Minimum wage, cellphones on school grounds, seat belts for adult passengers, and protection of reproductive and sexual health data are the focus of some of the new laws going into effect around the D.C. area on Tuesday. Scroll for details:
New laws in Washington, DC, as of July 1, 2025
Minimum wage for non-tipped workers: The minimum wage in the District will increase from $17.50 to $17.95 per hour for non-tipped employees, regardless of the size of the employer.
Base wage for tipped workers: The base minimum wage for tipped employees will increase from $10 to $12 per hour. However, if an employee’s hourly tip earnings (averaged weekly) plus the base minimum wage don’t equal the District’s full minimum wage, the employer must pay the difference, D.C.’s Office of Wage-Hour Compliance says.
New laws in Virginia as of July 1, 2025
Seat belts: All adult passengers now must wear seat belts while in a vehicle on a public highway. The existing law involving adult passengers only had required seat belts when in the front seat. (Wondering about child passenger safety laws already in place? Find those here.)
Cellphones at school: School boards will be required to create and implement policies on cellphones on campus, with the goal to restrict usage that would be disruptive to the learning environment. Limited exceptions would include the need for use due to medical conditions as outlined in a student’s IEP or 504 plan. However, the law prohibits any student from being suspended or expelled for violating the policy.
Social media and minors: Social media apps must now have age verification for accounts. For any user under 16, the apps must limit use to one hour, but with a parental consent option to override the limit.
Social media content compensation: A minor under age 16 who meets certain criteria must be compensated when taking part in content creation for social media. The creator will be required to set aside gross earnings in a trust account for the minor to receive when they turn 18 or are declared emancipated.
Cocktails-to-go made permanent: The legal delivery of wine, beer and cocktails by licensed third-party delivery providers had been scheduled to end, but a new law is calling off that deadline. The same public safety protections, including those regarding packaging and labeling, will stay in place, officials said.
Protection of reproductive or sexual health information: A new law will give people stronger privacy protections for consumers’ reproductive and sexual health information. Businesses operating in Virginia may not obtain, sell or share “personally identifiable reproductive or sexual health information” without that person’s consent, according to the Virginia State Legislative Information System.
Non-apparent disabilities: Virginia’s DMV will be required to add non-apparent disabilities on a driver’s license when requested by an applicant. The driver will have to provide a signed statement from a doctor confirming the condition.
Officer/autistic driver communication: The DMV will also be required to launch a program to improve communication between drivers who have autism and police officers. The DMV will create and distribute envelopes to drivers containing information for officers on how to best communicate with that person, as well as room for vehicle registration, insurance info and emergency contacts.
See more new laws in Virginia here.
New laws in Maryland as of July 1, 2025
Grants for abortion care: The Public Health Abortion Grant Program will be created to provide grants to improve access to abortion care clinical services for people in Maryland. It will be a “special, nonlapsing fund to provide grants” and will require that “certain premium funds collected by health insurance carriers be used to provide certain coverage and to support improving access to abortion care clinical services under certain circumstances,” according to the state.
GED exams in Spanish: The Maryland Department of Labor must allow people the choice to take all components of the General Educational Development (GED) Test in either English or Spanish. The department also will to study the feasibility and cost of offering the test in additional languages and report its findings and recommendations by Dec. 1, 2026.
Updates to tenants’ bill of rights: Maryland’s Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs must update its Tenants’ Bill of Rights each year by June 1. Landlords must attach the latest version of this document, effective July 1, to every residential lease. It concerns factors such as application fees, security deposits evictions and more.
Revenge porn: Revenge porn — when someone distributes a “visual representation” of another identifiable person naked or engaged in sexual activity, shared with the intent to harm the other person — is punishable for up to two years and/or a fine up to $5,000. This new law says a “visual representation” can be not only a real image, but also could be a computer-generated image that’s indistinguishable from the real person. The law also authorizes victims to bring a civil action for revenge porn.
Minimum wage in Montgomery County: Minimum wage is increasing by 50 cents accordingly:
- At large employers (with 51 or more employees): new rate $17.65 per hour
- At mid-sized employers (with 11-50 employees): new rate $16 per hour
- At small employers (with 10 or fewer employees): new rate $15.50 per hour
Wages for tipped workers in Montgomery County: According to the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights, tipped employees (those who earn more than $30 per month in tips) are guaranteed to be paid no less than the county’s minimum wage. Employers must pay tipped workers at least $4 per hour, and that amount plus tips must match or exceed minimum wage. Restaurant employers who use a tip credit must to give workers a wage statement for each pay period, showing their effective hourly rate of pay.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
