Most new laws in Illinois take effect at the start of the year, but there are a handful of bills that will actually take effect in the coming weeks.
According to the Illinois General Assembly, most of those laws are technical changes to preexisting laws, but there are a handful that could end up impacting residents or their loved ones in the coming years.
Perhaps the most noteworthy of the bunch was House Bill 1226, which officially goes into effect on July 1.
The bill will now require Illinois residents who are aged 79 or older to renew their driver’s licenses in-person at a Secretary of State’s Office location.
In addition, residents who are 87 or older, or who are 75 or older and seeking to obtain or renew a commercial driver’s license, will be required to take a driver’s test in order to keep their license.
Finally, the bill will also allow family members to the Secretary of State pertaining to the medical condition of their loved ones, though the office will not be able to act on anonymous reports.
A handful of new laws will also impact Illinois schools, including House Bill 3851, which will change the definition of “cyber-bullying” in the state to include the posting or distribution of unauthorized digital images or replicas by electronic means.
Those changes will go into effect for the 2026-27 school year, according to officials.
Senate Bill 0408 also impacts students, providing that a student’s permanent record can include a summary of performance within special educational programs. The bill will also allow the Department of Education to provide that information to the Department of Human Services for the purposes of assessing whether a student is eligible for Medicaid.
Finally, House Bill 2962 will require drivers of school buses or school activity buses that can transport up to 15 people to obtain a school bus driver permit.
One Illinois law that typically is altered on July 1 will not be this year, as the state has opted to forego its annual increase in the fuel tax. That tax increase, indexed for inflation, takes effect on July 1 every year, but will not in 2026 under provisions of the fiscal year 2027 budget passed at the end of the spring legislative session.
A full list of laws that are going into effect on July 1 can be found on the General Assembly’s website.
