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New Illinois laws coming in 2026
It's almost the New Year-- and that means new laws. There are more than 200 taking effect tomorrow in Illinois-- Let's go over a few of them.
CHICAGO - It's a new year, which means there are plenty of new laws that go into effect in Illinois that touch on several aspects of society.
Sonya Massey Law
Perhaps one of the most significant laws that takes effect in the new year will be the Sonya Massey Law, named after the Springfield-area woman who was shot and killed by police in her own home in 2024.
The measure requires law enforcement agencies to conduct more comprehensive reviews of a prospective officer’s past employment to ensure their physical and psychological fitness for duty.
Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County deputy, was found guilty last October of second-degree murder in Massey's shooting death. He had worked for multiple law enforcement agencies in just the few years leading up to his shooting of Massey.
The law will go into effect on Jan. 1.
Safe Schools for All
The Safe Schools for All Act, known as House Bill 3247, aims to strengthen protections for immigrant families in the state following months of heightened federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Chicago and several suburban communities saw the influx of federal agents who detained hundreds of people in what was called "Operation Midway Blitz." The actions drew protests that escalated outside the ICE processing facility in suburban Broadview and prompted concerns among residents.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel, and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino stand together amidst a tense protest outside the ICE processing facility in Broadview, Illinois, on Se …
The Safe Schools for All Act "ensures immigrants and others impacted by hostile federal actions in Illinois can safely attend court hearings, protect their health information, join university communities, and access child care for their families without fear of aggressive civil immigration enforcement," according to the governor's office.
The law also outlines legal avenues for individuals harmed by federal agents who "knowingly violated constitutional rights" during enforcement operations.
The law will "hold federal immigration enforcement accountable, protect immigrants at Illinois courthouses, ensure privacy at hospitals, defend immigrants at universities and safeguard children and families at day cares," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's office said.
You can learn more about it here.
Safe Gun Storage Act
The Safe Gun Storage Act, or Senate Bill 8, was signed into law in July by Pritzker.
The law aims to strengthen firearm storage requirements in homes where a child, an at-risk individual or a person prohibited from possessing firearms can access it.
The legislation was co-sponsored by State Sen. Laura Ellman (D) and Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D).
The law "improves safe storage requirements, adds civil penalties for improper storage security, and strengthens parameters around lost or stolen firearm reporting," according to Pritzker's office.
Under the new law, gun owners must report a lost or stolen gun within 48 hours of finding it, shortening the previous 72-hour reporting window.
For more information, click here.
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New Illinois healthcare laws to know in 2026
New healthcare laws are set to go into effect in Illinois in the new year. Matthew L. Williams, Partner at Salvi, Schostock & Pritchard, joins via zoom to share a list of the most important changes.
Other noteworthy new laws:
End of life
- Senate Bill 1793 - Creates a religious exemption permitting the scattering of cremated remains in Illinois rivers.
First responders
- Senate Bill 1742 - Creates the Rooftop Safety for First Responders Act, which requires low-sloped roofs to include a parapet, extended masonry, or guarding system. The Act also establishes safety specifications for skylights and any other openings located within the plane of a low-sloped roof.
Food handling
- Senate Bill 1288 - Revises required allergen training for food service sanitation managers to include gluten awareness.
Health care
- House Bill 1332 - Requires hospitals to give patients the opportunity to designate an emergency contact at admission and before discharge.
- Senate Bill 212 - Requires employers to provide paid break time to nursing mothers and prohibits them from requiring the use of paid leave or reducing the employee’s compensation in any way during those breaks.
- Senate Bill 69 - Requires group and individual health insurance policies to cover therapeutic horse riding services.
- House Bill 1616 - Amends the Employee Blood and Organ Donation Leave Act to allow participating and part-time employees to use up to 10 days of leave in a 12-month period to serve as organ donors.
SNAP benefits
- Senate Bill 32 - Expands Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility to include veterans and active-duty service members.
Transportation
- Senate Bill 1883 - Bans the use of tape or any device that obstructs vehicle registration plates.
- House Bill 1120 - Eliminates the requirement for the Secretary of State to include a space on driver’s licenses for indicating blood type.
- Senate Bill 2285 - Updates the definition of bicycle to also include low-speed electric bikes.