There are plenty of new Illinois laws that will impact residents in 2025, but there are some bills hitting the books that you may not expect.
Technology took center stage on several pieces of legislation. A new bill, HB 4875, makes it illegal to create digital replicas of individuals via generative Artificial Intelligence without the person’s consent for commercial purposes.
Virtual currencies like Bitcoin are also now accounted for under the state’s laws concerning unclaimed property thanks to SB 3343, which allows the state treasurer to pay custodial fees for the currency and specific types of securities.
Motorcyclists will be happy to know that under the terms of HB 4966 a large selection of new specialty license plates, including organ donor awareness plates, pet-friendly plates, and support our troops plates, will now be available for their rides.
Numerous laws impacting consumers will also go into effect. SB 2625 impacts retailers who sell alcoholic products, as those beverages that are “hard” versions of typically non-alcoholic offerings can not be positioned near their non-alcoholic counterparts.
If you go to a concert or sporting event at a venue that holds at least 3,500 people, you’ll also notice that the venue will be required to offer the opportunity to compost organic waste and to collect recyclable materials, thanks to the provisions of SB 2876.
Here are some other interesting laws hitting the books in 2025:
Local
HB 0307 – Athletes in Illinois can now earn NIL compensation directly from universities, and media and residents will be prohibited from obtaining information on how much athletes make in private deals.
HB 1742 – Allows the Regional Transportation Authority to donate locomotives and other equipment to museums and not-for-profit corporations.
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HB 4255 – Tow trucks can use green flashing lights while at emergency scenes.
HB 4351 – Cook County residents can hire private process servers rather than being legally required to use sheriff’s deputies for that purpose.
HB 5488 – Illinois will establish a task force aimed at creating a legacy tree recognition program.
HB 5640 – Adds the U.S. Space Force to any reference to the armed forces or armed services of the United States within Illinois laws.
SB 0331 – Requires public universities and community colleges to pay employees their regular pay if campus is closed due to a winter weather emergency.
SB 2747 – Changes the Illinois Exotic Weeds Act, requiring the Department of Natural Resources to maintain a list of exotic weeds, and to allow it to issue permits to buy, sell, or distribute the plants.
SB 3173 – Counties can lease, license or grant access to infrastructure like fiber optic cables to public or private entities if it helps expedite the delivery of broadband service.
Sb 3407 – Makes changes pertaining to deer meat processing to expand the availability of charitable donations.
SB 3592 – Demands increased transparency in the sale of local media outlets, and creates a journalism scholarship program through the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
