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››Laws to come into force in 2022: from minimum wage increases to banning most surprise medical bills

Laws to come into force in 2022: from minimum wage increases to banning most surprise medical bills

By Tomas S. Mercer
January 1, 2022
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As Americans navigated government and private sector mandates around masking and vaccinations, elected leaders also worked to change other aspects of daily life, enacting laws that affect everything from the program to public schools at legal recreational pot.

With 2022 upon us, here are some of the new laws that took effect on January 1.

The Empire State hike – along with those in California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island – is among increases planned to hit a low of $ 15 per hour, according to a report by Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory US, which provides information on finance, compliance and regulation.

States have also increased rates due to previously approved legislation or voting initiatives, and other state-imposed wage increases – in places like Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington – are due to automatic costs. – life adjustments based on inflation.

Missouri voters passed a proposal in 2018 that gradually increases the statewide minimum wage to $ 12 over five years. Michigan, New Mexico and Virginia have passed similar legislation with targets of $ 12.

Surprise medical bills

Although the pandemic will cause medical problems in 2022, Americans can say goodbye to at least one healthcare-related headache thanks to the No Surprises Act, which bans most surprise medical bills from Saturday.

The federal ban – which Congress approved in late 2020 – bans most unexpected medical bills from off-grid providers and will apply to around 10 million bills per year, according to federal estimates.

It protects patients when they receive emergency care or scheduled care from doctors and hospitals that are not part of their insurance networks and that they have not chosen. Consumers are only responsible for their cost sharing on the network in these situations.

Course of Study

The year 2021 has seen heated national and local debates over what students learn in schools, with one of the main points of contention being critical race theory. In Illinois, lawmakers decided to prioritize the history of Asian Americans by passing a law requiring it in public schools.
Saturday, the state Asian American Fair History Education Act went into effect, making Illinois the first state to have such a requirement.
Schools are required by law to add a unit to the curriculum on “Events in the History of Asian Americans,” including the contributions of Asian Americans to the promotion of civil rights since the 19th century. , and the “contributions of Asian Americans to government and to the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of Asian American communities to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States “, according to to its text.
Patients will not have to fear as many surprise medical bills will arrive in January

Alcohol and recreational cannabis

Californians of drinking age had something else to celebrate at midnight: several years of take out liquor sales.

The state had allowed restaurants and some bars to sell take-out alcoholic beverages since the early days of the pandemic, but a new law which came into effect on Saturday extends the rule – which was due to expire at the end of 2021 – until December 31, 2026.
“For many establishments, flexibilities such as outdoor parklets and take-out cocktails have helped generate essential income that has enabled them to maintain operations during tough times and keep workers on the payroll,” he said. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. declaration.

And in Montana, residents 21 and older will be permitted to purchase recreational cannabis in select counties starting Saturday.

A new law allows the possession and purchase of “up to one ounce of cannabis, which can include up to eight grams of concentrate and / or up to 800 mg of THC in edible form,” according to the Draft policy on marijuana. Adults can also “grow up to two cannabis plants in their home, with no more than four plants per household,” the group said.

The law only applies to counties that have approved a 2020 ballot initiative related to recreational cannabis use.

Environment

As policymakers discussed the impact humans have on the environment, some mundane things have come under scrutiny.

For residents of Washington, DC, these are gasoline leaf blowers.

A regulation enacted in 2018, prohibits the use of tools by residents and landscapers and carries fines of up to $ 500.
The delay in implementing the rule “has given the city and others concerned time to switch to more environmentally friendly electric leaf blowers or another alternative”, according to the Washington Post, who said gasoline-powered fans “can be as loud as heavy traffic and cause health problems for people who breathe their fumes.”

CNN’s Shawna Mizell and Tami Luhby contributed to this report.


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