New laws for DC, Maryland and Virginia on January 1, 2026

WASHINGTON - In 2026, residents in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., will see significant changes as a range of new laws go into effect.

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New laws in Washington, D.C. 2026

The District has had a busy year. From President Donald Trump’s federal takeover to the shooting of two National Guard members just blocks from the White House, and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s announcement that she will not seek a fourth term, D.C. enters the new year amid political and public safety developments reshaping city leadership and governance.

Let's delve into the laws District residents can definitively expect as they enter the new year, as well as policy measures they can expect to continue or possibly be voted on.

Fair Shot Minimum Wage Amendment Act

The Fair Shot Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2016 amended the District of Columbia’s earlier minimum wage law to require annual increases tied to inflation once the $15 per hour target was reached. Since 2020, D.C.’s minimum wage has risen each year based on these inflation adjustments.

In July, D.C.'s minimum wage rose to $17.95 per hour. By July 2026, it'll rise again, but to what exact figure is yet to be determined.

Once the minimum wage is raised in July, it'll be the highest in the nation.

Clean Energy DC Building Code Amendment Act

By the end of 2026, Mayor Muriel Bowser must create new, net-zero building codes for most new structures built in the District. Legislation passed by the D.C. Council in July 2022 made it so these new building codes must apply to all buildings undergoing "substantial improvements" in the District as well.

The Clean Energy D.C. Building Code Amendment Act of 2022 states that "on-site combustion of fossil fuels for backup power generation shall not be prohibited," however.

In addition to these laws, D.C. residents will begin to feel the effects of a number of legislative measures taken in the latter half of 2025. They should also expect potential outcomes on a number of measures still in legislative limbo.

DC CRIMES ACT of 2025

For example, the D.C. CRIMES ACT of 2025, which the House of Representatives passed in September and limits the D.C. Council’s authority over sentencing policies, still needs to be voted on in the U.S. Senate and signed by President Trump before becoming law.

It would require bipartisan support to pass in the Senate, as Republicans alone do not hold enough votes to overcome a filibuster.

The bill lowers the District's definition of "youth" from under 25 years old to under 18 years old, according to the House Oversight Committee. It also "removes judicial discretion to sentence youth offenders below the mandatory minimum and requires the D.C. Attorney General to establish a public website reporting juvenile crime statistics."

According to House Speaker Mike Johnson's official government website, congressional Republicans have framed the bill as a continuation of policies intended to address crime in D.C.

DC budget cuts

Mayor Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which went into effect on Oct. 1, included health coverage changes that reduced income eligibility for Medicaid beginning Jan. 1, 2026. As a result, an estimated 25,000 D.C. residents will transition out of Medicaid eligibility and into a new Basic Health Plan administered by the District’s health exchange.

While most of these individuals will remain insured, the Basic Health Plan generally offers fewer benefits than full Medicaid.

These changes are part of broader adjustments to social safety net programs in the FY 2026 budget.

Continued youth curfew

Additionally, the D.C. Council voted to extend the District's youth curfew until April 2026 earlier this month. Between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., those ages 17 and younger are not permitted to roam D.C.'s streets. In some areas, such as the Navy Yard, the curfew is 8 p.m.

New laws in Maryland 2026

New updates in Maryland in 2026 cover health care, housing protections, insurance requirements and employment rules that will impact residents across the state.

Homeowners and heirs receive new tax-sale protections — HB

Maryland’s HB 0059 strengthens protections for homeowners and heirs at risk of losing property through a tax sale. Beginning Jan. 1, counties must withhold certain owner-occupied homes and properties lived in by heirs from tax sale and create a registry that lets families formally flag their properties for protection.

The law also expands statewide rules that prevent low-balance tax debts from triggering a sale and updates notice and redemption requirements so owners and heirs have clearer information and more time to resolve tax issues before losing their homes.

Domestic violence awareness training required for barbers and cosmetologists — HB 1547

Beginning in 2026, Maryland will require applicants and license renewals in barbering and cosmetology to complete at least one hour of domestic violence awareness training, either in person or virtually.

"…requiring the Maryland Department of Labor to approve certain domestic violence awareness training that is offered in person and virtually, includes guidance on certain topics, and has a duration of at least 1 hour; etc."

Rideshare drivers receive weekly earnings summaries — HB 861

Transportation network companies must now provide drivers with weekly fare and earnings summaries, and report annual trip and earnings data to the Public Service Commission.

This bill was approved by the governor on May 13, 2025.

No prior authorization for pediatric hospital transfers — HB 1301

Maryland’s Medical Assistance Program, the Children’s Health Program and private insurers are prohibited from requiring prior authorization when a child needs to be transferred to a special pediatric hospital.

Under the Homecare Worker Rights Act of 2024, the Maryland Department of Health will only be allowed to reimburse residential service agencies (RSAs) for personal assistance services, like in-home care for elderly or disabled residents, when those services are provided by workers classified as employees, not independent contractors.

Firefighter cancer screenings must be covered — HB 459 / SB 374

Beginning January 1, 2026, Maryland will require counties that operate self-insured employee health plans to provide preventive cancer screenings for professional firefighters at no cost, including no copays, deductibles or coinsurance.

Dig deeper:

The law is a response to decades of data showing elevated cancer risk among firefighters due to repeated smoke and chemical exposure. SB 374 requires counties to follow nationally recognized medical guidelines when determining which screenings must be covered. Depending on a firefighter’s age, risk factors and length of service, these screenings may include:

Blood tests
Imaging studies (such as low-dose CT scans)
Other cancer-detection technologies as recommended by medical authorities

Under the bill, counties have two ways to meet the requirement:

Provide a no-cost annual cancer screening program, or
Apply for state grants to help pay for advanced screening tools and expanded firefighter health programs.

The law also directs the Maryland Health Care Commission to conduct a statewide study on firefighter cancer prevention efforts and issue a report by Dec. 1, 2028 evaluating the effectiveness of the screenings and whether additional protections are needed.

Supporters say the law ensures firefighters receive early-detection screenings that many would otherwise put off because of out-of-pocket costs. Counties will see some increased insurance and administrative costs, but the state determined that early cancer detection could ultimately reduce long-term treatment expenses.

Access to out-of-network specialists preserved — HB 11 / SB 902

Maryland makes permanent the rule allowing patients to receive in-network reimbursement when referred to certain specialists outside their insurance network, with limits on additional utilization review requirements.

This new Maryland law taking effect January 1 strengthens protections for patients who need to see medical specialists outside their insurance network. Under HB 11, patients may continue to receive in-network level coverage when they are referred to a nonparticipating specialist because no appropriate in-network provider is available.

The law prevents insurers from imposing extra utilization review hurdles or denying reimbursement simply because the specialist is out of network. It also requires insurers to assist patients in locating qualified providers and ensures that cost-sharing is treated the same as it would be for an in-network visit.

The goal is to stop balance billing, which is the practice where patients are billed for the difference between what their insurance covers and what the provider charges, in situations where a patient had no realistic ability to stay in-network.

By ensuring consistent coverage rules and eliminating financial penalties tied to network gaps, the law aims to protect Marylanders with complex or rare medical conditions who often cannot find needed expertise within their plan’s provider list.

Insurers cannot place time limits on anesthesia coverage — HB 1086

This new law requires health insurers to send both written and electronic notice when canceling or not renewing a small-group health plan. The notice must clearly explain the change and outline other coverage options available to employers.

The goal is to prevent small businesses from being caught off guard by a sudden loss of health coverage, giving them more time and information to secure a new plan and avoid gaps in employee insurance.

The bill was approved by the governor on May 20, 2025.

Coronary calcium score testing coverage — HB 666 / SB 60

These companion bills require insurers, nonprofit health service plans and managed care organizations to cover coronary calcium scoring tests beginning January 1. The test is a noninvasive scan that measures calcium buildup in the arteries and helps determine a patient’s risk for heart disease.

Coverage must follow the latest American College of Cardiology guidelines, meaning insurers cannot deny the test for patients who meet those criteria. The goal is to expand preventive heart care and reduce out-of-pocket screening costs.

Insulin step-therapy ban — HB 970 / SB 646

This pair of bills prohibits insurers from requiring step therapy for insulin and insulin analogs used to treat Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes.

Previously, some plans forced patients to try cheaper or alternative insulins before approving the medication their doctor recommended. Beginning January 1, doctors’ prescribed insulin must be covered without requiring those earlier "trial" medications, helping prevent delays in diabetes management.

Step-therapy ban for metastatic cancer supportive drugs — HB 1087 / SB 921

These companion bills protect patients with stage 4 metastatic cancer by barring insurers from imposing step therapy for medications prescribed to treat symptoms or side effects of their cancer treatment. These are supportive drugs, not chemotherapy itself, but medications needed to manage pain, nausea, fatigue or other treatment-related conditions.

The law ensures physicians can prescribe the most effective supportive therapies without insurance-driven delays, improving comfort and continuity of care for patients with advanced cancer.

Oncology specialty drugs must be covered at in-network clinics — SB 975 / HB 1243

Insurers may not deny coverage for certain oncology specialty drugs administered at in-network oncology providers who meet state qualifications.

Expanded hearing aid coverage for adults — HB 1355 / SB 641

Maryland now requires health plans to cover medically necessary adult hearing aids when ordered, fitted and dispensed by a licensed hearing aid dispenser.

Additional notice required for canceled small-group health plans — HB 936

Insurers must provide both written and electronic notice when canceling or not renewing a small-group health plan, along with information about available coverage options.

Home-care workers must be classified as employees for reimbursement — HB 39 / SB 197

The Homecare Worker Rights Act requires residential service agencies to classify personal assistance workers as employees, not independent contractors, in order to receive state reimbursement.

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New laws in Virginia 2026

Agriculture

Under the Baby Food Protection Act, HB 1844, manufacturers will be required to regularly test their infant formula to ensure it does not exceed levels of toxic heavy metals established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

They must also include that information on product labels and their website. Consumers that suspect high levels of metal in the baby food product they purchased are required to report their findings to Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Commerce and consumer protections

Recipients of unwanted telemarketing notifications will be able to halt those texts by replying to unwanted messages with "STOP" or "UNSUBSCRIBE." When the Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act, SB 1339, goes into effect, telephone solicitors must honor the request for at least 10 years.

Social media platforms will have to use neutral age screen mechanisms to determine whether users are under the age of 16 and, if they are a minor, limit their usage to one hour per day. This will all take place under the Consumer Data Protection Act, SB 854, where parents can consent to increase or decrease their child's daily time limit.

Criminal procedure

If a defendant is convicted of a crime or violation and has to pay fines, they will be able to submit a written or electronic request to the court clerk for a clear breakdown, as required by HB 1665. As time goes on, defendants will be able to continue asking for updated statements of their outstanding balance.

Insurance

Virginia's HB 1828/SB 1436 will require health insurance companies to no longer charge patients extra for breast examinations like mammograms, MRIs and ultrasounds. Patients ordered to undergo those screenings will not have to pay out-of-pocket for them. Instead, insurance providers will have to cover those costs.

As mandated by HB 2097/SB1314, prostate cancer screenings such as blood tests and rectal exams will be covered by insurance carriers as well in the new year. This law requires exams to be up-to-date and reflect American Cancer Society guidelines and findings.

Labor & Employment

Minimum wage will have a minor increase from 12 dollars and 41 cents to 12 dollars and 77 cents per hour, according to the Department of Labor and Industry.

Workers that lose their jobs will receive a larger weekly benefit to provide more financial stability during unemployment. Virginia's HB 2401/SB 1056 will add 52 dollars to the current weekly compensation amount.