As we welcome the New Year, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and was able to enjoy time with family and loved ones. With 2026 officially underway, we look ahead to the year to come and the work still to be accomplished on behalf of Illinois families and communities across our state.
Each year, new laws quietly take effect on January 1, and many of them have a direct impact on everyday life. This year, nearly 300 new Illinois laws are now in effect, covering a wide range of issues including education, healthcare, public safety, veterans’ services, and more. While some of these changes reflect meaningful progress, I remain mindful that Illinois must continue working toward policies that support economic growth and reduce unnecessary complexity for businesses, job creators, and families. I will continue fighting for a more streamlined, efficient government that removes red tape where possible and helps Illinois remain competitive.
Below is a clear, easy-to-read breakdown of some of the most notable new laws taking effect in 2026, along with several that recently took effect in 2025, so you can see where changes are happening and how they may affect you and your family.
You can view a file of all the 2026 new laws here.
Education: K–12 and Higher Education
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
- HB 2801 (P.A. 104-0249): Requires ISBE to create a list of approved career pathway opportunities related to CTE.
- HB 2802 (P.A. 104-0250): Allows excused absences for approved Supervised Career Development Experiences, including FFA, CTE events, and national youth organizations.
Expanding Educational Opportunities
- HB 3026 (P.A. 104-0266): Improves quality standards for dual-language programs.
- HB 3039 (P.A. 104-0267): Expands scenarios where 7th and 8th graders may earn high school credit.
- SB 1920 (P.A. 104-0399): Encourages schools to collect teaching resources to properly implement American Sign Language (ASL) standards and expand access.
Special Education & Family Engagement
- HB 1366 (P.A. 104-0047): Strengthens notification and communication requirements for parents of students receiving special education services and clarifies that parents may bring additional individuals to IEP meetings.
- HB 3500 (P.A. 104-0314): Requires schools to share information about ABLE savings accounts with families of students who have 504 Plans.
School Safety
- SB 1329 (P.A. 104-0373): Allows the State Superintendent to notify schools when an employee is under investigation for misconduct posing a threat to student safety.
- HB 1787 (P.A. 104-0198): Requires substitute teachers to receive basic training on school safety drills.
Higher Education Mental Health
- HB 3385 (P.A. 104-0303): Requires public universities and community colleges to provide access to licensed mental health professionals.
Insurance Changes
- HB 2464 (P.A. 104-0060): Caps out-of-pocket costs for emergency neonatal intensive care received from nonparticipating providers.
- HB 3328 (P.A. 104-0295): Establishes pre-admission cognitive assessments for assisted living facilities with Alzheimer’s units.
- SB 69 (P.A. 104-0068): Requires insurance coverage for therapeutic horseback riding services for qualifying individuals with disabilities.
Public Health & Healthcare Access
Access and Emergency Preparedness
- HB 57 (P.A. 104-0037): Allows individuals with disabilities in CILAs to designate an essential support person during public emergencies.
- SB 1491 (P.A. 104-0106): Certifies law enforcement therapy dog teams for crisis intervention.
- HB 1287 (P.A. 104-0172): Requires AEDs in long-term care facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act.
Organ Donation & Emergency Response
- HB 1616 (P.A. 104-0193): Extends organ donor leave protections to part-time public employees.
- HB 2462 (P.A. 104-0229) – Dillon’s Law: Allows trained individuals to carry and administer epinephrine auto-injectors.
Drug Safety & Opioid Response
- HB 2874 (P.A. 104-0252): Tightens regulations on ephedrine-related products.
- HB 3645 (P.A. 104-0321): Requires standardized reporting of opioid overdoses by EMS providers.
- SB 1238 (P.A. 104-0369): Requires providers to inform patients of non-opioid pain management options.
Supporting Vulnerable Populations
- HB 2562 (P.A. 104-0237): Establishes new training requirements for guardians of adults with disabilities.
- HB 3849 (P.A. 104-0336): Allows hospice employees to pick up prescriptions for patients.
- SB 73 (P.A. 104-0345): Requires stricter testing and transparency for heavy metals in baby food.
Supporting Veterans
- SB 32 (P.A. 104-0067): Expands categorical SNAP eligibility for households that include veterans.
- SB 2175 (P.A. 104-0136): Provides veterans with four paid days per year to receive VA-authorized medical care.
- HB 2572 (P.A. 104-0238): Expands scholarship eligibility for dependents of veterans.
Improving Women’s Health
Insurance Coverage Enhancements
- HB 5282 (P.A. 103-0701): Extends pregnancy- and postpartum-related healthcare coverage.
- HB 5295 (P.A. 103-0703): Expands insurance coverage for hormone therapy to treat menopause.
- HB 4180 (P.A. 103-0808): Requires insurance coverage for enhanced breast imaging for women with dense breast tissue.
Access to Care
- HB 2688 (P.A. 104-0244): Expands scope-of-practice clarity for certified midwives.
Addressing Human Trafficking
- SB 1422 (P.A. 104-0099): Enhances training for frontline workers to identify trafficking indicators.
- HB 2602 (P.A. 104-0241): Extends statutes of limitations for certain trafficking-related crimes.
- SB 2323 (P.A. 104-0159): Improves coordination and delivery of services for trafficking victims.
- HB 1302 (P.A. 104-0173): Enhances victim rights and reporting procedures for sexual assault and domestic violence cases.
New Laws in Effect Part 2:
The following laws focus on agriculture, business practices, environmental protection, public safety, and consumer protection.
Helping Tomorrow’s Farmers
- SB 2372 (P.A. 104-0146): Creates a Farmland Transition Commission to address barriers young farmers (ages 25–40) face when accessing or purchasing farmland.
Business Practices & E-Signing
- HB 1631 (P.A. 104-0195): Clarifies DoIT authority to promote standardized and secure state technology practices.
- SB 2044 (P.A. 104-0406): Expands the validity of web-based signatures for more transactions.
Consumer Protection & Fraud Prevention
- HB 1865 (P.A. 104-0055): Targets predatory insurance practices aimed at seniors.
- SB 2318 (P.A. 104-0144): Prevents FinTech companies from misleading consumers into believing they are chartered banks.
- HB 3352 (P.A. 104-0297): Prohibits collection of debts obtained through coercion or abuse.
- HB 3718 (P.A. 104-0327): Strengthens oversight of mental health and developmental disability facilities.
- HB 1431 (P.A. 104-0181): Requires clearer disclosure of medical facility fees.
- HB 1597 (P.A. 104-0191): Strengthens protections for residents of assisted living and nursing homes.
Environmental & Conservation Updates
- HB 3098 (P.A. 104-0274): Updates electronic recycling standards and streamlines e-waste collection permits.
- SB 2425 (P.A. 104-0148): Revises regulations for low-level radioactive materials.
Public Safety & Criminal Justice
- SB 1195 (P.A. 104-0084): Updates law enforcement training to include trauma-informed practices.
- HB 3140 (P.A. 104-0276): Establishes medical care support for retired police K-9s.
- HB 3439 (P.A. 104-0307): Strengthens background checks for childcare workers.
- HB 2690 (P.A. 104-0245): Strengthens penalties and reporting for child sexual abuse materials.
- SB 1274 (P.A. 104-0371): Provides transportation vouchers for sexual assault survivors fleeing abuse.
- HB 2774 (P.A. 104-0247): Establishes a statewide domestic violence hotline.
- SB 1548 (P.A. 104-0384): Expands outreach of the Endangered Missing Person Advisory to individuals with developmental disabilities.
- SB 24 (P.A. 104-0339): Improves missing persons and unidentified remains investigations.
- HB 1697 (P.A. 104-0027) & SB 1295 (P.A. 104-0372): Require CPR guidance training for all dispatchers.
- HB 3178 (P.A. 104-0282): Protects individuals from misuse of digital replicas and likenesses.
- SB 1563 (P.A. 104-0029): Makes it easier for property owners to remove squatters.
Sportsmen, Landowners & Outdoor Recreation
- HB 2340 (P.A. 104-0059): Provides free landowner deer permits in counties affected by chronic wasting disease.
- SB 710 (P.A. 104-0361): Expands landowner and tenant eligibility for free deer and turkey permits.
- SB 2179 (P.A. 104-0137): Updates boat registration and safety standards.
Motorist & Driver Safety
- HB 1120 (P.A. 104-0041): Removes outdated blood-type information requirements from driver’s licenses and state IDs.
- SB 2075 (P.A. 104-0408): Expands motorcycle training standards and training center availability.