8 New Illinois Laws To Know About In 2026

The New Year is fast-approaching.

And as we ring in 2026, many new laws will also take effect.

From guidelines on what information schools can provide regarding a student's immigrant status to cheaper medications for more residents, here's a look at the laws that will have a major impact on Illinois residents in the coming year.

New Rules On What Schools, Daycares, Colleges Can Share Regarding Immigrant Students

New protections will be put in place for undocumented students in Illinois in 2026.

The Safe Schools For All Act states education cannot be denied to a child “based on the child’s or associated person’s perceived or actual citizenship or immigration status.” Under the new law, schools will also be prohibited from sharing or threatening to share information about a student's immigration status or the immigration status of a person associated with the child.

The law also calls on schools to set up procedures surrounding ICE and other law enforcement actions at the schools and school facilities.

In addition, House Bill 1312, signed earlier this month, is meant to safeguard immigrant children at daycare centers and help defend immigrants at higher education facilities.

The new law will prohibit day care centers from sharing the actual or perceived immigration status of a child or associated person, unless required by law; requires the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Illinois Department of Early Childhood to provide know-your-rights materials, preparedness plans, and other resources to families online; and compels licensed day care centers to adopt a plan of action for interacting with enforcement agents and notifying parents if an agent requests a child’s personally identifiable information by the New Year.

The law puts in place similar rules for higher education facilities, barring schools from taking certain actions regarding the actual or perceived immigration status of students, employees or those associated with them, unless required by law; and requiring Illinois schools to submit procedures on how to approve requests from law enforcement agents attempting to enter campus.

Health Care Coverage Expansions

Senate Bill 773, will require health insurance providers doling out coverage to companies with more than 25 employees to cover the costs associated with an annual menopause visit. And House Bill 3489 will change the way emergency contraceptives can be distributed, and will allow pharmacists to dispense Plan B, and other similar contraceptives, without a doctor's appointment.

Meanwhile, HB 4180, will require the coverage of molecular breast imaging of an entire breast or breasts if a mammogram demonstrates heterogeneous or dense breast tissue or when medically necessary as determined by a physician.

Sexual Images, Bullying

Under House Bill 3851, a portion of the Illinois school code will be amended and will now include new language regarding bullying and cyber-bullying and the posting or distributing of sexually explicit images.

Starting with the 2026-27 school year, the term "cyber-bullying" includes the posting or distribution of a "digital replica." This can include fake A1-generated images of someone that leads to or causes traditional bullying.

Nursing Mothers Get Break Time In Workplace

Under Senate Bill 0212, employees will be required to provide up to 30 minutes of paid break for any employees who needs to express or pump breast milk for their children, according to NBC 5 Chicago. The requirement will be in place for up to one year after the child is born.

Medically Assisted Suicide

Starting in September 2026, Illinois will become the 12th state in the U.S. to allow medically-assisted suicide.

Under the new law, patients with a terminal illness, who are 18 years old or older — and who have physician-confirmed mental capacity to make medical decisions —will be able to request end-of-life medication, according to the governor's office. Their illness must be verified by doctors to be fatal within six months, according to media reports.

The Illinois Department of Public Health and other medical officials will be working up through September to create "stringent processes and protections" to help implement the new law.

Background Checks For Police Officers

Senate Bill 1953 will put in place rules regarding background information that will need to be provided to law enforcement agencies for a potential new hire to be considered for employment.

The law was passed in response to the murder of Sonya Massey, of Springfield, in 2024. Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson shot Massey in her kitchen while investigating a reported prowler, according to media reports.

Capitol News Illinois reported Grayson had a history of getting in trouble at work, which included him disobeying superiors. He was convicted in October of second-degree murder in Massey's death.

Under Senate Bill 1953, applicants will be required to provide a signed release that will direct any and all places of employment where the person worked to "produce or make available for inspection all employment records, including background investigation materials collected in connection with making an offer of employment, duty-related physical and psychological fitness-for-duty examinations, work performance records, criminal, civil, or administrative investigations of conduct, arrests, convictions, findings of guilt, pleas of guilty, or pleas of nolo contendere."