CHICAGO (WLS) — Several new laws take effect in Illinois on July 1, 2025.

Illinois’ fiscal year 2026 budget was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker mid-June. The $55 billion spending plan set to take effect July 1 is the largest in state history.

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Chicago minimum wage

Chicago workers making minimum wage are set to get a raise on Tuesday.

The city’s minimum wage will be $16.60 and the minimum wage for subsidized youth employment programs will be $16.50.

READ MORE | Chicago minimum wage set to increase July 1 along with changes for paid time off

Gas Tax Hike

Illinois drivers should also expect a jump in gas prices.

The gas tax is going up to 48.3 cents per gallon on Tuesday.

The new hike gives Illinois the second-highest gas tax rate in the country.

Small Single-Use Plastic Bottle Act

Hotels with 50 rooms or more will no longer be allowed to provide small single-use bottles for personal care products like shampoo and conditioner.

Next year, hotels with less than 50 rooms will also be prohibited from providing the small single-use bottles, according to HB4639.

READ ALSO | 2025 New Illinois laws in effect on Jan. 1 from health insurance to digital driver’s licenses, more

Other laws signed by Gov. Pritzker

On Monday, Pritzker took action on multiple bills.

The following will be effective July 1, 2025:

SB0028: Amends the School Code. In a provision regarding an optional alternative evaluative dismissal process for teacher evaluations, removes the definition of and references to “student growth components.”

SB0852: Eliminates failure-to-appear driver license suspensions for minor traffic offenses that only carry a fine, but allows a failure-to-appear license suspension for traffic offenses punishable by imprisonment or when the incident involved a fatality.

The following took effect immediately:

HB2488: Eliminates references to a federal program in the Equal Pay Act to ensure that federal changes do not undermine the state requirement that private employers with 100 or more employees report on employee wages by gender and race/ethnicity.

HB3339: Extends Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act to 2028 and allows for the cameras to be used in investigations of human trafficking and involuntary servitude.

HB3760: Establishes a designated hunting season for the Gray Fox and allows the Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to adjust the length of the season to adequately manage the Gray Fox population.

SB0108: Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to make permanent a pilot program for assessment waivers for violations of the Vehicle Code in a county having a population of more than 3,000,000.

SB1344: Establishes financial penalties for contractors who fail to file payroll reports in violation of the Prevailing Wage Act and codifies that the Prevailing Wage Act applies to sewer inspection projects.

SB2266: Clarifies authority for regulating non-community water supplies.