There oughta be a law … and in fact there will be. More than 250 new laws take effect in Illinois Jan. 1. As has become custom around here, I like to use the last few columns of December to review legislation that might not have gotten proper attention earlier in the year.

Some items are so obvious that it’s surprising they weren’t in effect already. Consider House Bill 1287, which requires long-term care facilities to have an automated external defibrillator on site by 2030 and train select employees to use the devices as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Or Senate Bill 73, which requires baby food manufacturers to conduct monthly tests of final producers for “toxic elements” like lead, arsenic and mercury. House Bill 3645 mandates that emergency medical services report all overdoses to the state health department.

This is true even in the world of ceremonial legislation. House Bill 4439 designates the soybean as the official state bean. How was that uncertain until 2025? (That bill actually passed during the lame duck session of the 103rd General Assembly before the 104th convened in early January.)

Other bills are so narrow as to understandably escape notice: HB 1364 lets the Joliet Arsenal Development Authority extend its expiration date by five years and clarifies that, when it’s formally abolished, Will County gets all rights and property. HB 663 is a similar dissolution plan, this one for the Joliet Sanitary District.

Certain legislation is procedurally important but substantially arcane, like SB 31, which makes technical changes to the Juvenile Court Act regarding permanency hearings through the Department of Children and Family Services. SB 2179 changes various state boating regulations, all to align with current federal laws.

That said, there are plenty of interesting changes taking effect next month. Let’s start with a bipartisan success: HB 3098 won unanimous approval in both chambers this spring. One sponsor, state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, said rather than just renew the existing electronics recycling law – enacted in 2008 and most recently updated in 2017 – lawmakers instead opted to expand access to electronic waste collection sites and events while making sure businesses, schools and nonprofit agencies could utilize such options.

It’s logical to expand access beyond just households, as is making sure producers of the devices that the law incorporates fund the proper recycling of such products. New to the list of covered materials are home audio gear and external computer hardware.

While moving in September, I centralized our collection of no longer needed electronic stuff. It all went from the old garage to the new one; my wife will be beyond thrilled to know HB 3098 provides fresh motivation.

A full list of the new legislation is available at tinyurl.com/2026newlawsIL.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.