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Laws going into effect in 2022: From minimum wage hikes to bans on the most surprising medical bills


As Americans adjust to government and private-sector mandates on mask wearing and vaccinations, elected leaders also work to change other aspects of everyday life, enacting legislation. affects everything from public school curricula to legal entertainment.

For 2022, here are some new laws that take effect January 1.

According to a report from Wolters Kluwer Legal & US Regulatory Authority, provides financial, compliance and regulatory information.

21 states will raise minimum wages on January 1

States also increased rates due to previously approved vote or law initiatives and other state-mandated pay increases – in places like Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio , South Dakota, Vermont and Washington – is by automatic cost – adjusted for living based on inflation.

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

Unexpected medical bills

While the pandemic will bring some medical woes by 2022, Americans can say goodbye to at least one healthcare headache thanks to The No Surprises Act, ban the most surprising medical bills starting Saturday.

The federal ban – which Congress passed in late 2020 – bans most unwanted medical charges from out-of-network providers and would apply to about 10 million bills each year, according to estimates. federal character.

It protects patients when they receive urgent care or scheduled treatment from doctors and hospitals that are not in their insurance network and that they do not choose. Consumers are only responsible for their network cost sharing in these situations.

Education program

2021 sees fierce national and local debates about what students learn in school, with One major point of contention is the critical race theory. In Illinois, legislators moved to Prioritize Asian American History by passing legislation requiring it in public schools.
On Saturday, bang Teaching the Equal Asian American History Act went into effect, making Illinois the first state to have such a requirement.
The law requires schools to add a section to their curriculum about “events of Asian-American history,” which includes Asian-American contributions to the promotion of civil rights since the 19th century. and “the contributions of individual Asian Americans to government and the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of Asian-American communities to economic, cultural, and social development society and politics of the United States, “according to into its text.
Patients won't have to worry about unexpected medical bills coming in January

Recreational alcohol and marijuana

Legal drinking-age Californians have something else to cheer about at midnight: a few more years of alcohol sales.

The state has allowed restaurants and some bars that sell alcoholic beverages to operate since the early days of the pandemic, but a new law effective Saturday, extending the rule – which is set to expire at the end of 2021 – through December 31, 2026.
“For many establishments, flexibility like outdoor parks and take-out cocktails have helped deliver critical revenue that has allowed them to stay afloat during challenging times and retain workers,” said Governor Dan. owner Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

And in Montana, residents 21 and older will be allowed to purchase marijuana for recreational use in some counties starting Saturday.

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

The law only applies to counties that have passed a 2020 ballot initiative regarding recreational marijuana use.

Environment

As policymakers have discussed the human impact on the environment, some mundane things have come to the fore.

For residents of Washington, DC, it’s a gas-powered leaf blower.

ONE Regulations passed in 2018 banning residents and bonsai growers from using these tools, and are subject to fines of up to $500.
The delay in implementing the rule “allows the city and other affected places time to switch to more eco-friendly electric leaf blowers or some other alternative method,” According to The Washington Postsays blowers “can be noisy in heavy traffic and cause health problems for people who breathe in their fumes.”

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

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