2026 Articles

The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation adopted amendments to the Part titled Residential Mortgage License Act of 1987. This rulemaking establishes requirements for shared appreciation agreements, which are written agreements or transactions between a person and a consumer in which the consumer receives money or another thing of value in exchange for granting the other party an interest, future interest, or repayment right tied to the consumer’s home or residential real estate. 

On Jan. 7, 2026, the Fourth District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that res judicata generally does not bar timely-filed claims in one lawsuit merely because similar claims in a later lawsuit were dismissed with prejudice as untimely.

The General Assembly enacted the Self-Administered Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit Ban Act, which prohibits the sale, marketing, promotion, advertisement, or other distribution of self-administered sexual assault evidence collection kits.

On March 26, 2026, the Second District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that the state may not make the same recording punishable twice on two different theories under section 11-20.1(a) of the Criminal Code of 2012.

On Dec. 4, 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court held that a 30-day imprisonment sanction is not a sentence under the County Jail Good Behavior Allowance Act and therefore does not entitle defendants to good-conduct credit.

The Illinois General Assembly amended the School Code’s bullying prevention provisions to address digitally created or altered images.

The General Assembly amended the School Code to prohibit schools and law enforcement from issuing monetary fines, fees, tickets, or citations to students for municipal code violations committed on school grounds during school hours or while taking school transportation. 

The General Assembly amended the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to require the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to develop clear, definitive guidelines for developing threat assessment procedures, rapid entry response plans, and cardiac emergency response plans.

On Feb. 27, 2026, the Second District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that the removal and search of a wallet after a pat-down exceeded the scope of a permissible search where the defendant was not armed and dangerous and a pat-down was justified only for the search of weapons.

On Dec. 18, 2025, the Fifth District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that a weapon conviction based on a prior juvenile adjudication did not violate the Second Amendment.

The Illinois Secretary of State adopted amendments to the Persons with Disabilities Parking Program to clarify application requirements for disability plates and for parking placards or devices.

The Office of the Treasurer adopted amendments to the Part titled Secure Choice Savings Program. The rulemaking subjects employers to penalties for failing to remit employee contributions in a timely manner. 

The Department of Revenue adopted amendments to the Part titled Income Tax, expanding the regulatory framework applicable to entities engaged in small consumer lending.

The State Employees’ Retirement System adopted amendments to the Part titled The Administration and Operation of the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) of Illinois. 

The Illinois General Assembly amended the Illinois Explosives Act regarding licensing, enforcement, storage, and transportation requirements for explosives. The Act updates statutory definitions for explosives, explosive materials, magazine keepers, water gel, and consumer fireworks. 

The General Assembly enacted the Child Welfare Disclosure to Parents Act, which provides that parents involved with the Illinois child welfare system are guaranteed certain rights. 

On Nov. 26, 2025, the Fifth District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that granting summary judgment in favor of the defendant was proper in a wrongful-death suit because the plaintiff failed to establish a genuine issue of material fact that would support an allegation of willful and wanton misconduct by the ambulance crew.