As the calendar turns to 2026, a wide range of new Illinois statutes will take effect. These enactments reflect recent legislative activity across multiple areas of state law, including public safety, labor and employment, environmental regulation, and government administration. While some provisions make targeted adjustments to existing statutes, others establish new regulatory requirements governing how public bodies, employers, and institutions operate. Set forth below are selected Illinois laws scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
Employment and Labor
- HB 1616 expands paid organ donation leave to include part-time employees. Eligible employees may take up to 10 days of paid leave in a 12-month period to serve as an organ donor.
- SB 0212 requires employers to provide paid break time to nursing employees to express breast milk and prohibits employers from requiring employees to use paid leave or accept reduced compensation during that time.
- HB 3773 prohibits employers from using artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment, hiring, promotion, discipline, or other employment decisions if the use of AI has the effect of discriminating against protected classes, including through the use of zip codes as a proxy.
Law Enforcement, Public Safety, and Emergency Services
- SB 0024 prohibits law enforcement agencies from establishing or enforcing waiting periods before accepting missing person reports and requires immediate entry of the report into agency data systems.
- SB 1953 requires law enforcement agencies to obtain employment records from an officer applicant’s prior employers before making an offer of employment. Applicants must sign a release authorizing disclosure, and prior employers must respond within 14 days.
- SB 1295 requires 9-1-1 telecommunicators and emergency medical dispatchers to receive training in telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR).
- SB 1195 requires trauma-informed programs, procedures, and practices to be included in police training, including training on identifying and addressing conflicts of interest during investigations.
- SB 1446 requires the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal to track and record the causes of death for all firefighters in Illinois.
- HB 2336 allows municipalities and fire protection districts to charge assisted living facilities and nursing homes for non-emergency lift-assist services after the sixth lift-assist in a calendar year.
Libraries and Public Facilities
- HB 1910 requires public libraries to maintain an accessible supply of an opioid antagonist and to have at least one employee trained to administer it during operating hours.
Public Meetings, Hearings, and Accessibility
- HB 2419 requires governing bodies to ensure that local siting review hearings are accessible to individuals with disabilities and non-native English speakers and authorizes governing bodies to request studies related to traffic emissions.
Local Government Authority and Administration
- HB 1367 makes changes to the rules governing township ownership, holding, and conveyance of open space.
- SB 2129 requires the Illinois Department of Transportation to create an online portal allowing local governments to submit required forms electronically, with tracking and a designated point of contact.
Privacy, Records, and Personal Information
- HB 576 allows designated public officials to request removal of personal information, including home addresses and telephone numbers, from publicly accessible government websites.
- HB 3144 prohibits posting personal information about administrative law judges if the judge has requested removal of that information.
Property, Housing, and Land Records
- SB 1563 clarifies that Illinois eviction law does not prohibit law enforcement from enforcing criminal trespass laws when a property owner provides proof of ownership.
- HB 3566 requires eviction actions that improperly name minors as defendants to be dismissed and sealed and establishes remedies when minors are named in violation of the statute.
- HB 1575 prohibits county recorders from charging fees to record modifications removing unlawful restrictive covenants from property records.
Banking and Public Funds
- SB 1301 requires financial institutions to maintain a satisfactory or outstanding rating under the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act to be eligible to receive deposits of state or local public funds.
Environmental Regulation, Utilities, and Infrastructure
- HB 2391 allows treated municipal wastewater to be used for industrial purposes.
- SB 0727 requires the Pollution Control Board to adopt drinking water standards for PFAS that are identical to those adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency within one year of federal promulgation.
- SB 1723 bans carbon sequestration projects in or near the Mahomet Aquifer.
These new enactments reflect continued legislative activity across a broad range of subject areas affecting local governments, public agencies, and employers throughout Illinois. Questions regarding the scope, effective date, or application of any of the legislation summarized above may be directed to Michael A. Airdo at mairdo@airdowerwas.com or Mark J. Kimzey at mkimzey@airdowerwas.com.