New Year. New Laws.

There are nearly 200 New Illinois Laws that take effect in 2023. Here is a summary of some that may impact your life.

STUDENT CONFIDENTIAL REPORTING ACT (SB 03936/PA 102-752) Legislation requiring state agencies, such as schools and the Illinois State Police, to establish a hotline for receiving reports and other information regarding the potential harm or self-harm of students or school employees.

CROWN ACT (SB 03616/PA 93-1078) Legislation amends the definition of “race” under the Illinois Human Rights Act to include traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles. The goal of this law is to prevent hair discrimination in the workplace.

LIFTING UP ILLINOIS WORKING FAMILIES ACT (SB 0001/PA 101-0001) Legislation amends the Illinois Minimum Wage Law to raise the minimum wage in the State of Illinois to $15 by 2025. In 2023, the minimum wage in Illinois will increase from $12 to $13 an hour.

FAMILY BEREAVEMENT LEAVE ACT (SB 03120/PA 102-1050) Legislation amends the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act to provide up to two weeks, or 10 working days, of unpaid leave for women who have a miscarriage or other diagnosis or event that impacts pregnancy or fertility, including failed adoptions or surrogacy agreements and unsuccessful reproductive procedures. The amendment also expands the definition of “family member” under the Act to include spouses, domestic partners, siblings, grandparents, and stepparents.

ILLINOIS VEHICLE CODE

(SB 03216) Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code to include licensed physical therapists on the list of persons who can “verify that a person is a person with disabilities.”

(SB 03609) Lowers vehicle registration fees for cars and small trucks if they were manufactured in Illinois.

SCHOOL CODE EXPANSION 
(HB 05193/PA 86-1475) Legislation amends the Illinois School Code to require “safe gun storage” to be included on the list of required topics in the state’s safety education curriculum for all grades.

(HB 05488/PA 102-0981) Legislation amends the Illinois School Code to allow every student enrolled in a public middle or high school at least one excused school day absence per year to engage in a “civic event.” A “civic event” is an event “sponsored by a non-profit…or government entity that is open to the public.”

ILLINOIS STATE EMPLOYEES GROUP INSURANCE ACT

(HB 04271/PA 102-0731) Requires state-regulated private insurance to cover medically necessary breast reduction surgery.

(HB 05254/PA 102-0804) Requires health insurance plans to cover medically necessary hormone therapy treatments for women who have induced menopause by undergoing a hysterectomy.

(HB 05318/PA 102-1073) Requires health insurance to cover annual prostate cancer screenings upon a physician’s recommendation.

(HB 05334/PA 102-0979) Requires health insurance to cover costs for genetic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes to detect risks for breast and ovarian cancer upon a physician’s recommendation.

JOB TRAINING ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM ACT (HB 05225/PA 102-0803) Legislation created a five-year pilot program that offers assistance and support services, such as childcare or transportation subsidies, to eligible individuals to allow them to complete an apprenticeship or internship.

THE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM (SB 04028) Legislation requires Illinois schools to provide information on where and how students can access mental health care services.

ILLINOIS CAREER/TECH PATHWAY (HB 03296) Legislation requires school boards to establish a career and technical education pathway program for grades 6 through 12.

ILLINOIS DUAL CREDIT COURSES (HB 05506) Legislation allows partnership agreements between Community College districts and High School districts to allow high school students to take a dual credit course for high school credit and collect demographic data.

RED LIGHT CAMERA/SPEED CAMERA CHANGES FOR STOLEN VEHICLES (HB 03772) Modifies existing vehicle laws by providing that people whose cars have been stolen will no longer be liable for violations, fees, fines, or penalties when caught on red light and speed cameras.

ILLINOIS HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF STATE RESIDENTS (SB 02535) Legislation requires that before a pharmacist dispenses an opioid, they must inform the patient that opioids are addictive and offer to give them an opioid antagonist.

WORKER’S RIGHTS AMENDMENT TO THE ILLINOIS BILL OF RIGHTS (SJRCA0011) Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the Illinois Constitution that makes the “right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing for the purposes of negotiating wages, hours and working conditions” a fundamental right for Illinois workers.

LATEX GLOVE BAN ACT (HB 0209/PA 102-1095) Legislation bans latex gloves in the handling and preparation of food. The Act will also ban the use of latex gloves by medical personnel starting Jan. 1, 2024.

ILLINOIS POWER OF ATTORNEY ACT (HB 05047/PA 102-0794) Legislation amends the Illinois Power of Attorney Act to permit agents in a health care setting to present electronic copies of documents that delegate power of attorney and requires the health care provider to accept the digital document.

MOTOR FUEL TAX (PA 101-0032) Effective January 1, 2023, the State Motor Fuel Tax will increase to $0.423 per gallon of gasoline. Additionally, the tax will resume its annual increase on July 1, 2023.

GROCERY TAX (PA 102-700) Effective January 1, 2023, the 1% tax on groceries will be reinstated after it was suspended from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

BANKING DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT ACT (HB 05194/PA 102-802) Establishes an incentive program to induce banks and credit unions to open branches in areas with underbanked populations.

HUMAN RIGHTS ACT (HB 02775/PA 102-896) Legislation amends the Illinois Human Rights Act by making it a civil rights violation for anyone in real estate transactions to discriminate based on source of income. Financial institutions are exempt if they are considering source of income in transactions in compliance with state or federal law.

CONDOMINIUM PROPERTY ACT (HB 05246/PA 102-976) Legislation amends the Condominium Property Act by narrowing the timeframe for section 22.1 disclosures for prospective purchasers from 30 days to 10 days. The amendment also limits the fee for gathering such information to $375, with an additional $100 charge permitted for rush service completed within 72 hours.

REAL ESTATE VALUATION TASK FORCE ACT (HB 04410/PA 102-934) Legislation creates the Real Estate Valuation Task Force to identify and resolve the causes of racial disparities in appraisals.

PROPERTY TAX CODE (SB 03069/PA 102-1000) Legislation amends the Property Tax Code to provide that a homeowner or condominium association may file an appeal or intervene in an appeal on behalf of its members to the Property Tax Appeal Board.