Come next week, there will be several new laws taking effect throughout our region. Some of the laws raise the minimum wage, some crack down on animal cruelty and others regulate the ever-confusing ticket-selling landscape.
Here are a few laws taking effect on July 1 in D.C., Maryland and Virginia:
DC
Minimum wage increase: The minimum wage in the District will increase from $17 per hour to $17.50 per hour for all workers, regardless of the size of their employer.
Maryland
The Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, and Households (ENOUGH) Act: This gives grants to community organizations for proposals in areas with disproportionately high numbers of children who live in poverty. Gov. Wes Moore has set aside $15 million in this year’s budget to fund the initiative in its first year. The program will be run through the Governor’s Office for Children.
Sale and resale of tickets: SB 539 regulates tickets sales by banning the sale of speculative tickets. The ticket seller has to disclose information about the ticket, including the total price, with fees and taxes.
Retail alcohol delivery: House Bill 808 establishes a local delivery service permit that allows the delivery of alcoholic beverages from businesses authorized to sell them. Delivery drivers can apply for licenses at their local licensing board, but it varies by jurisdiction.
Clean Indoor Air Act: The act prohibits vaping in certain indoor public areas, mass transit and work places.
Legacy or donor preferences in college admission applications: House Bill 4 prohibits colleges and universities that receive state fund from considering a legacy preference or donor preference when reviewing admissions applications.
Virginia
Child marriage: HB 994 establishes the legal age for marriage to be 18 years and gets rid of the ability for a minor who’s declared emancipated to marry.
Legacy admissions: HB 48 prohibits any public higher education institution from giving preferential treatment in admissions decisions on the basis of a student’s legacy status.
Declawing cats: HB 1354 makes the practice of declawing cats unlawful, except as a necessary therapeutic purpose.
Reduction of speed limits by locality: HB 1071 expands the authority of any locality to reduce the speed limit to less than 25 mph on highways within its boundaries that are located in a business district or residential area.
“Lucia’s Law”: SB 44 charges any parent, guardian or person 18 and older that is responsible for the care of a child with a felony if their child gains possession of a firearm when they have been notified that the child poses a threat to themselves or others. The law was named for 13-year-old Lucia Bremer, a Henrico girl who was killed by another teenager with documented mental health issues.
Auto sears ban: HB 22 prohibits “auto sears” — a device used in converting a semiautomatic firearm to shoot automatically without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger.
State pollinator: HB 517 makes the European honey bee the official state pollinator.
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