By Matt Hall
Rock River Current
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A new year is almost upon us which means new laws.
In Illinois there are roughly 300 new laws that will go into effect on Saturday.
Here are just a few of the more interesting ones:
Related: Rockford in review, a look back at 2021
Minimum wage increase
The minimum wage in the state is set to increase another dollar on Saturday to $12 an hour. The increase is part of legislation Gov. JB Pritzker signed in 2019 that increases the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2025.
Mental health days
HB576 and SB1577 gives students at public schools up to five excused absences to prioritize their mental health. No medical note is required.
FOID card changes
Several changes were made to the Firearm Owner Identification law intended to streamline the renewal process, among other things. Here’s some of the key changes:
- Those who agree to fingerprinting are granted a streamlined process for renewal of FOID cards and concealed carry licenses.
- Allows for Illinois State Police to issue a combined FOID card and concealed carry license to qualified applicants.
- Requires Illinois State Police to establish a public database of all firearms reported stolen to be checked prior to sale or transfer to prevent the inadvertent transfer of stolen firearms.
- Tasks a new Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force to conduct enforcement operations against those with revoked FOID Cards.
Hayli’s Law
Let the kids be kids! This new law allows a lemonade stand to be operated by a person under 16 without regulation and without the need to apply for a temporary food permit with the local health department.
See more
For a complete list of all the new laws that will go into effect go HERE.
