Pritzker signs new laws on birth control, AI regulations, play-based
learning
[July 14, 2026]
By Ben Szalinski
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker signed 31 new laws on Friday as he
continues evaluating measures passed in the spring session, including
bills banning certain ingredients from cosmetics and correcting the
state’s property tax laws.
Access to birth control
Senate Bill 3341 allows minors to receive birth control without
permission from their parents or another adult. With Illinois’ new law,
half of states now allow minors to access birth control on their own.
During debate on the bill in the Senate, Republicans objected and said
it cuts parents out of important decisions concerning their children.
They also worried minors won’t fully understand complications from birth
control.
Cosmetic ingredients
House Bill 3409 bans manufacturing and selling cosmetic products with 11
different ingredients that are considered harmful substances or forever
chemicals. The law specifically bans manufacturers from intentionally
including those ingredients in their products.
“For too long, the cosmetics industry has operated without the kind of
oversight we apply to food, medicine and drinking water,” bill sponsor
Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, said in a statement.
Many of the ingredients are already banned in cosmetics sold in the
European Union. Illinois’ law takes effect in July 2028, but it does not
outline penalties for manufacturers and sellers that fail to comply.
Property taxes
House Bill 4537 brings Illinois into compliance with the 2023 Supreme
Court decision Tyler v. Hennepin County that regulates property tax debt
sales.
Now, if a homeowner has their property seized and sold for failing to
pay debt, they will receive any surplus funds left over from the
auction.
Illinois is the last state to comply with the 2023 Supreme Court
decision, which found that selling a property over unpaid debt without
returning surplus to the owner was a violation of the property owner’s
rights.
States quickly began complying, but the Illinois bill that ultimately
passed in May took years of negotiations. In Cook County, the
legislature voted on multiple occasions to postpone tax sales while
lawmakers came up with a more permanent solution that Pritzker signed
last week.
Teacher evaluations
Senate Bill 2909 prohibits school administrators from using artificial
intelligence to evaluate teachers. Likewise, teachers also cannot use AI
to meet performance requirements. The bill does not prohibit teachers or
school administrators from using AI in other forms of work, however.
“I’m in favor of exploring AI as a tool for basic organization and
streamlining simple aspects of modern work, but this technology is not
capable of effectively carrying out judgement-based tasks this complex,”
bill sponsor Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, said in a
statement.
Play-based learning
House Bill 4577 implements a definition of play-based learning into
state law for kindergarten classes. The concept was already required for
kindergarten classes; the new law just made it more specific.
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Gov. JB Pritzker plays Connect 4 with children following an event to
open a new sports park in Springfield on April 28, 2026. (Capitol
News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
It describes “teacher-initiated play” as teacher-led activities that are
“aligned to learning goals or standards,” and “student-initiated play”
as activities chosen by the child to “build, pretend, create, move, or
explore in an environment intentionally curated by a teacher to align
with learning goals or standards.”
“Play-based learning is essential in helping children develop strong
cognitive and social-emotional skills that help prepare them for early
learning grades,” bill sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake, said
in a statement. “We want our children to succeed, and that means
incorporating the best teaching style possible for their age.”
Cancer screenings
House Bill 4203 expands the definition of someone “at risk” for ovarian
cancer to include people who have reached high levels on certain blood
tests. It also expands annual screenings to more specifically include
ultrasound, MRIs, and other imaging rather than only “surveillance
tests” like under previous law. The law takes effect in 2028.
Expulsions
School districts are prohibited from expelling students in kindergarten
through second grade under House Bill 3772, unless state law would
otherwise require it.
Voter registration
House Bill 4339 requires high schools to provide all eligible graduating
students an opportunity to register to vote. The bill is named after the
Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died earlier this year and was known for his
work registering young people to vote.
Many high schools already provide voter registration opportunities to
students. The bill also doesn’t outline how schools should implement the
new requirement, which led some Republicans to oppose it over fears
schools could make voter registration partisan.
Unlike many other states, Illinois voters do not register with a
specific party. The new law takes effect immediately, but it doesn’t
create penalties for schools that don’t comply.
Court reminders
House Bill 4428 requires pretrial service agencies to send defendants
three text message reminders about their court date. The courts must
keep those messages as part of their records. Supporters of the bill say
they believe it will help more people show up to their mandatory court
dates. The law takes effect immediately.
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