This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes bill actions taken by Governor JB Pritzker, shares ISACo's updated Public Acts Report: Legislation of Interest to Counties in 2025, links to a list of new laws affecting or of interest to counties taking effect in 2026, provides a round-up of media coverage about several of the new laws, announces ISACo's 2026 Legislative Agenda, includes a "Save the Date" for the 2026 ISACo/UCCI Legislative Conference, links to a report about declining Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) revenues, invites county officials and staff to contribute an article to ISACo's County Quarterly Newsletter, encourages county officials to attend the February 2026 National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference, links to articles ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, conveys information about upcoming NACo webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner Savi and invites counties to join ISACo.

Governor Bill Actions 

Governor JB Pritzker signed several bills into law in December 2025. Most of these new laws were initially reported on in ISACo's December 16, 2025, News and Views e-newsletter. New additions are marked with an asterisk. 

HB 0250 (P.A. 104-0442) - Eminent Domain Act

HB 0576 (P.A. 104-0443) - Public Official Safety and Privacy Act

HB 1312 (P.A. 104-0440) - Immigration Omnibus

HB 3492 (P.A. 104-0449) - Omnibus Juvenile Detention Bill

HB 3493 (P.A. 104-0313) - Capital Development Board Act*

SB 0618 (P.A. 104-0451) - Craft Distiller License and Spirits Permit

SB 0642 (P.A. 104-0452) - TIF and Property Tax Provisions

SB 1911 (P.A. 104-0453) - Omnibus Fiscal and Tax Amendments

SB 2111 (P.A. 104-0457) - Transit Reform

Update on New Laws

Public Acts Report: Legislation of Interest to Counties in 2025

ISACo has updated our Public Acts Report: Legislation of Interest to Counties in 2025 report. The report organizes approved bills by category, includes a synopsis and ISACo's position. The report will be updated frequently as the Governor signs legislation into law. Please click on the image for our most updated comprehensive report on bills approved by both chambers of interest to counties.

*An ISACo tracked bill includes bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations, bills that may be of interest to county officials for the performance of their duties and legislation presented "for your information."  

ISACo-Tracked New Laws Taking Effect in 2026

 

Media Round-Up of New Laws

What to Know About the 400 Illinois Laws Taking Effect in the New Year (WGLT)

New Laws Take Effect in Illinois: Gun Storage, Breaks for Nursing Moms and More (NBC 5 Chicago)

New Illinois Laws Go Into Effect for New Year (Fox 32 Chicago)

New laws: Illinois’ Grocery Tax to End, Aquifer Protections Begin (Chicago Sun-Times)

New Illinois Laws in 2026: Gun Safety, Squatters, Medical Assistance in Dying, Immigration and More (CBS News)

New IL Laws in 2026 Address Missing Persons Investigations, Sexual Assault Victims, Police Hiring (ABC 7 Chicago)

New Illinois Laws Impacting Public Health to Take Effect in 2026 (Chambana Today)

These 50 New Illinois Laws Could Impact Your Health, Education and More in 2026 (NBC 5 Chicago)

Illinois Law Enforcement Initiate Changes as New Laws Go into Effect (ABC News Channel 20)

New laws: Illinois Education Measures Focus on Immigrant Rights, AI in the Classroom (Capitol News Illinois)

ISACo Announces 2026 Legislative Agenda

ISACo is pleased to announce its 2026 Legislative Agenda, outlining the Association’s core policy priorities for the upcoming General Assembly. The agenda reflects issues of statewide importance to counties and was recommended by ISACo’s Legislative Committee and approved by ISACo’s Board of Directors.

The 2026 Legislative Agenda focuses on advancing county fiscal stability, local decision-making authority, and tools to support economic growth and veterans services. Key initiatives include:

Community Revitalization Zone Act – Supporting legislation to create a new framework that helps counties encourage redevelopment, attract investment, and revitalize distressed areas while preserving local control.

Local Option Motor Fuel Tax Expansion – Advocating for legislation to allow all non-home rule communities to adopt the local option motor fuel tax, ensuring parity and providing additional transportation funding flexibility.

Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) Funding Reforms

• Exempting VAC levies from the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) to ensure stable funding for essential veterans services.
• Requiring VAC funding to be separately stated on resident property tax bills to improve transparency and public understanding.

Wind and Solar Siting Law Updates – Supporting targeted changes to Illinois’ renewable energy siting laws to better respect county authority, address local impacts, and balance clean energy development with community concerns.

In addition, the Board approved updates to ISACo’s 2026 County Platform, which provides broader policy guidance across issue areas and supports ISACo’s advocacy on behalf of county governments throughout the legislative session.

Additional information and resources relevant to ISACo's 2026 Legislative Agenda and County Platform are available via this link. 

ISACo looks forward to working with county officials, legislators, and stakeholders to advance this agenda and ensure counties have the tools and resources needed to serve residents effectively.

2026 ISACo/UCCI Legislative Conference - Save the Date!

For the third consecutive year, ISACo and our friends at the United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI) will hold a legislative conference for county officials and staff on April 14-15, 2026. ISACo members are invited to attend the April 14 events that will include a breakfast buffet and legislative briefing at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and an evening legislative reception at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. State officials will also be invited to attend the reception. Activities on April 15 are reserved for UCCI members. Registration information and additional details will be available soon.

New Report Highlights Decline in Personal Property Replacement Tax Distributions to Local Governments

The Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois released a new report analyzing the structure and recent volatility of Illinois’ Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT), a vital revenue source for local governments. The report outlines the reasons behind the decline in PPRT distributions during State Fiscal Years (SFY) 2024 and 2025 after reaching historic highs in earlier years, attributing much of the drop to “true-up” adjustments associated with the Pass-Through Entity Tax. Importantly, the analysis emphasizes that underlying PPRT collections remain historically strong and offers valuable perspective for county officials as they prepare and manage future budgets.

Call for Articles: Share Your County’s Story in ISACo’s County Quarterly Newsletter

ISACo invites county officials and staff to contribute articles for upcoming editions of our County Quarterly Newsletter. This publication is strengthened by the insights, innovations, and real-world experiences shared by counties across Illinois—and we’d love to feature your work.

Whether you want to highlight a successful initiative, reflect on a policy issue, share best practices, or showcase a community partnership making a difference, your perspective helps inform and inspire colleagues statewide.

If you’re interested in submitting, please take a moment to review our publication guidelines available via this link.

We look forward to featuring your county’s accomplishments and ideas in a future issue!

If you need help shaping an idea or want to talk through a potential topic, feel free to reach out—we’re always glad to collaborate.

NACo Legislative Conference Registration Open

The NACo Legislative Conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and our residents. The conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from February 21-24, 2026. Registration information is available via this link. 

What We're Reading

Illinois Local Governments Lose Out on $10.9 Billion in State Taxes (Illinois Policy Institute)

White House Signs Executive Order on State AI Lawmaking (NACo)

The Stories That Defined the Year in State and Local Government (Governing)

Learn more about IPRIME

Founded in 2019, the Illinois Public Reserves Investment Management Trust™ (IPRIME™) referred to as “the Fund” is an investment pool for Municipal Treasurers acting on behalf of counties, townships, cities, towns, villages, libraries, park districts, water supply districts, fire protection districts, sanitary districts, housing authorities and other subdivisions of the State of Illinois.

The IPRIME Investment Shares Series is rated AAAm by Standard & Poor’s.

The Investment Shares Series is comprised of money market instruments having a maximum remaining maturity of one year (except U.S. government obligations that may have remaining maturities of up to two years).

The primary objectives of the Investment Shares Series are to offer the highest possible investment yield, protect principal, preserve liquidity and maintain Standard & Poor’s highest local government investment pool rating of AAAm. In addition, the Fund offers access to PMA Financial Network, LLC’s Fixed Income and Deposit Programs. With the experience and expertise of PMA, the Investment Shares Series grants investors access to a powerful investment management team that functions with a high standard of vision, synergy, and quality.

Click on the photo below to learn more about IPRIME!

 

Please contact Member Services and Communications Manager Tiffani Homer at thomer@isacoil.org if you have additional questions.

Upcoming NACo Webinars

NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities. ISACo is a proud partner with NACo and encourages counties to participate in NACo membership and activities.   

Modern Networks, Smarter Budgets: A County Leader’s Perspective

(Tuesday, January 13, 2025, 1 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST)

Join NACo for a fireside chat with Orleans County, NY, as they share how their team successfully transitioned from a traditional capital expense (CapEx) model to an operational expense (OpEx) model for network services.

When faced with rising maintenance costs and an expiring carrier contract, the county seized the opportunity to modernize its network and lock in predictable monthly costs. By bundling connectivity services with unified communications, they achieved immediate savings of over $124,000, eliminated recurring charges such as long-distance fees and third-party integration costs, and gained access to operational upgrades like call analytics and auto-attendants.

This shift not only strengthened financial planning through fixed monthly expenses but also freed up IT staff to focus on strategic initiatives.

Key takeaway: Rethinking your budget model can be just as impactful as upgrading your technology — delivering fiscal stability and enhanced services for your community.

Click on this link to register for this webinar.  

Advocacy 101 for Counties: Maximizing Your Impact During the NACo Legislative Conference

(Monday, January 19, 2025, 1 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST)

​​​​​​Heading to Washington, D.C. for the NACo Legislative Conference? This webinar provides a practical introduction to lobbying tailored specifically for county leaders. Attendees will learn how to prepare for Hill meetings, effectively advocate for NACo priorities, and translate county experiences into clear federal policy asks—ensuring every meeting counts while you’re in town.

Click on this link to register for this webinar.  

What to Know Before You Go to NACo’s Legislative Conference

(Thursday, January 29, 2025, 2 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CST)

I​​​​​​f this is your first time attending NACo’s Legislative Conference, this webinar is for you! Join NACo’s Membership Chair and staff to learn ways to maximize your experience at the NACo Legislative Conference. This conference is the premier opportunity for county leaders to exchange cutting-edge practices, engage with members of Congress, and collaborate on policy solutions. You’ll leave this brief webinar prepared to navigate the conference schedule and participate in sessions, including policy meetings, a federal agency expo, and summits on pressing topics.

Click on this link to register for this webinar.  

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT   

Savi believes that people shouldn't spend their lives buried in student loan debt.

Our Mission

Savi is on a mission to help the middle class prosper by tackling the student debt crisis. We create cutting-edge financial technology that makes it easier to navigate complex decisions.

Honesty

Savi is honest and transparent- providing clear information on how we work with partners and users and how Savi makes money.

SAVVY

We are student loan experts -- combining scalable technology with deep student loan knowledge to help our users save time and money.

IMPACT

Savi is outcome--driven -- practicing a commitment to service as a Public Benefit Corporation, always going above and beyond in the pursuit of positive impact.

Please click here to access the Savi Resource Guide that includes the Savi Impact Calculator that estimates the financial impact of implementing Savi for County employees.

Become an ISACo Member! 

Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?