Six new state legal guidelines from rideshare driver rights to display screen cut-off dates : NPR

Right here at NPR, we prefer to ring within the new 12 months by taking a look at new state legal guidelines taking impact on Jan. 1.

This 12 months, states are enacting a slew of legal guidelines centered on wages, social media guidelines, restrictions on gender-affirming care, AI regulation and far more.

Here’s a sampling of a few of these adjustments, as reported by public media journalists throughout the nation.

California rideshare drivers can unionize

Beneath a brand new legislation, California’s 800,000 rideshare drivers have the proper to unionize beginning on Jan. 1. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom brokered the deal between organized labor and main rideshare corporations, together with Uber and Lyft.

The rideshare giants supported the enlargement of collective bargaining rights to their drivers in change for lawmakers agreeing to slash the businesses’ insurance coverage prices for underinsured drivers.

After Massachusetts voters determined to take action in 2024, California turned the second state to increase collective bargaining rights to rideshare drivers.

– Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio

Extra paid time without work in Colorado for fogeys of infants within the NICU

Colorado households whose infants spend time within the NICU will have the ability to take extra paid go away this 12 months. Colorado’s paid household go away program already permits employees to take as much as 12 weeks off from work to look after a brand new child, or for a severe household well being or private subject, and obtain most of their pay throughout that point.

Now, households whose infants require time in neonatal intensive care can apply for an further 12 weeks of paid go away. Backers say this acknowledges the additional pressure households are underneath when caring for preemies and different newborns with important well being issues.

Democratic State Sen. Jeff Bridges was one of many important sponsors and says he was impressed by his personal private expertise. His new child was in intensive care, which he says was “terrifying and consuming.”

Democrats handed the invoice, principally alongside occasion traces. Opponents say they fear about elevated prices to companies and employees who pay into this system.

Illinois additionally has a brand new NICU legislation going into impact in June, however in contrast to Colorado, the time without work isn’t required to be paid.

– Bente Birkeland, Colorado Public Radio

Social media cut-off dates in Virginia 

A brand new legislation in Virginia, which faces a authorized problem, is designed to restrict social media use by these underneath 16 to at least one hour a day, except a dad or mum agrees to an extended interval. NetChoice, a bunch representing social media providers, claims the legislation violates the First Modification. The legislation’s creator, Democratic State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, argues it is a “affordable try to steadiness free speech with the security and privateness of our kids.”

In authorized filings, attorneys for NetChoice name the legislation the “newest try in an extended line of presidency efforts to limit new types of constitutionally protected expression based mostly on considerations about their potential results on minors.” A preliminary injunction listening to is about for mid-January.

– Brad Kutner, WVTF

Eighteen states limit SNAP cash for sweet, sodas 

With permission from the Trump administration, 18 states will ban the acquisition of sweet, sodas, power drinks or different objects utilizing federal {dollars} meant for low-income households.

The states, which embrace South Carolina, Florida, Hawaii, and Texas, obtained waivers from the U.S. Division of Agriculture in 2025 that can permit them to limit Supplemental Diet Help Program {dollars} for objects the states deem non-nutritious.

Citing grownup and baby weight problems statistics, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster mentioned in December that the waiver will assist create more healthy outcomes and mentioned the objective aligns with President Trump’s push to revive SNAP to its “true function – diet.”

South Carolina will ban the acquisition of sweet, power drinks, comfortable drinks, and different sweetened drinks utilizing SNAP {dollars}.

Different states have narrower limits. Texas will prohibit SNAP funds for sweetened drinks and sweet, and Virginia plans to bar SNAP {dollars} for sure “sweetened drinks.” All 18 states have a goal implementation date of someday this 12 months.

Amongst different issues, critics of the waivers say they’re skeptical the bans will enhance folks’s well being.

– Maayan Schechter, South Carolina Public Radio

Paid go away as much as 20 weeks in Minnesota

Starting this week, most Minnesota employees can have entry to paid household and medical go away advantages. The state is launching a program that permits 12 weeks of paid household go away to look after a sick cherished one or bond with a child, in addition to 12 weeks of medical go away to recuperate from sickness or harm.

There is a cap of 20 weeks in a 12 months if somebody faucets each. Those that take paid go away will obtain partial pay and can have a assure that their place at work can be there after they return. Employers are additionally barred from retaliating in opposition to employees who take the paid time without work.

This system is funded by a payroll tax break up between employers and workers.

Some enterprise teams tried to dam the laws, saying that if workers take important time without work, it may put extra work on others.

Roughly three-quarters of Minnesota employees are anticipated to obtain extra paid go away advantages underneath this system than that they had beforehand. Minnesota can be amongst 13 states to supply paid household and medical go away advantages.

– Dana Ferguson, Minnesota Public Radio

Illinois regulates AI, regardless of Trump’s government order

Beginning this 12 months, employers in Illinois are prohibited from utilizing synthetic intelligence in employment selections – from making new hires to selling or disciplining present workers – if the know-how elements in demographic info, such because the individual’s race or ZIP code.

It is an modification to the state’s Human Rights Act and was handed by the legislature’s Democratic supermajority. Democratic State Sen. Javier Cervantes sponsored the measure. As an artist, Cervantes says he has actual considerations about how quickly AI has progressed over the previous few years.

“That is an unchecked know-how,” Cervantes says. “We simply need to get in entrance of it and do one of the best we will.”

The brand new legislation comes on the heels of President Trump’s government order directing the U.S. Division of Justice to problem states’ AI legal guidelines deemed “cumbersome.” Cervantes says he is fairly sure the DOJ will take the state to courtroom – because it has executed in additional than thirty fits thus far – over the brand new legislation.

– Mawa Iqbal, WBEZ