With the new year comes new laws that could affect your money, healthcare and more. Read on to see what new laws go into effect in D.C., Virginia and Maryland on Jan. 1, 2023.
New Laws in Washington, DC
Minimum wage: Minimum wage in the District increases to $16.50 on Jan. 1, 2023 and to $17 on July 1 for non-tipped workers, in accordance with the Living Wage Act of 2006. See more here.
Pay Increases for Tipped Workers: During the 2022 general election, voters in the District decided that tipped workers should get the same minimum wage as every other worker in D.C. The measure that voters approved, known as Initiative 82, will gradually raise the minimum wage for tipped workers at businesses such as salons, parking lots and restaurants from the current $5.35 per hour to more than $16 per hour by 2027. The first wage increase goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023, bumping up hourly pay to $6 an hour.
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Paid Family Leave Enhancement: Paid Family Leave for District government workers increases by four weeks, for up to 12 weeks per year for family or parental leave. In addition, for the first time, District government employees will also get paid personal medical leave and prenatal leave. Employees will be allowed leave for more than one qualifying event per year within the maximum total weeks allowable.
Coverage for Medically Necessary Foods: Any health benefits plan issued after Dec. 31, 2022 must provide coverage for the cost of medically necessary food ordered as necessary by a provider for a number of diseases or conditions. You can see a complete list of the diseases or conditions that qualify online here.
New 311 Service Request for Dockless Vehicles: People can call 311 to submit complaints about the parking of dockless e-bikes or scooters in the District. Response tickets will be issued to shared mobility operators to move illegally parked dockless vehicles within two hours. The statute mandates dockless vehicle companies to display information on each vehicle about how to report an illegally parked device.
New Laws in Virginia
Minimum Wage: Minimum wage in the commonwealth increases from $11 to $12 per hour for most employees. Some exceptions include farm laborers or farm employees, golf caddies, babysitters working fewer than 10 hours per week, salespeople working on commission, and summer camp employees. Find more information here.
Grocery Tax Reduced to 1%: Shoppers in Virginia see the tax they pay on groceries go down in the new year from 2.5% to 1%. The reduction applies to "food for home consumption and certain essential personal hygiene items," according to the commonwealth's tax website. Hygiene items include diapers and period products. Alcohol, tobacco, prepared hot foods and seeds that can be used to grow food will not be included in the reduced tax, and caterers and food stand operators are not able to charge the reduced tax. For the full list of what's included and what isn't, go here.
New Plastic Bag Taxes in Some Localities: Albemarle County and the cities of Charlottesville and Fairfax require retailers to charge 5 cents in taxes for each disposable plastic bag that customers use. Those three localities join the following seven that already charge the tax for disposable bags: Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fredericksburg and Roanoke. Reusable bags, produce bags, dry cleaning bags and garbage bags are not included in the new tax. Restaurants, food banks, farmers markets and clothing stores are also excluded.
Ranked-Choice Voting in Arlington: Voters will be able to select Arlington County Board candidates by using ranked-choice voting in the June 2023 primaries. The method allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference (first choice, second choice, etc.). If a candidate gets more than half of voters' first choices, they'll win, just like in any other election, but if there's no majority winner after counting first choices, the race is determined by an instant runoff. For more info, go here and select "FAQ."
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New Laws in Maryland
Minimum Wage: The minimum wage in Maryland increases from $12.50 to $13.25 per hour. For tipped employees, the Maryland minimum cash-wage is $3.63 an hour, although this amount plus tips must at least equal Maryland's minimum wage rate. Find more information on wage in Maryland here.
Dental Care for Adults: The Maryland Medical Assistance Program is required to provide certain dental
services — including diagnostic, preventive, restorative and periodontal care — for adults whose annual income is at or below 133% of the federal poverty level. See more here.
Insulin Cost Reduction: A new law requires insurers, nonprofit health service plans and HMOs to limit the amount a covered person must pay (via copayments or coinsurance) for a covered prescription insulin drug to $30 or less for a 30-day supply. See more here.
HIV Prevention Drugs: Managed care organizations and certain insurers, nonprofit health service plans and HMOs are prohibited from applying prior authorization requirements for prescription drugs used as post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention, if the drug is prescribed for use in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. See more here.
