Six new state legal guidelines from rideshare driver rights to display screen deadlines : NPR

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

This 12 months, states are enacting a slew of legal guidelines targeted 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

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

The rideshare giants supported the growth of collective bargaining rights to their drivers in alternate 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 day off 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 depart this 12 months. Colorado’s paid household depart program already permits staff to take as much as 12 weeks off from work to take care of a brand new child, or for a severe household well being or private difficulty, and obtain most of their pay throughout that point.

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

Democratic State Sen. Jeff Bridges was one of many major 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, largely alongside celebration traces. Opponents say they fear about elevated prices to companies and staff who pay into this system.

Illinois additionally has a brand new NICU regulation going into impact in June, however in contrast to Colorado, the day off isn’t required to be paid.

– Bente Birkeland, Colorado Public Radio

Social media deadlines in Virginia 

A brand new regulation in Virginia, which faces a authorized problem, is designed to restrict social media use by these below 16 to at least one hour a day, until a mother or father agrees to an extended interval. NetChoice, a gaggle representing social media companies, claims the regulation violates the First Modification. The regulation’s creator, Democratic State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, argues it is a “cheap try and steadiness free speech with the protection and privateness of our youngsters.”

In authorized filings, attorneys for NetChoice name the regulation the “newest try in an extended line of presidency efforts to limit new types of constitutionally protected expression primarily based 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 embody South Carolina, Florida, Hawaii, and Texas, acquired waivers from the U.S. Division of Agriculture in 2025 that can permit them to limit Supplemental Vitamin Help Program {dollars} for objects the states deem non-nutritious.

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

South Carolina will ban the acquisition of sweet, power drinks, tender 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 individuals’s well being.

– Maayan Schechter, South Carolina Public Radio

Paid depart as much as 20 weeks in Minnesota

Starting this week, most Minnesota staff could have entry to paid household and medical depart advantages. The state is launching a program that permits 12 weeks of paid household depart to take care of a sick cherished one or bond with a child, in addition to 12 weeks of medical depart to recuperate from sickness or damage.

There is a cap of 20 weeks in a 12 months if somebody faucets each. Those that take paid depart will obtain partial pay and could have a assure that their place at work will probably be there after they return. Employers are additionally barred from retaliating in opposition to staff who take the paid day off.

This system is funded by way of a payroll tax cut up between employers and staff.

Some enterprise teams tried to dam the laws, saying that if staff take important day off, it might put extra work on others.

Roughly three-quarters of Minnesota staff are anticipated to obtain extra paid depart advantages below this system than that they had beforehand. Minnesota will probably be amongst 13 states to supply paid household and medical depart 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 choices – from making new hires to selling or disciplining present staff – if the expertise elements in demographic data, 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 expertise,” Cervantes says. “We simply should get in entrance of it and do one of the best we are able to.”

The brand new regulation 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 carried out in additional than thirty fits to date – over the brand new regulation.

– Mawa Iqbal, WBEZ