Most new laws in Illinois take effect at the start of the year, but there are a handful of bills that will actually take effect in the coming weeks.

According to the Illinois General Assembly, most of those laws are technical changes to preexisting laws, but there are a handful that could end up impacting residents or their loved ones in the coming years.

Perhaps the most noteworthy of the bunch was House Bill 1226, which officially goes into effect on July 1.

The bill will now require Illinois residents who are aged 79 or older to renew their driver’s licenses in-person at a Secretary of State’s Office location.

In addition, residents who are 87 or older, or who are 75 or older and seeking to obtain or renew a commercial driver’s license, will be required to take a driver’s test in order to keep their license.

Finally, the bill will also allow family members to the Secretary of State pertaining to the medical condition of their loved ones, though the office will not be able to act on anonymous reports.

A handful of new laws will also impact Illinois schools, including House Bill 3851, which will change the definition of “cyber-bullying” in the state to include the posting or distribution of unauthorized digital images or replicas by electronic means.

Those changes will go into effect for the 2026-27 school year, according to officials.

Senate Bill 0408 also impacts students, providing that a student’s permanent record can include a summary of performance within special educational programs. The bill will also allow the Department of Education to provide that information to the Department of Human Services for the purposes of assessing whether a student is eligible for Medicaid.

Finally, House Bill 2962 will require drivers of school buses or school activity buses that can transport up to 15 people to obtain a school bus driver permit.

One Illinois law that typically is altered on July 1 will not be this year, as the state has opted to forego its annual increase in the fuel tax. That tax increase, indexed for inflation, takes effect on July 1 every year, but will not in 2026 under provisions of the fiscal year 2027 budget passed at the end of the spring legislative session.

A full list of laws that are going into effect on July 1 can be found on the General Assembly’s website.

The Chicago Bears announced last week they are making Hammond, Indiana, their priority for a new stadium, and while it’s not a done deal yet, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he’s confident the Bears will soon be moving there.

“It’s vague for a lot of complex reasons, but the Bears are working on Hammond right now. I’m happy to see what the Bears are putting into our city right now. We’re going to be the home stadium,” McDermott said at Monday night’s city council meeting.

The Bears are still playing in Soldier Field for now. Last week, their board of directors voted to move forward with plans to build a new stadium in Hammond, but acknowledged they have yet to pick a specific site.

The decision came just days after Illinois state lawmakers wrapped up their spring session without approving legislation aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois.

In April, the Illinois House voted to pass a so-called “megaprojects bill” that would have allowed the Bears or other developers investing at least $100 million in a project to negotiate property tax breaks with local governments. The Illinois Senate never voted on that legislation, instead passing a bill on Monday that would have allowed local municipalities in Cook County with a population of more than 70,000 to set up their own stadium authorities. Arlington Heights and Chicago both meet that threshold.

Under that plan, the Bears would have put up the cash to build the stadium but the local government would officially own it and the Bears would lease it from them — thus avoiding property taxes altogether. However, the Illinois House adjourned for the summer without taking up that proposal.

Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), who has led negotiations on legislation aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois, said the Bears have left the door open to staying in Illinois. He said team president Kevin Warren called him on the day the Bears announced they were focusing on Hammond to say the Bears are still open to discussions on a new stadium in Illinois.

Buckner also noted that the Bears have yet to pick a specific site in Hammond for a new stadium.

“That’s not a criticism. It’s simply an acknowledgment that the Bears’ own language leaves additional flexibility and does not represent a final decision. The carefully crafted statement also uses words that describe a process that is continuing, rather than reaching a conclusion,” Buckner said last week.

On Tuesday, Illinois state Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) announced he was crafting a new version of the megaprojects bill to keep the Bears in Illinois.

His proposal would raise the threshold for a so-called “megaproject” from $100 million to $500 million. Like the original megaprojects bill, developers could negotiate with local governments for “payments in lieu of taxes” that would lower their property tax bills but still provide revenue to local governments.

Ugaste’s plan would also provide statewide property tax relief for homeowners by requiring any tax referendum questions up for a vote to appear on general election ballots. Currently, tax referendum questions are allowed to appear on primary election ballots, when fewer voters typically cast ballots.

“We need to get this done,” Ugaste said. “Illinois can keep a historic sports franchise that means so much to the people of the state, remain competitive for major economic development projects, and also provide relief for homeowners and businesses who are carrying one of the highest property tax burdens in the nation. We do not have to choose between economic growth and taxpayer relief. We can, and should, have both.”

Ugaste said he plans to introduce his proposal in the Illinois General Assembly later this week.

Indiana lawmakers have approved legislation to pave the way for a Bears move to Hammond. The proposal would commit up to $1 billion in public funding towards a stadium, and create a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority with the power to issue bonds, acquire land, and finance construction.

While Indiana has agreed to help finance a Bears stadium, the team plans to commit $2 billion towards the construction of the facility. Indiana officials have yet to lay out how they plan to help fund the project, or what taxes would be needed to pay for it.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Transportation Commission approved a $4.2 billion transportation improvement plan Tuesday.

The five-year plan lists investments to Iowa’s airports, highways, trails and railroads. About $3.9 billion is expected to be put toward road and bridge improvements.

In eastern Iowa, there are 14 projects planned for Johnson County, 15 in Linn County, 14 in Black Hawk County and 15 in Dubuque County.

One of the planned projects in Johnson County is $56,000,000 in improvements on I-380 from north of North Liberty to the Swisher/Shueyville area. There is also $11,700,000 to repave I-380 from north of Cedar Rapids through Exit 30 in Linn County.

Also in Linn County, $27,300,000 is allocated to a new bridge and repaving Highway 151 in Springville.

In Iowa County, there is more than $43,000,000 budgeted for replacing a bridge, traffic improvements and repaving along I-80 north of Williamsburg.

In Dubuque, $12,500,000 available to repave Highway 20 from Old Highway Road to Crescent Ridge.

The state also highlighted plans to add nearly 50 additional truck parking spots at interstate rest stops.