There have been plenty of pushes over the last year for new laws in different states, like raising the minimum wage and the legalization of recreational marijuana.
With 2022 now in full swing, here are some of the new laws across the country that went into effect on Jan. 1.
Most surprise medical bills are now a thing of the past, as the No Surprises Bill became official on Saturday. Congress approved the bill in late 2020, as it creates a federal ban that prohibits most unexpected medical charges from out-of-network providers. According to federal estimates, this will apply to about 10 million bills per year.
Patients can now receive emergency care or treatment from doctors and hospitals that are not in their insurance networks and that they did not choose. In that type of a situation, they are only responsible for their in-network cost-sharing.
20 different states raised their minimum wage on Saturday, although New York's law began on Friday. Joining New York in scheduled raises to reach the $15-per-hour minimum wage is California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island.
Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington also saw mandated wage increases due to automatic cost-of-living adjustments that are based on inflation. Missouri passed a law in 2018 that gradually increases the minimum wage to $12 over five years, as Michigan, New Mexico, and Virginia have passed similar laws to reach $12.
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Residents in Montana that are 21 and older are now allowed to purchase marijuana for recreational use in some counties. The law applies to only counties that approved a 2020 ballot initiative.
The law allows people to purchase "up to one ounce of cannabis, which may include up to eight grams of concentrate and/or up to 800 mg of THC in edible form" and allows adults to "cultivate up to two cannabis plants in their home, with no more than four plants per household," according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
A new law in California extended restaurants and some bars ability to sell alcoholic beverages to go, something that became popular throughout the pandemic. The law was set to expire at the end of 2021 and is now allowed through Dec. 31, 2026.
"For many establishments, flexibilities like outdoor parklets and to-go cocktails have helped bring in critical revenue that allowed them to maintain operations during challenging times and keep workers on the payroll," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
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In Illinois, the Teaching Equitable Asian American History Act went into effect, requiring Asian American history to be taught in public schools. The law makes schools add a unit to their curriculum on the "events of Asian American history," including the contributions of Asian Americans in advancing civil rights since the 19th Century, and "contributions made by individual Asian Americans in government and the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of Asian American communities to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States."
Lastly, the use of gas-powered leaf blowers are now outlawed in Washington, D.C. The use of the tools by residents and landscapers is now a fineable offense of up to $500. The regulation passed in 2018, but was delayed so it "allowed the city and others affected time to switch to more eco-friendly electric leaf blowers or some other alternative," according to The Washington Post.
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