As of July 1, residents across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia have been adjusting to a slate of new laws that impact everything from minimum wage increases, to emerging technologies and public safety.
In D.C., workers will see another bump in the minimum wage. The hourly rate rises from $17.50 to $17.95, continuing the citys steady push toward higher earnings for thousands of employees. However, a planned increase in the tipped minimum wage has been put on hold by the D.C. Council.
D.C.s new minimum wage is $17.95 [per] hour! Paying workers less than the minimum wage is wage theft, , formerly known as Twitter, before offering resources to report wage violations. We will keep defending worker rights in D.C.
Maryland begins the new fiscal year with more than 300 laws taking effect. Among the most significant changes is the states new tech tax, which applies a 3% sales tax to services such as cloud computing, data processing, and cryptocurrency mining. That tax alone is expected to bring in $500 million in revenue as part of a broader $1.6 billion in new taxes and fees.
Other notable measures include an increase in the cannabis sales tax from 9% to 12%, the creation of a tenant bill of rights that must be attached to all residential leases, and funding to expand abortion access through a surcharge on Affordable Care Act insurance plans. Additionally, Maryland is cracking down on AI-generated images used in revenge porn, giving victims the right to sue.
“The reason why we’re doing this is because, with the advancements in AI, anyone in this room can go online and create a visual representation of any one of your colleagues here in a compromising situation and then share that,” said Maryland Del. Jesse Pippy (R) in February when the legislation was introduced.
Meanwhile, Virginia is introducing a wide range of laws focused on health care, child protection, and traffic safety. All adults in cars must now wear seat belts, regardless of where theyre sitting, or face a $25 finethough officers cant stop a vehicle solely for a seat belt violation. In addition, public school boards are required to adopt strict policies limiting student cell phone use during the school day, with exceptions only for health or educational needs.
In another sign of the growing focus on online life, a new child influencer law requires parents to set aside earnings from monetized content featuring children under 16.
Further, Medicaid recipients will now have access to up to 10 doula visits during and after pregnancy, and hospitals must allow doulas and support companions to be present during childbirth when needed.
Virginias laws also include stricter penalties for mail theft and street racing, a ban on polystyrene take-out containers for large restaurant chains, and updates that classify the unintentional death caused by fentanyl distribution as involuntary manslaughter punishable by up to a decade in prison.
One social media user tocomment on Virginias new laws, saying: The clock ticks. Every second counts. Protecting lives isnt policy, its strategy.