19 New Illinois Laws for 2019
Do you know what your state government has been doing for 2019?
The new year added more than 250 new laws to the books in Illinois. Among the new laws, are 19 listed below, which may be of interest, anticipation or regret to the residents of Illinois:
- Don’t call me “Sir.” Makes elected office gender neutral, ex: committee person or chairperson rather than committeeman or chairman. (P.A. 100-1027)
- Can you see me now? Allows hunters to wear solid blaze pink colored clothing, in addition to blaze orange during deer or upland game bird seasons. (P.A. 100-0949)
- Read the fine print of your gym contract. The previous cap of $2,500 has been increased to $6,500 for annual gym membership contracts. (P.A. 100-0658)
- Turn around, baby. Requires any child under the age of 2 years old and under 40 lbs. to be properly secured in a rear facing child restraint system. (P.A. 100-0672)
- Some DUI’s are worse than others. Driving the wrong way on a one-way street is an aggravating factor for DUI’s, that could lead to a harsher sentence. (P.A. 100-1053)
- It can get lonely in a cage. Each inmate in the Department of Corrections is entitled to 7 in-person visits per month from a list of 30 authorized visitors. (P.A. 100-0677)
- Watch out for that bike before you open the door. The “Dutch Reach” method of opening the driver’s door with the right hand after parallel parking will be included in the Rules of the Road, and on the written test. (P.A. 100-0770)
- Keep Grandma safe in the nursing home. Adult Protective Services in now authorized to investigate allegations of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation in assisted care facilities. (P.A. 100-0641)
- Baby can’t wait for jury deliberations. Any nursing mother shall be excused from jury duty upon request. (P.A. 100-696)
- It’s too noisy in the city. Ambulances or rescue vehicles (in Chicago) shall use lights and sirens only when reasonably necessary to warn civilians while responding to emergencies or transporting critical patients. (P.A. 100-0962)
- Schools and children must be prepared. Schools and law enforcement shall conduct active threat or active shooter safety drill in school, on a school day, within first 90 days of school year. (P.A. 100-0996)
- That ugly mug shot isn’t really me. Website that publishes criminal record information that charges a fee for removal or correction must correct any errors within 5 business days of receipt of written request or pay $100 per day plus attorney’s fees. (P.A. 100-0927)
- Reckless dog owners can lose their dogs. If an owner’s dog is deemed dangerous after killing another dog, and found running at large twice within 12 months, the dog can be impounded and the “reckless dog owner” may be prohibited from owning a dog for 12 to 36 months. (P.A. 100-0971)
- Illegal texting and driving can lead to license suspension. Beginning 7/01/19, illegal texting and driving, other than hands-free, stopped and parked or single-button activation, becomes a moving violation, of which a conviction goes on your record. (P.A. 100-0858)
- Can’t buy a gun when you’re angry. It is unlawful to sell a gun until 72-hours have elapsed since application for purchase, unless to law enforcement officer. (P.A. 100-0606)
- Non-citizens can become doctors, accountants and engineers. All qualified applicants, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, are eligible for Illinois professional licenses issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. (P.A. 100-1078)
- Murderers and Violent Offenders can clear their name. Persons required to register under the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act may petition for removal from list after 5 years of good behavior. (P.A. 100-0946)
- Government need not pay bad employee after termination. Prohibits severance pay when officer, agent, employee or contractor is fired by a government unit for misconduct. (P.A. 100-895)
- Chicago Police Department must follow the law, too. State-wide ban on ticket quotas now includes Chicago. (P.A. 100-1001)
For anyone wishing to read the full text of the new laws, you can refer to the cited Public Act (P.A.) on the Illinois General Assembly website, www.ilga.gov.
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