5 new laws starting July 1
A list of laws Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed over a year ago take effect July 1. Here’s what you need to know.
While Illinois families won’t see gas prices increase July 1, they will see a record $55.9 billion budget with over $800 million in tax increases and new laws take effect.
Here are five laws effective July 1:
End-of-life option
Referred to as Deb’s Law, patients with a terminal disease may ask a doctor to prescribe aid-in-dying medication allowing them to end their life “in a peaceful manner.” Senate Bill 1950 was originally titled “Sanitary Food Preparation” and amended in the last week of the 2025 regular session to the “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act.”
Cyber-bullying definition
House Bill 3851 adds to the bullying prevention section of the school code. “Posting or distributing sexually explicit images” is considered a form of bullying. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, “‘cyber-bullying’ also includes the posting or distribution of an unauthorized digital replica by electronic means” if the post creates fear or harm for the student, hurts the student’s physical or mental health, or interferes with the student’s academic performance or the ability to participate in other services, activities or privileges provided by the school.
School bus permits
A school bus driver has a new permit option. House Bill 2962 creates a specialized school bus driver permit to operate smaller passenger vehicles and a “multifunction school activity bus” designed to carry up to 15 passengers when being used for curriculum-related activities such as transportation between home and school, to a vocational school or for a field trip. The bill gives districts more flexibility for curriculum-related transportation while maintaining strict safety standards.
Driving tests for 75+
House Bill 1226 raises the age for in-person license renewal to 79, up from 75. The bill also adds to the Illinois Vehicle Code that an applicant over age 87, or 75 if the person holds a commercial driver’s license, “must prove, by actual demonstration,” that they can safely operate a vehicle.
New Department of Early Childhood
Passed in 2024 during the 103rd Illinois General Assembly, Senate Bill 1 streamlines bureaucracy and accomplishes a recommendation from the bipartisan Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding. Two years after Pritzker signed it into law, the new Department of Early Childhood launches July 1, overseeing programs and services that have been handled by three state agencies.
This year, lawmakers had a chance to tackle the state’s pension crisis, Illinois’ high state and local tax burden, energy affordability and the Chicago Bears stadium situation. They left taxpayers on the hook — and maybe without da beloved Bears.