As part of state budget negotiations this year, lawmakers approved Pritzker’s plan to eliminate the statewide 1 percent grocery tax beginning in 2026. He signed that provision into law on Monday.
The revenue from the state grocery tax goes to municipal governments, rather than state coffers. To make up for those lost revenues, the law allows counties and municipalities to levy their own 1 percent grocery taxes by passing an ordinance, rather than needing a referendum.
It also gives non-home rule municipalities the authority to impose sales taxes by up to 1 percent without a referendum.
The governor also signed multiple other bills on Friday. Here’s a rundown on some of them.
Coverage of infertility, wigs
Senate Bill 773 requires state-regulated group health insurance policies that cover pregnancy to group health insurance to cover the diagnosis and treatment of infertility starting in 2026, including such options as in vitro fertilization. The measure also requires those plans to cover annual menopause health visits for those age 45 and older.
Senate Bill 2573 requires insurance plans to cover wigs for individuals who are losing their hair for medical reasons, such as alopecia or from undergoing chemotherapy.
Mindful classrooms
Senate Bill 2872 allows educators to provide students with at least 20 minutes of relaxation activities, like yoga and meditation, each week. It would also allow them to partner with an outside institution to provide the activities.
During House debate this spring, supporters of the bill said practicing soothing techniques, like breathing exercises and stretching, helps students manage their mental health. But those opposed expressed concern with potential programming interfering with classroom learning time and religious freedoms.
Food grants
A pilot program that has given nearly $2 million to local farms will become permanent after Pritzker’s signature Friday on Senate Bill 3077. It creates a special fund for the Department of Agriculture to administer the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program.
Grants would go to select small farms for things like food processing and cold storage. Grant amounts could range from $1,000 to $75,000 for individual projects and up to $250,000 for a collaborative project.
Garbage truck coverings
Garbage trucks that lose trash because they are not properly covered will be subject to fines starting next year. House Bill 4848 creates a specific violation for law enforcement to cite when garbage or other debris falls from a truck and litters highways. Each infraction will result in a $150 ticket.
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