WASHINGTON — As the new year unfolds, states nationwide are poised to implement a wide array of laws addressing crucial issues.

These legislative changes will introduce enhanced privacy safeguards, adjust wage standards, and reform health and social policies, marking some of the most impactful shifts expected in 2026.

Some may start as soon as Jan. 1. 

While some of the laws from the legislative session in 2025 are already in effect, others include language that go into effect in the new year.

• Act 427: Created the Strengthen Arkansas Homes Program. This allows state officials to provided financial grants to certain property owners and nonprofit organizations to “assist with and promote the mitigation of losses to insurable dwellings due to catastrophic wind events.”
• Act 621: Will establish a “Farmer Sales Tax Identification Card” farmers can present when buying products in lieu of an exemption certificate that claims a tax exemption.
• Act 628: Will mandate coverage for “treatment of diseases and conditions caused by severe obesity under a health benefit plan on and after January 1, 2026, and establishes requirements for a covered person to qualify for coverage.” This applies to persons 18 or older.

• SB 1808: Will require health care facilities and health care practitioners to refund any overpayments made by patients within 30 days. 
• HB 255: Starting on New Year’s Day, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement must post a searchable list of people who have been convicted or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to animal cruelty charges. 

SB 100: Will require all businesses that sell tobacco, nicotine and vape products in the Commonwealth to be licensed by the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) by Jan. 1, 2026.

New laws include getting parental consent for minors’ social media accounts, new landlord disclosure requirements, expanded training for bartenders on preventing sexual assault and more.

• House Bill 1376: Starting in 2026, the law will prevent the sale of hemp that contains a total THC content or a total theoretical THC content of more than 0.3% when measured by weight. The new law also transfers regulatory authority from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, increases age to purchase to 21 and bans online sales, shipping, and delivery of hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
• HB 1891: The new law will require social media platforms to obtain parental consent before allowing those under the age of 18 to create accounts. It allows parents more control over their children’s online presence and expands on HB 1614 and Senate Bill 1792 passed in 2024.
• “Savanna’s Law”: Passed as HB 1200 and SB 0324, the law will create a registry of persistent domestic violence offenders. People with at least one previous domestic violence conviction will be required to register as a persistent domestic violence offender if they are convicted of any more domestic violence offenses. 

A set of new laws goes into effect in Virginia on Jan. 1, 2026, introducing changes that touch wages, consumer protections, digital privacy, medical debt, and more.

• Minimum Wage Rises: Under the Virginia Minimum Wage Act, the statewide minimum wage will increase to $12.77 per hour. This new rate reflects the law’s requirement to adjust wages annually based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for urban consumers.
• Tighter Baby‑Food Safety Rules: Beginning in 2026, the Baby Food Protection Act takes effect. The law prohibits the sale or distribution of baby‑food products in Virginia if the food contains toxic heavy metals, such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, or mercury, above the limits set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Manufacturers must test every production batch, disclose test results online and on packaging (e.g., via QR codes), and comply with strict labeling and record-keeping requirements.
• Expanded Consumer Data and Social Media Protections: Under the state’s updated Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA), several new data‑privacy provisions go into effect: 
  • Companies must honor consumer requests to access, correct, delete, or transfer personal data.
  • Consumers may opt out of the use of their data for targeted advertising, profiling, or sale.
  • Social media platforms must limit daily use for minors (under 16) to one hour per service per day, unless a parent gives verifiable consent to adjust that limit. Platforms must also use age‑screening methods to identify under‑16 users.

• HB 1162: This bill will require health care settings to conduct timely investigations of workplace violence incidents and to annually update workplace violence prevention plans based on investigation findings, an analysis of systemic and common causes of workplace violence incidents, and other factors. 
• HB 1213: This bill will expand protections for workers utilizing the state Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. 
• SSHB 1524: This bill will support and expand upon previous legislation enacted to protect isolated workers who are especially vulnerable to sexual violence in the workplace. Isolated employees are defined as workers who spend at least 50% of their time alone, for example, hotel, motel, or retail employees, security guards, janitors, or housekeeping staff.