New Illinois Laws To Know In 2018

As a resident of Illinois or the surrounding areas, it is important to be aware of what legal changes have been made this year.

1. Insurers must cover MRI for some women.
Under this new law, when risk factors for cancer are shown in mammogram results, an MRI of the affected area must be covered as a follow-up by insurance.

2. Changing gender on birth certificates is allowed.
As long as an individual is in the care of a primary physician, transgender and intersex individuals will be allowed to change the gender on their birth certificates without undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

3. Pets “well-being” will be considered in divorce cases.
In order to determine who gets the pet during a divorce, the court must consider all companion animals as marital assets and can award sole or joint ownership of a pet, based on their well-being.

4. Cyclists can ride on the shoulder.
In an effort to decrease traffic, cyclists are now permitted to ride on the shoulder and cars are allowed to pass them in no-passing zones, with a clearance of at least 3 feet.

5. Driving with “For sale” signs is now illegal.
All paper, signs, and decals that could possibly obstruct a driver’s view must be removed from windshields and windows before driving.

6. Online threats can be considered hate crimes.
This new law will work to better protect Illinois residents from hate crimes by addressing the increasing use of technology to attack victims and the transmission of obscene messages could be considered hate crimes.

7. Domestic violence survivors can keep phone numbers.
Survivors of domestic abuse can petition to keep their phone numbers without the approval of the primary account holder and become financially responsible for the numbers transferred to them.

8. Training on mental health issues to be required for police officers.
All law enforcement officers must complete training to learn about the types and symptoms of mental illness as well as how to handle encounters with individuals they suspect are suffering from this.

This article is an excerpt from https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2017/12/28/18-new-illinois-laws-know-2018