Pritzker Signs Broad Slate of Illinois Bills, Including Cash Payment Requirement and Worker Protections

SPRINGFIELD - Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed a broad package of Illinois bills covering consumer payments, health care, public safety, education, environmental regulation and court procedures, with most of the measures taking effect in 2027 and several becoming law immediately.

Among the measures signed were HB 4592, which prohibits retailers from refusing cash payments of up to $500 or posting signs that cash is not accepted, with reasonable exceptions, effective Jan. 1, 2028; HB 4612, which restricts assisted living facilities to making referrals to licensed home care services providers and requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to develop a related public safety announcement, effective Jan. 1, 2027; and SB 4041, which requires Midway and O’Hare airports to conduct periodic noise studies, effective Jan. 1, 2027.

The bill action also included legislation affecting child welfare and juvenile justice. Pritzker signed HB 4614, which requires changes in guardianship for youth already in care under the Department of Children and Family Services to be thoroughly evaluated to protect the child’s best interests. That measure takes effect immediately. He also signed HB 4639, effective Jan. 1, 2027, allowing juvenile courts to consider restorative justice and community mediation alternatives to traditional sentencing in delinquency cases, and HB 5310, effective immediately, which standardizes timelines and procedures for transferring juvenile court cases between Illinois counties.

Several newly signed bills address health care and patient protections. HB 4698, effective Jan. 1, 2027, requires health care facilities to inform patients during preventative visits that they may incur additional fees if additional problems requiring further evaluation are discussed. HB 4793, effective Jan. 1, 2027, authorizes pharmacists to use professional judgment to add missing ancillary devices or durable medical equipment to a prescription. SB 2762, effective immediately, requires insurance coverage for seizure detection devices starting in 2029 and preeclampsia biomarker testing starting in 2028.

Other health-related measures include HB 4749, which allows the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to immediately rescind a nursing license if it determines educational qualifications were fraudulently obtained; HB 4982, requiring pharmacies to post information about the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the Poison Control helpline and the 2-1-1 hotline by Jan. 1, 2027; and SB 3487, effective Jan. 1, 2027, lowering minimum age thresholds hospitals use to identify patients for vaccination under immunization policies.

Pritzker also approved bills focused on abuse reporting and protections for vulnerable residents. HB 4643, effective Jan. 1, 2027, categorizes intentional failure to report to the DHS Office of the Inspector General hotline as a material obstruction of an investigation. HB 4676, also effective Jan. 1, 2027, allows earlier law enforcement intervention in suspected abuse cases involving seniors and disabled persons. HB 4700 expands the definition of long-term care facilities to include assisted living and shared housing facilities for mandated abuse reporting purposes.

In education and workforce policy, Pritzker signed HB 4687, which repeals the Education Loan Default Act, removing limits on state agencies employing or contracting with people who are in default on student loans; HB 4844, effective Jan. 1, 2027, requiring employers to compensate workers at their regular rate of pay for time spent on jury duty; and HB 4862, effective Jan. 1, 2027, requiring school districts to develop procedures supporting employee mental health in the workplace. He also signed SB 3314, effective Jan. 1, 2027, requiring the Board of Higher Education to make public a report on credit hours taught by full-time and part-time faculty, organized by institution, degree and certificate program.

Environmental and infrastructure measures were also included in the signing list. HB 4941, effective Jan. 1, 2027, specifies eligibility requirements for accessing money from the Underground Storage Tank Fund for removing older tanks. HB 5317, effective Jan. 1, 2027, allows access to state funds to remediate orphan leaking underground storage tanks. SB 3917, effective Jan. 1, 2027, codifies Illinois Environmental Protection Agency sampling requirements for PFAS in wastewater and biosolids.

Transportation and public safety legislation signed Tuesday included HB 4867, effective immediately, expanding which vehicles may use green oscillating lights in highway work; SB 3275, effective Jan. 1, 2027, requiring the Illinois Department of Transportation to conduct road safety assessments; and SB 3951, effective Jan. 1, 2027, allowing local governments to place blue pavement markings to show the location of fire hydrants or water supplies near certain roads.

Other measures signed by Pritzker include HB 4654, requiring human trafficking notices in public restrooms at roadside rest areas by Jan. 1, 2027; HB 4859, allowing school districts to implement share table policies for unopened food or beverage items available to students at no cost, effective Aug. 1, 2027; SB 3361, effective immediately, requiring nonpublic schools to provide reassurance that they will not adopt or enforce policies prohibiting hairstyles related to a student’s religious beliefs; and SB 4038, effective Jan. 1, 2027, prohibiting the recording, livestreaming or photographing of victims or witnesses inside courthouses without consent or judicial authorization.

The governor’s action also covered dozens of additional bills making technical changes, expanding regulatory authority, revising agency procedures and updating state law across a range of subjects.

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