New Year’s Day brought a range of new laws and changes to Virginia, including a rise in the minimum wage, expanded protections against discrimination, harassment and retaliation based on ethnic origin and greater privacy for minors from data collectors. These are a few of the changes residents can expect this year.

As of Wednesday, Jan. 1, the hourly minimum wage for workers in Virginia increased from $12 to $12.41, thanks to the Virginia Minimum Wage Act. This increase occurs despite Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoing a bill in 2024 that would have raised the minimum wage to $13.50 by 2025 and $15 per hour by 2026.

Workplace discrimination, harassment and retaliation due to an employee’s ethnic origin is now prohibited under the newly expanded Virginia Human Rights Act. Employers will have to update their training programs and policies to adhere to this expansion.

Virginia workers looking to ensure financial stability once they retire may have a new option for saving money, thanks to RetirePath Virginia. Businesses that have been in operation for more than two years and have 25 or more employees must now participate in the program, which began in 2023 and provides retirement savings plans and accounts to help workers save money from paychecks, and follows them through changes in jobs and relocations.

Employers who fail to register with the program could face penalties as high as $200 for each employee, while employees at qualifying businesses will be automatically enrolled after their employers register, unless they decline within 30 days of enrollment.

Parents in Virginia who are concerned about their kids being targeted online and their data being collected now have a way to control what gets shared and sold. Tech companies and other businesses with online services must get parental consent before using children’s personal data for things such as targeted ads, profiling, or any other purpose that is not clearly explained when the data is collected.

This rule also limits the collection of precise geolocation data from children and requires companies to assess how they handle children’s data for online services, products and features aimed at them. These assessments help companies evaluate why and how the data is used and protected.

The spring 2025 semester brings new changes to Virginia’s universities, preventing students with legacy admission status or connections to their college’s donors from receiving special consideration.

Families of first responders who have died due to their work will receive more financial support from the state. The death benefit payout from the Virginia Line of Duty Act has increased from $25,000 to $75,000 for those related to specific active or retired firefighters and law enforcement officers. The payout increase applies to deaths that are caused by occupational cancers, respiratory disease, hypertension or heart disease.

Those looking to stay alert for infrastructure changes now have more options, as the Virginia Department of Transportation is now required to maintain a database of all approved utility work in a highway right of way in residential neighborhoods. Publicly accessible information includes a map, the location of the work, the start and projected end date of the work and the company administering the work.

Meanwhile, Virginians eligible for colorectal cancer screenings, including follow-up colonoscopies, will no longer have to pay any deductibles, co-insurance or other cost-sharing requirements from their insurance. Health insurers are now required to fully cover exams and tests, and this law applies to individual and group accident and sickness insurance policies, subscription contracts, and health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in Virginia starting in 2025.

Finally, with the gubernatorial election set for November, some candidates could see a potential boost in their prospects for office. A new law states that any candidate running unopposed for a period of time is considered their party’s nominee, and their primary election is canceled if opposing candidates withdraw on or after the 44th day of the race but before the Tuesday before the election.