2023 was a busy year for the Illinois legislature.  Over 600 bills were passed, and many important ones will go into effect on January 1, 2024, unless otherwise noted.

Business & Work

• SB 0208: created the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. The law requires most Illinois employers to provide employees with a minimum of 40 hours of paid leave a year. The City of Chicago’s Paid Leave Ordinance will also take effect later in the new year and will cover employers who have at least one employee working in Chicago for at least 80 hours within any 120-day period. A new Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance will also go into effect in the new year. Learn more about paid leave for all workers. 

• HB 1122: created the Freelance Worker Protection Act (FWPA). The act requires employers to provide freelance workers with written contracts and timely compensation. The act also protects freelance workers from discrimination. This law will take effect July 1, 2024. Learn more about your rights as a freelance worker. 

• SB 1782: establishes protections and a private right of action for child influencers. The law requires video creators, such as parents, to set aside part of the money made from the videos for the child. Illinois is the first state to pass such a law. This law goes into effect July 1, 2024. Learn more about protections for child influencers. 

• SB 2034: created the Child Extended Bereavement Leave Act. The law provides for extended bereavement leave when an employee loses a child by suicide or homicide. Learn more about bereavement leave for employees. 

House & Apartment

• SB 1817: prohibits landlords from discriminating against potential tenants based on their immigration status. Learn more about housing discrimination.

• HB 1541: prevents utility providers from terminating service for nonpayment if there is an excessive heat warning. It also lowers the temperature threshold that shut-offs are prohibited from 95 to 90 degrees. Learn other reasons a utility provider might shut off your service.

• HB 1628: prohibits residential landlords from requiring that tenants to use ACH electronic bank payments to pay the rent. Learn more about paying rent and utilities.

Crime & Traffic

• HB 3253: expands the definition of "protected person" in provisions prohibiting certain deceptive tactics during custodial interrogation to include persons with severe or profound intellectual or developmental disabilities. This expands the original group of minors who, at the time of the commission of the offense, were under 18 years of age. Learn more about your rights during a criminal investigation.

• HB 3140: establishes that juveniles cannot be held in solitary confinement except in limited situations. Learn more about juveniles in the criminal justice system.

• HB 2389: prohibits law enforcement from stopping or searching you, your car, or a passenger solely based on having an object hanging from your rearview mirror. 

• HB 2431: prohibits driving while participating in any video-conferencing application such as Zoom, Microsoft Team, or Webex. You also cannot access any social media sites such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or Twitter. Learn more about using cell phones while driving.

• SB 1886: prohibits a court from ordering you to not use cannabis or alcohol while on probation, conditional discharge, or supervision except in limited circumstances. Learn more about cannabis use in Illinois. 

• There were several law changes related to parole.  Learn more about parole and other forms of release from prison.

Health & Benefits

• HB 3955: ensures a patient’s medical care is not delayed in order for the hospital to ask about payment methods or insurance status. Learn more about your rights in a hospital. 

• HB 2719: requires hospitals to check and see if patients without insurance can get help through public insurance or the hospital itself. Before the hospital starts a collection action, they must see if the uninsured patient could qualify for help. If the patient does not want to apply for public health insurance because of immigration-related concerns, the hospital can tell them about free resources to help. These requirements go into effect on July 1, 2024. Learn more about your rights in a hospital. 

• SB 1913: ensures telehealth coverage for mental health and substance use services continues. Telehealth coverage rules apply to both Medicaid fee-for-service and managed care plans. Learn more about services that are covered by Medicaid. 

• HB 3424: ensures that individuals are not determined ineligible for General Assistance based on a drug-related conviction. Learn more about General Assistance eligibility with a criminal record. 

• SB 1291: requires the Department of Human Services to notify benefit recipients of overpayments and commence actions for recovery of overpayments within 10 years after the first notice is sent. Learn more about SNAP and TANF overpayments. 

School & Education

• HB 3680: requires the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to consider if a student needs extra accommodations during emergencies, such as natural disasters or active shooter situations. Learn more about setting up an IEP.  

• SB 0090: creates legal remedies for racial harassment in school. By the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, districts must have a written policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin. The policy must include information about how to make a complaint and explain that retaliation is not allowed. Learn more about preventing bullying in school. 

• SB 0183: requires schools to provide information about an alternative school program before transferring a student to the program. The law also requires that transition meeting be held at least 30 days before the student returns to their original school. Learn more about alternative schools for expelled students. 

Money & Debt

• HB 2269: establishes that all estate-planning documents are now allowed to be executed electronically, including trusts, powers of attorney, guardianships, and living wills. Previously, only wills were included in that category.  Learn more about wills and planning for the loss of health or life.

• SB 1896: provides that car dealers in Illinois are able to sell a car online without ever having the buyer visit a dealership. No matter where the customer takes possession of the vehicle, the point of transfer for purposes of sales tax is the location of the dealership. Learn more about buying a used car.