Porn, Styrofoam, fantasy football: New DMV laws, explained
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Hundreds of new laws are in effect as of July 1 in the DMV, ranging from abortion access to school cell phone bans and cocktails to-go.
Here are some major ones to know.
The District
Economy
💸 The city's minimum wage rose from $17.50 per hour to $17.95 per hour.
👀 A scheduled hike in the tipped minimum wage from $10 to $12 under Initiative 82 is paused by an emergency order, as the law is under review by the DC Council.
- If their tips fall short, businesses must pay tipped workers the difference to reach the full $17.95/hour tipped minimum wage.
Maryland
Economy
💲 A variety of higher taxes and fees on tech, cannabis sales, sports betting and more go into effect.
Education
🗣️ GED tests for adults to obtain high school diplomas are now offered in Spanish.
Health
A new grant program for abortion care seeks to improve access and clinical coverage.
📞 The state will operate a 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in each jurisdiction for better coordination, versus individual crisis communication centers.
Environment
🍂 Gas-powered leaf blowers are banned in Montgomery County (fines up to $500) with some exceptions for state-run parks.
Public safety
🚨 An AI-generated "visual representation" of a person used in porn can be considered revenge porn. Victims can file civil lawsuits.
Virginia
Education
📱 School districts must create policies to ban cell phones "bell to bell."
🚫 Schools must adopt anti-cyberbullying policies, including for off-campus situations, and list resources for victims.
They also must notify parents of school-connected drug overdoses within 24 hours.
Food and drink
🍴 Food chains, including grocery stores, with 20+ locations can't use Styrofoam containers. The ban expands to all food vendors next July.
🍔 Delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash must show total prices upfront, including service fees, instead of at checkout.
🍹 Cocktails to-go are here to stay.
Health
🚭 If you're vaping under 21, officers can deem it contraband and confiscate.
🤰🏻 Virginia Medicaid will cover up to 10 doula visits — four during pregnancy and six within 12 months after birth.
Public safety
🚨 Placing Nazi symbols on someone's private property or on a highway is now a Class 6 felony. So is stealing someone's mail from USPS.
Social media
👀 Child influencers, or children whose guardians are profiting off their content, will have their earnings put into a trust they can access at 18.
Sports
🏈 No one under 21 can take part in a "fantasy contest" like fantasy football due to sports betting parallels.