Business & Work

2023 was a busy year for the Illinois legislature.  Over 600 bills were passed. Many important bills take effect on January 1, 2024, unless otherwise noted.

Business & Work

• SB 0208: created the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. The act requires most Illinois employers to provide employees with a minimum of 40 hours of paid leave a year. A new Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance will also go into effect in 2024.

In addition, the City of Chicago’s Paid Leave Ordinance will take effect later in 2024 . It covers employers: 

• Who have at least one employee, 
• Whose employee works in Chicago, and 
• Whose employee works for at least 80 hours within any 120-day period.  

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 act 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. With 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 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 criminal investigation law. The law protects persons from certain deceptive tactics during custodial interrogation. The expanded "protected person" will include persons with severe intellectual or developmental disabilities. This expands the original group of minors who were under 18 years old when committing the offense. Learn more about your rights during a criminal investigation.

• HB 3140: establishes that juveniles cannot be held in solitary confinement. There are exceptions 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 video-conferencing via applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, 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 not to use cannabis or alcohol while on: 
  • Probation, 
  • Conditional discharge, or 
  • Supervision. 

There are exceptions in limited circumstances. Learn more about cannabis use in Illinois. 

• Several law changes are related to parole.  Learn more about parole and other forms of release from prison.

Health & Benefits

• HB 3955: prohibits the hospital from delaying a patient's medical care because of questions on:
  • Payment methods, or 
  • Insurance status. 

Learn more about your rights in a hospital. 

• HB 2719: requires hospitals to check if uninsured patients can get help through: 
  • Public insurance, or 
  • The hospital itself. 

The hospital must see if the uninsured patient could qualify for help before starting a collection action

Some patient do not want to apply for public health insurance due to immigration-related concerns. The hospital can offer free resources to help these patients. 

These requirements go into effect on July 1, 2024. Learn more about your rights in a hospital. 

• SB 1913: ensures continued telehealth coverage for mental health and substance use services. 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 individuals with drug-related convictions are eligible for General Assistance. 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 sending the first notice. Learn more about SNAP and TANF overpayments. 

School & Education

• HB 3680: requires the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to consider extra accommodations in emergencies for a student, 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 also:

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: 
• Inform students of an alternative school program before transferring them to the program, and 
• Hold the transition meeting 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 electronic execution for all estate-planning documents, 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: allows car dealers in Illinois  to sell a car online without having the buyer visit a dealership. For purpose of sales tax, the point of transfer is the location of the dealership. The location where the customer takes possession of the car does not matter. Learn more about buying a used car.