With 2021 comes news laws for Illinoisans to follow
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The arrival of 2021 brings with it few new Illinois laws due to the shortened spring session of the General Assembly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
About a half-dozen news state laws and policies went into effect Friday. In 2020, more than 250 new laws took effect.
As a result of legislative action, low-wage workers across Illinois are getting a raise, with the minimum wage increasing by $1, to $11 per hour. It follows a $1 increase on Jan. 1, 2020, and a 75 cent raise on July 1.
Illinois is now one of the first states to limit the out-of-pocket price of insulin, limiting it to $100 for a 30-day supply, regardless of how much insulin is needed to fill a prescription.
Illinois law enforcement agencies can now collect DNA samples of a missing person's family members in an effort to create a reference DNA sample.
A program that protects the addresses of domestic violence victims will now include victims of sexual assault and stalking. The Illinois attorney general's address confidentiality program allows eligible victims to use a substitute address and mail forwarding.
Also, the secretary of state's office now allows drivers to register their cars for two years at a time, but not immediately, because of the pandemic.