In this issue:
- Several new laws in effect this month
- Rollout of direct admission to most Illinois public colleges and universities
- IDOT warns about buckling pavement
- Illinois headlines
Several new laws in effect this month
With the arrival of July, several new state laws have taken effect. Over the last couple of weeks, we have gone over the new taxes required to fund the state’s budget for this year. Below is a look at some of the other new laws which went into effect in Illinois on July 1.
The Access to Affordable Insulin Act will put a $35 out-of-pocket cap on the price of insulin in Illinois. The cap had previously been set at $100. Participants in a discount program will now be able to purchase insulin at post-rebate prices.
An existing state law governing assisted living and shared housing has been amended in order to expand eligibility for assisted living facilities to individuals requiring non-routine catheter care.
In order to prevent opioid overdoses, a new state law will require state agencies to ensure that opioid antagonists like Narcan will be available and that staff will be trained in their use. It also protects trained employees from civil liability under the state’s Good Samaritan Act.
Foreign language interpreters will now be provided at no cost for witnesses, self-represented litigants and low-income individuals in Illinois courtrooms. Judges will now be required to ask if interpretive assistance is needed.
These are just a few of the new laws which have now taken effect in Illinois. You can find the full list here.
Rollout of direct admission to most Illinois public colleges and universities
Legislation to begin a direct admission program to most Illinois public colleges and universities has been signed into law by the Governor. The program will begin with the 2027-2028 school year and will allow Illinois public colleges and universities to send out preliminary offers of acceptance to qualified students. The students will receive an electronic notice informing them that they are eligible to continue a direct admissions process that has been initiated for them.
Students will be eligible for the program, which removes the need for them to fill out applications to the participating schools, based on their grades in high school. Community college students will also be eligible.
Two schools not participating in the direct admissions program are the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the University of Illinois Chicago. Other public colleges and universities are not calling this an “automatic” admission to college, as students will still have to actively participate in the process if they so choose.
IDOT warns about buckling pavement
The Illinois Department of Transportation has issued a warning to motorists in the state about the danger of buckling pavement in the hot weather.
Hot weather and humidity can cause pavement to expand and buckle upward, sometimes very quickly, causing uneven driving surfaces. Anyone who notices this happening can report the matter to IDOT at (800) 452-4368, or by contacting law enforcement. IDOT will also have crews monitoring the pavement, and the agency says the buckled pavement, which does not usually damage the foundation of the road, can be repaired quickly.
Be safe out there!
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $2,497,359,177. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $1.7 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
Illinois Department of Revenue urges late tax filers to take prompt action
National health care fraud takedown results in charges against 324 individuals, 13 in Illinois
ComEd opens applications for $10M relief fund to offset high electric bills
Feds want 5 years for ex-suburban mayor, county commissioner