With the start of the new year comes the start of several new pieces of legislation will go into effect in Virginia. Here’s what to know about Virginia’s new laws in 2025.
Minimum Wage Increases
The minimum wage in Virginia will increase to $12.41 effective January 1, up from $12 per hour. It will remain at this rate until January 1, 2026. Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill earlier this year that would have raised the minimum wage to $13.50 by 2025 and $15 per hour by 2026.
Increased Insurance Minimums
The minimum coverage amounts for car insurance will increase starting in January, from 30/60/20 to 50/100/25 — that’s $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $100,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 in property damage coverage.
VDOT to Maintain Public Database
According to HB 143, the Virginia Department of Transportation, will be required to maintain a publicly accessible database and map of all utility work that it has approved that will happen on a highway in a residential neighborhood.
Line of Duty Act Benefits
HB 321 increases the death benefit payout for the families of certain active or retired firefighters and law enforcement officers from the Virginia Line of Duty Act. The payment will increase from $25,000 to $75,000. This applies to deaths that occur on or after January 1 and are caused by occupational cancers, respiratory disease, hypertension, or heart disease.
Exiting California Electric Vehicle Mandate
Virginia will no longer follow California’s car emissions regulations that would have required every new car sold to be electric by 2035. Virginia had previously complied with California’s Advanced Clean Cars I regulation, which expires at the end of 2024, but Attorney General Jason Miyares issued an opinion in June that said Virginia would not be legally bound to follow the new set of regulations, Advanced Clean Cars II, which would have gone into effect January 1, 2025.
Changes to Primary Elections
If a candidate for a primary election is unopposed on the ballot because their opponent dropped out within a certain time frame, the sole remaining candidate will be declared the party’s nominee, and the election will be canceled. This new law applies if the opposing candidate withdraws their candidacy on or after the 44th day of the race but before the Tuesday preceding the election.
Compensation for Court-Appointed Counsel
HB 102 raises the limits of fees that court-appointed counsel can receive for representation on various offenses in district and circuit courts.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Coverage
Health insurers will now be required to provide coverage for exams and tests related to colorectal cancer screenings, including follow-up colonoscopies, in accordance with guidance from the United States Preventive Services Task Force. This means that eligible patients, aged 45 or older, will not be subject to any deductibles, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing requirements from their insurance for eligible screenings.
Waterfowl Blinds Reporting
If you get a license to set up a waterfowl blind (a device used to conceal hunters from prey), you will be required to disclose the exact location of that blind to the Department of Wildlife Resources. The DWR will be required to publish the coordinated of each blind by November 1 each year.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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