By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
As 2026 approaches, states across the country are preparing to activate a wide range of new laws that will shape paychecks, housing conditions, health care costs, consumer privacy, and the use of artificial intelligence. The measures differ sharply by state, but together they point to a growing reality: in the absence of sweeping federal action, states are setting the rules that govern everyday life.
California enters the new year with one of the most expansive sets of changes. The state minimum wage will rise to $16.90 an hour on January 1, increasing salary thresholds for exempt employees and affecting millions of workers. California will also cap insulin co-pays at $35 per month for many state-regulated health plans and begin rolling out CalRx branded insulin at lower list prices. New housing standards will require landlords to provide working stoves and refrigerators in rental units, while an expanded plastic bag ban closes loopholes that allowed thicker so-called reusable bags.
California’s laws also reach into public safety and technology. A ban on most non-medical cat declawing takes effect, along with new requirements for law enforcement officers to display clearer identification and limits on face coverings. The state is also phasing in artificial intelligence transparency and child safety rules, part of a broader effort to regulate emerging technology in employment, government, and consumer facing platforms.
In the District of Columbia, the changes are structural and immediate. Automatic expungement of qualifying criminal records will take effect without requiring individuals to file petitions, clearing certain cases within 90 days. The District will also revise how courts handle emergency rental assistance applications, giving judges discretion rather than requiring eviction pauses while applications are pending. Changes to Medicaid eligibility will move some low-income adults into a city administered Basic Health Plan that maintains medical coverage but excludes certain services previously covered, including adult dental and vision care.
Michigan’s 2026 laws place a strong focus on wages and worker protections. The state minimum wage will increase to $13.73 an hour, one of the largest single year jumps in the country. Changes to tipped wage rules will narrow the gap between tipped and non-tipped workers, while expanded paid sick leave requirements and tighter enforcement standards are expected to affect employers across retail, hospitality, and health care.
Pennsylvania’s new laws concentrate on civil rights, health access, and public safety. The state’s CROWN Act will ban discrimination based on hair texture, type, or style in employment, housing, and education. Insurance plans will be required to cover supplemental breast cancer screenings without cost sharing for patients at average or higher risk. Other measures eliminate waiting periods for filing missing person reports and authorize park rangers and conservation officers to wear body cameras.
New York will raise minimum wages in several regions, including New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, while strengthening protections for delivery workers through pay transparency rules and standardized gratuity disclosures for certain online orders. The state is also revising paid sick leave requirements and reducing penalties for street vendors.
Illinois continues to expand worker and family protections. Employers will be required to pay regular wages during pumping breaks for nursing employees and provide job protected leave for parents with infants in neonatal intensive care units. Public schools must allow attendance regardless of actual or perceived immigration status, while new laws restrict discriminatory use of artificial intelligence in employment decisions.
Texas is moving aggressively into artificial intelligence governance. The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act will prohibit certain discriminatory and manipulative uses of AI, establish an advisory council, and set transparency standards for some government deployments.
Consumer data protection laws are also expanding across multiple states. Indiana and Kentucky will activate comprehensive privacy statutes granting residents the right to access, correct, delete, and opt out of certain data processing.
Elsewhere, Florida will create a public animal cruelty offenders registry and impose new disclosure rules on pet insurance providers. Georgia’s pesticide limited liability law will restrict certain claims when products comply with federal labeling standards. Oregon and Washington are revising unemployment benefit rules tied to labor strikes, with Washington expanding eligibility for striking workers.
Taken together, the laws taking effect in 2026 show states asserting control over wages, housing, health care, privacy, and technology. For residents in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the changes will arrive through shifts in paychecks, court records, rental units, insurance plans, and digital platforms as the calendar turns.