IL. just became the first state to require insurance companies to cover EpiPen injectors for kids

An Epipen Junior epinephrine auto-injector, produced by Meda AB, sits on a pharmacy counter in this arranged photograph in London, U.K., on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. The rapid pace of innovation among drugmakers may continue to be overshadowed by broader investment themes, such as the switch away from defensive stocks into more cyclical industries, during 2017, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a law that would require insurance companies to cover costs for kids needing EpiPen injections for cases of severe allergic reactions.

House Bill 3435 will take effect January 1, and would require companies offering health insurance policies in Illinois to pay for "medically necessary epinephrine injectors for persons 18 years of age or under."

In a tweet on Tuesday, Pritzker hailed the bill, saying, "This legislation takes a big step