Gov. JB Pritzker has signed two additional bills into law that are of interest to those in the real estate industry and supported by Illinois REALTORS®.

The first bill, House Bill 1083, amends several acts within the Illinois statutes to include additional gender-neutral description changes, has been signed into law by Governor Pritzker. It is now Public Act 104-0040 and will take effect on January 1, 2026. It impacts the real estate industry in its provision that notwithstanding any other provision of law, the recording of a quitclaim deed is exempt from all recording fees if executed for the sole purpose of reflecting a legal name change, and the grantor and grantee are the same individual or individuals.

Illinois REALTORS® supported this gender-neutral change, introduced by Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove).

The second bill recently signed into law that impacts our industry is HB 1605, which is now Public Act 104-0049 and will take effect on January 1, 2026. It amends the Real Property Conservation Rights Act (passed in 2019) to make provisions for preserving cultural heritage sites by allowing (not mandating) Illinois property owners to convey their land to a federally recognized Indian tribe that is eligible to hold the rights.

Illinois REALTORS® closely monitored this legislation, introduced by Illinois House Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria).