Galesburg Reporter

Illinois state Rep. Dan Swanson is reminding constituents of the hundreds of new laws that are now in effect with the beginning of the new year.

"When the new year arrives on Jan. 1, it will bring with it nearly 300 new laws in Illinois – everything from addressing confidentiality for victims of human trafficking to lowering fees for trailer license plates," Swanson wrote on Facebook.

Many of them could be important to your health.

Illinois House Republicans provided info on several of these laws in a caucus blog post. Some of those laws include requiring insurance companies to cover testing and screening for conditions like cancer predisposition, pancreatic cancer screenings and tests for diabetes and vitamin D deficiency.

House Bill 3027 will allow expectant mothers in their third trimesters to qualify for a placard that allows them to park in handicap-designated parking spaces, while House Bill 12 will expand family and medical leave for employees of educational institutions.

"An employee of a school district, public university or community college district who has been employed for at least 12 months and who has worked at least 1,000 hours in the previous 12-month period shall be eligible for family and medical leave under the same terms and conditions as leave provided to eligible employees under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993," according to the blog.

Among the hundreds of other new laws are trampoline park regulations (Public act 102-255), public business data transparency (Public Act 102-49, House Bill 115), hormonal contraceptive coverage (Public Act 102-103, House Bill 135) and SNAP benefits for diapers and menstrual hygiene products (Public Act 102-248, House Bill 155).

"New laws in 2022 will help fund educational scholarships to military families, expand cottage food operations and promote awareness of sarcoidosis," Swanson wrote. And maybe the most important one once summer roles around again: "We’ve even fully legalized kids’ lemonade stands."