CHICAGO – State Senator Celina Villanueva announced that more than $8 million has been secured to improve infrastructure in the 12th District.

“Investments in our infrastructure are investments in our neighborhoods, our economy and our future,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “From safer roads to more reliable transit options, these improvements will directly impact the daily lives of families across the 12th District.”

The largest multi-year program to build and repair infrastructure in state history will invest $50.6 billion over six years, continuing an unprecedented commitment to safety, mobility and quality of life made possible by the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. IDOT’s new multi-year plan is both comprehensive and multimodal, with investments in roads and bridges, aviation, transit, freight and passenger rail, waterways, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations touching every Illinois county.

As part of IDOT’s latest Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, Villanueva’s district will see three infrastructure projects totaling $8.5 million in the coming year.

“These projects will make our communities stronger by creating jobs, supporting local businesses and ensuring residents can get to school, work and home safely,” said Villanueva.

A full list of projects in the 12th District can be found here.

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure young adults can access reproductive health care without unnecessary barriers, a new law led by State Senator Celina Villanueva expands access to contraception and medication abortion directly on college campuses across Illinois.

“Young people shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to access basic health care,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “This law meets students where they are—on campus—and affirms their right to make decisions about their own bodies with dignity and convenience.”

House Bill 3709 requires all public colleges and universities in Illinois to provide students with access to a health care provider who can prescribe contraception and medication abortion starting in the 2025–2026 academic year. If a campus has an on-site pharmacy, it must fill those prescriptions upon request—giving students the option to avoid third-party providers if they choose.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois crime survivors will now have guaranteed protection from deceptive interrogation tactics, thanks to a new law driven by State Senator Celina Villanueva.

“From the very first interview, survivors deserve honesty and respect,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “With this law, we’re making it clear that manipulation has no place in an investigation.”

The law expands the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights by expressly prohibiting law-enforcement officers from fabricating facts or misrepresenting evidence when interviewing a reporting victim. It extends the promise of dignity and respect to the very start of an investigation—a stage advocates say is often the most vulnerable for survivors—and applies the protection to anyone a court or prosecutor determines has suffered physical or psychological harm from a violent crime, as well as to designated family representatives.

SPRINGFIELD – Continuing her commitment to educational equity, State Senator Celina Villanueva has secured the signing of a new law expanding access to student financial aid for all Illinois residents—regardless of immigration status.

“If you live in Illinois and are pursuing higher education, you should have access to the same opportunities as your peers,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “This law is about making sure no student is left behind because of where they were born.”

House Bill 460 ensures that any student residing in Illinois is eligible for financial aid programs funded or administered by the state, local governments, or public colleges and universities. By standardizing eligibility criteria across programs, the measure eliminates the patchwork of confusing and sometimes conflicting requirements that have excluded undocumented, DACAmented, and mixed-status students from critical aid.