New Illinois public health laws, including overdose reporting, take effect in 2026
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., (KBSI) — Several new Illinois laws aimed at strengthening public health initiatives will take effect Jan. 1, 2026, including measures to improve overdose reporting, address maternal health disparities and promote a statewide One Health approach, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced.
“The New Year offers a critical opportunity to advance public health and protect Illinois families through new laws and innovative strategies,” IDPH Director Sameer Vohra said in a statement, thanking Gov. JB Pritzker and the General Assembly for enacting the measures.
Among the laws taking effect Jan. 1 is House Bill 3645, which authorizes limited information about suspected overdoses reported by first responders under the Emergency Medical Services Systems Act to be shared with IDPH and submitted to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program. The data will help state and local officials track overdose events and support timely intervention and prevention efforts.
Other public health laws approved in 2025 include:
Senate Bill 119, requiring prenatal syphilis testing during a pregnant patient’s first examination and again during the third trimester to ensure timely treatment.
House Bill 3709, requiring public institutions of higher education to provide enrolled students access to health care professionals who can prescribe and dispense contraception and/or medication abortion, and to inform students how to access those services.
Senate Bill 291, establishing a state One Health Commission within IDPH to address health issues at the intersection of human, animal and environmental health, including zoonotic diseases, insect-borne illnesses and antimicrobial resistance. The commission will be co-chaired by the IDPH director and the president of the University of Illinois System or their designees.
House Bill 2462, authorizing IDPH to issue a standing order allowing approved entities or individuals to obtain epinephrine devices and permitting trained individuals to administer the medication during severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis.
House Bill 2517, requiring health care professionals who provide maternal health services to complete a one-hour implicit bias training course as a condition of license renewal, aimed at addressing maternal health disparities.
Senate Bill 1950, known as the Medical Aid in Dying law, which takes effect in September 2026. The law allows qualified terminally ill patients to request end-of-life medication under specified safeguards. Physicians must submit required information to IDPH within 60 days after a patient’s death; the information is confidential and not discoverable in legal proceedings.
IDPH said it will work with partners statewide to implement the new laws and ensure they deliver measurable improvements to public health.
