You may pay more for gas, see less plastic under new Illinois laws in effect soon
While the new year typically brings the bulk of new laws to Illinois, a few new or updated pieces of legislation will go into effect Tuesday, July 1, as well.
New laws that went in effect New Year’s Day in Illinois included new protections against discrimination in the workplace, updates to the state’s child labor laws, pay equity for workers with disabilities (with a later enforcement date) and an increased minimum wage.
Here’s what to know about new and updated legislation in Illinois that will go into effect this July, including provisions aimed to benefit the environment and more.
Naloxone availability to state employees
House Bill 5028 will go into effect July 1, which says state agencies may make opioid antagonists, such as Naloxone or Narcan, available at workplaces if the agency trains employees on how to use and administer them.
The act also says state employees who administer an opioid antagonist in good faith following regulations, as described by the law, will be exempt from any civil liability related to their use.
Narcan and Naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses, have been available over the counter in Illinois since 2023.
Gas tax increase
The Illinois motor fuel tax will increase July 1, from $0.47 per gallon to $0.483 per gallon for gasoline and from $0.545 per gallon to $0.558 per gallon for diesel fuel.
The new increased rate is set to be in effect through June 30, 2026. Illinois’ motor fuel tax law dictates the tax will increase each year on July 1 in accordance with inflation.
Illinois residents currently pay the second-highest gas tax in the U.S., behind only California, WCIA reported June 5. Illinois’ average gas price is $0.567 cents more per gallon than Missouri’s as of June 11, auto club AAA reports.
Single-use plastic in hotels
Illinois Senate Bill 2960 became law Jan. 1, but one of its enforcement dates is July 1. The new law bans hotels from providing guests with “small, single-use plastic bottles containing personal care products.”
Hotels with at least 50 rooms must comply with this law by July 1.
“Hotels with fewer rooms will have until January 1, 2026, to comply with that law,” Illinois Legal Aid Online Deputy Director Gwen Daniels said in a June 6 interview with the News-Democrat.
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