In 2025, a series of new laws will come into effect and impact different aspects of our daily lives like online privacy, employment and healthcare. Understanding these changes is crucial to knowing your rights and staying informed.
This article will break down the new laws in easy-to-understand terms, ensuring you’re well-prepared.
State-Level Minimum Wage Increase
Millions of workers across 23 U.S. states are set to see increased minimum wages in 2025. Washington state tops the list with a $16.66 hourly minimum wage. Supporters believe this step will reduce poverty and boost local economies, but critics worry about potential job losses and price hikes as employers try to cut costs.
With the federal minimum wage still at $7.25, these state-level changes highlight the ongoing debate about fair wages and their impact. Employers must consult legal counsel to ensure they comply with the new regulations.
Ban on Gender-Affirming Surgery In New Hampshire
New Hampshire has implemented a ban on gender-affirming surgeries for minors, and this move has ignited passionate debate.
While proponents argue it safeguards young people from irreversible medical decisions, critics, including LGBTQ+ advocates and medical professionals, contend it restricts essential care for transgender youth. The law, HB 619, prohibits such surgeries and allows for lawsuits against providers who perform them.
Annual cap on out-of-pocket drug costs under Medicare
Starting in 2025, Medicare recipients will benefit from a new $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs due to the Inflation Reduction Act. This change applies to Medicare Part D and removes the previous unlimited expenses for medications bought at pharmacies or by mail order.
After spending reaches this cap, beneficiaries enter the “Catastrophic Stage” and pay nothing for covered drugs for the rest of the year. This new rule is designed to offer substantial financial relief to seniors and others relying on Medicare, significantly reducing the burden of expensive prescriptions.
Restrictions On Online Adult Content
Starting in 2025, 17 states in the US have introduced restrictions on online adult content. These age verification laws, supported mainly by conservative legislatures, require users to provide state-issued IDs for age verification. However, many websites are blocking access to entire states instead.
Although these age-verification laws aim to safeguard minors, they have ignited a debate on adult access and privacy. As online content restrictions tighten, VPN usage has seen a rise. This trend has led critics to doubt the effectiveness of these regulations.
Protection For Pets
Pennsylvania has taken a significant step towards protecting pets in domestic violence situations with the enactment of House Bill 1210, now Act 146 of 2024. Set to go into effect on January 17, 2025, the legislation empowers judges to bar defendants from possessing, abusing, or harming a victim’s pet.
The law amends the Pennsylvania Protection from Abuse Act, allowing judges to grant temporary ownership rights to victims for their pets, prohibit defendants from contacting or relocating the pets, and prevent defendants from entering properties where the pets are sheltered.
Colorado Mandates Cage-Free Eggs
According to Coralrado’s egg production laws, starting January 1, 2025, all eggs sold in Colorado must be from a cage-free facility. This law aims to improve animal welfare by ensuring hens have adequate space to move around in their natural surroundings.
While proponents celebrate this move towards more ethical farming, concerns remain about potential price increases and the impact on smaller farms. However, exemptions for farms with fewer than 3,000 hens offer some relief to smaller producers.
Florida Bans Social Media for Kids
Starting January 1, 2025, Florida will enforce a controversial law prohibiting anyone under 14 from having a social media account. Social media platforms must terminate accounts suspected of belonging to underage users, with account owners given 90 days to dispute it.
The law also imposes fines on platforms that knowingly violate it. Additionally, websites with “materials harmful to minors” must implement age verification for users under 18. However, enforcement of the social media provisions is on hold pending a court ruling on a First Amendment challenge.
New Gun Laws
In 2025, several states are enacting new gun laws with contrasting approaches. California is tightening gun safety, requiring information pamphlets for buyers, and considering hate-based threats in restraining orders.
Colorado is focusing on secure storage, mandating locked containers for handguns in vehicles, and requiring stricter training for concealed carry permits. Conversely, New Hampshire is strengthening gun rights by protecting privacy around gun purchases and allowing employees to store firearms in locked vehicles at work.
Price Cap On Insulin
Oregon will cap monthly insulin costs at $35 for residents on the Oregon Health Plan in 2025, providing significant relief to low-income individuals with diabetes. This law, a big win for supporters of affordable healthcare supporters, tackles the high costs of life-saving insulin.
It’s seen as an important move towards making insulin accessible, but it doesn’t cover those with private insurance. Oregon is joining many states and federal efforts to lower prescription drug prices, similar to Medicare’s $35 insulin cap. This could inspire more state-level laws in the future.
California Cracks Down on Retail Theft
California has implemented a series of new laws in 2025 to combat organized retail theft, including making it a felony to possess or steal over $950 worth of goods with the intent to resell.
These laws allow prosecutors to aggregate thefts across multiple jurisdictions to meet felony thresholds and introduce harsher penalties for reselling stolen goods, particularly those valued over $50,000. Law enforcement has also expanded its authority to arrest retail theft suspects, even without directly witnessing the crime.
Texas Ends Vehicle Safety Inspections
As of January 1, 2025, Texas drivers of non-commercial vehicles won’t need to do annual safety inspections for their vehicles. Instead, a $7.50 inspection replacement fee will be added to vehicle registration costs. This change, enacted through House Bill 3297, eliminates the mandatory inspections while still generating revenue for the state. New vehicles will pay a $16.75 fee for the first two years.
Law Against AI Deepfakes
California has introduced two new laws to combat the threat of AI deepfakes. These laws require contracts involving digital replicas to clearly state their intended use and be reviewed by legal counsel or union representation.
These protections continue even after a person’s death and allow their estates to manage their digital likenesses for up to 70 years. These laws also prevent unauthorized and harmful use of someone’s appearance in the age of advanced AI.
