focused protections that are technically sound and grounded in the real-world impacts on Illinois families.
“Protecting users from manipulative technology is not a partisan issue, and these pieces of legislation have proven that,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “Artificial intelligence and data-driven algorithms are no longer emerging technologies – they are already shaping nearly every aspect of our daily lives. As legislators, it is our responsibility to adapt our consumer protection laws now, before the harms outpace our ability to respond.”
All three measures have passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly and now head to the governor’s desk for consideration.
Above: Rep. Gong-Gershowitz presides over the House Judiciary – Civil Committee.
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