New Year, New Laws for the D.C. Region

WASHINGTON -- The New Year brought new laws to the Washington area. The biggest controversies come from the Maryland General Assembly’s legalization of recreational marijuana and the District of Columbia’s expansion of health insurance benefits.

Here is a brief summary of the new laws:

– Beginning Jan. 1, newly acquired health insurance plans in D.C. must cover the cost of foods that patients’ doctors say are medically necessary to treat a variety of diseases and conditions. They include inflammatory bowel disease, Gastroesophageal reflux disease, enterocolitis and food allergies that affect the immune system.

– The Washington region’s residents generally like the e-bikes and scooters they can rent for a small price but do not like them when they are left blocking public spaces. Now they can do something about it. They can report the mislaid bikes and scooters by calling the city’s 311 system. The telephone operators then notify the companies that own the bikes and scooters. They have two hours to remove them from the public spaces where they are not docked or face fines.

– The decision of the majority of Maryland voters who approved Question 4 in November resulted in a state constitutional amendment that legalizes recreational marijuana. Beginning Jan. 1, possession of as much as 1.5 ounces of marijuana drops from a criminal offense to a civil offense for which adults can be fined $100. On July 1, recreational marijuana becomes legal in Maryland to the same extent medical marijuana has been allowed since 2014.

– Both Maryland and Virginia are increasing their minimum wages. In Maryland, the minimum wage for companies with at least 15 employees increases this year from $12.50 an hour to $13.25 an hour. The new minimum wage for smaller businesses is $12.80. Virginia set a schedule of standardized minimum wages that goes to $12 this year, $13.50 in 2025 and $15 per hour in 2026.

– This year Virginia becomes only the second state to enforce consumer data protections. The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act regulates businesses that control or sell large amounts of consumer data. Consumers gain rights to see or correct copies of the data. They also can opt out of permissions for the businesses to use the information to target advertising. The authority to sue the businesses for violations of the law is a matter of discretion for the state attorney general, not individual consumers.

– Virginia is making good on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s campaign promise to reduce the grocery tax. The tax dropped on Jan. 1 from 2.5 percent to 1 percent on food and hygiene products intended for home use. The law shifts revenue from the grocery tax from education and transportation back to each community where the groceries were purchased.

For more information, contact The Legal Forum (www.legal-forum.net) at email: [email protected] or phone: 202-479-7240.