New laws on criminal records, tax protections and time limits on children’s social media usage will take effect this Thursday, Jan. 1, in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
DISTRICT
Criminal records: Some former defendants and ex-convicts can expect to have their records sealed or charges expunged, depending on the nature of the crime, as part of the District’s Second Chance Amendment Act that takes effect Jan. 1.
The records for most misdemeanor cases that do not end with a conviction will automatically be sealed from public view.
Ex-cons who were convicted of a crime that has now been legalized, such as marijuana possession, will have their records automatically expunged. The same applies to those whose convictions are now deemed unconstitutional.
Misdemeanor convicts will have their records sealed 10 years after the completion of their sentence if they have not committed any other crimes during that period.
Offenses exempt from records being sealed include misdemeanor convictions for incest, sexual abuse, drunken driving, parental kidnapping, criminally abusing or financially exploiting an elderly person, neglect of a child under 14 years old and any violent or dangerous crime.
Medicaid: Stricter eligibility requirements to qualify for coverage take effect Thursday, with the pool of lower-income residents using the program estimated to drop by some 25,000 people.
Those transitioning from Medicaid can sign up for the District’s new Basic Health Plan. It provides most aspects of health insurance coverage, but benefits such as dental or vision care for adults are not included.
MARYLAND
Tax protections: Families in a home they inherited will be shielded from having their properties sold off at tax sales under a new law going into effect Thursday.
Counties will be required to create a registry that allows heirs to designate their property as protected from the tax sales. The family owners will also have more time to resolve any outstanding tax issues tied to the property.
Rideshare fare summaries: Uber, Lyft and other rideshare companies will need to provide weekly earnings summaries to the drivers who work for them in the new year. The detailed summaries will include the fares the drivers took on, fees charged during their trips and the percentage of the fare paid to the driver.
The rideshare companies will need to prepare annual trip and earnings data for the state’s Public Service Commission.
Firefighter cancer screenings: Professional firefighters currently working will be provided free cancer screenings beginning Jan. 1. The law includes screenings for bladder, breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, oral, prostate, skin, testicular and thyroid cancers.
Blood tests, imaging studies such as certain CT scans, and other cancer-detection screenings, as recommended by medical practitioners, are covered by the statute.
Counties cannot require firefighters to make a co-pay, co-insurance or deductible payment to cover the screening.
Municipalities can meet the requirement by funding the annual cancer screening itself or applying for state grants to help pay for screening tools.
VIRGINIA
Time limits on social media: Children under 16 years old will be limited to one hour of social media usage per day under a new law. Social media companies will help impose the daily limit by verifying a child’s age listed on their account.
Parents will have the option to adjust the limit, but state Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, the Henrico County Democrat who championed the law, said social media affects children’s grades in school and their ability to socialize with friends.
Minimum wage: The commonwealth’s minimum wage will jump 36 cents to $12.77 per hour.
The state’s Democrat-controlled Legislature has also proposed raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028 and tying any potential increases to inflation.
Solicitation texts: Virginians can stop text blasts from solicitors under new protections taking effect Thursday.
Solicitors who receive a response of “UNSUBSCRIBE” or “STOP” will be required not to contact that person again for 10 years. Solicitors face fines for ignoring the “stop” requests. Repeatedly ignoring the requests could result in higher fines.
