ASAP
July Is the New January – 2025
States and cities are as busy as ever passing new workplace regulations throughout the calendar year. Here is our mid-year report summarizing the notable labor and employment laws that take effect from roughly July through October.
Washington state has the most new laws taking effect this summer, ranging from fingerprint-based background checks for certain employees working in home care and long-term care to expansion of the state’s paid sick leave benefits. A number of other states and cities also have expanded paid and unpaid leave benefits, including Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, New York City, Oregon, and Vermont. Other common themes include pay transparency laws, as well as further limitations on noncompete agreements in the healthcare industry.
This article provides a general snapshot of generally applicable labor and employment laws taking effect soon. Please note that while some of the laws listed below are industry-specific, this article is not meant to be all-inclusive. In addition, many state legislatures are still active, so new laws are taking effect on a near-daily basis. Littler monitors federal, state and local legislation, executive orders, and administrative regulations and other agency activity that impact the labor and employment landscape. Employers that want to keep abreast of new laws in the jurisdictions in which they operate can learn more here.
This article also does not address new minimum wages taking effect during this period. For information on wage-related laws and regulations taking effect this summer, see Littler’s Semi-Annual Rates Update for Minimum Wage, Tips, and Exempt Pay Increases on July 1, 2025 (and Other Developments).
- Alaska
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Alaska Measure 1 Paid Sick Leave Requires up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year for employers with 15 or fewer employees and up to 56 hours of paid sick leave for larger employers. Sick leave carries over to the next year. 7/1/2025 Alaska Measure 1 Captive Audience; Prohibition Prohibits employers from requiring employees to attend meetings regarding political or religious matters unrelated to their work. 7/1/2025
- Arizona
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Arizona HB 2032 Workers’ Compensation Provides exceptions for assigning a workers’ compensation risk plan. 7/26/2025 Wage and Hour Increases the maximum amount of unpaid wages an employee may seek to recover through a claim filed with the state labor department. 7/25/2025 Arizona: Tempe Heat Safety Standards Ordinance Workplace Safety Requires employers contracting with the city to implement written heat safety plans and provide breaks and heat safety training for employees working outdoors. 7/9/2025
- Arkansas
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Background Checks Authorizes an employer to disclose substantiated allegations of sexual abuse or harassment by a current or former employee to a prospective employer upon written consent from the current or former employee. 8/4/2025 Arkansas SB 139 Healthcare Noncompete Agreements Provides that a noncompete agreement that restricts the right of a physician to practice within the physician’s scope of practice is unenforceable. 8/4/2025 Arkansas HB 1854 Home Caregiver Training Exempts home caregivers from home caregiver training if they provide documentation of having previously completed the training. 8/4/2025 Unpaid Wages Provides that the Director of Labor has one year from the entry of the final order in an unpaid wage claim to initiate legal action to recover the unpaid wages, and that the assessment period is two years preceding the filing of the complaint. 8/4/2025 Arkansas SB 497 Workplace Posters Requires employers with 50 or more employees to display a poster concerning veterans' services. 8/4/2025 Employee Definition Amends the definition of “the employee” under wage and hour, workers' compensation, unemployment, and wage discrimination laws. 8/4/2025
- California
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
California: Los Angeles County Ordinance No. 24-1149
Predictive Scheduling Requires large retail employers to provide employees with a good-faith estimate of their work schedules, to post notice of work schedules in advance, and provide predictability pay for schedule changes. 7/1/2025
- Colorado
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
FMLA Extends the duration of paid family and medical leave for serious pregnancy complications or to care for a child receiving inpatient NICU care; changes the premium amounts that employees and employers pay to help finance FAMLI program benefits through calendar year 2026. 8/6/2025 Wage and Hour Modifies the definition of “employer” under state wage and hour laws to align with that set forth in the FLSA; authorizes the state labor department to suspend an employer’s business license for certain violations; sets penalties for misclassification; prohibits retaliation for asserting rights under the wage and hour laws; prohibits an employer from using an individual’s immigration status as a method of coercion related to legal rights. 8/6/2025 Colorado HB 1130 Privacy and Data Security Allows an employer to collect biometric data from employees to be used for limited purposes after providing required disclosures. 7/1/2025 Colorado HB 1239 Discrimination and Harassment Amends penalties for certain discrimination and civil rights violations. 8/6/2025
- Connecticut
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Connecticut SB 1221 Benefits Includes personal care attendants in the definition of "covered employee" for purposes of the Connecticut Retirement Security Program; provides for civil penalties if an employer fails to enroll covered employees in the program. 7/1/2025 Connecticut SB 1455 Unemployment Compensation Amends the reporting requirements for employers under the state's unemployment compensation laws. 7/1/2025
- Georgia
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Georgia HB 339 App-Based Workers Exempts rideshare network services from liability for actions of drivers in certain instances. 7/1/2025
- Hawaii
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Hawaii SB 855 (HB 847) Benefits Clarifies the definition of "covered employer" under the Hawaii Retirement Savings Act; requires covered employers to automatically enroll covered employees into the program unless the employee chooses to opt out. 7/1/2025
- Idaho
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Idaho HB 64 Workers' Compensation Provides that members of limited liability companies may be criminally liable for a failure to secure workers' compensation. 7/1/2025 Workplace Safety and Health Expands the prohibition on requiring coronavirus vaccinations for employees and patrons to include specified medical interventions. 7/1/2025
- Indiana
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Indiana HB 1385 Healthcare Background/Criminal Background Checks Provides that a felony offense related to controlled substances does not automatically disqualify nurse aides or other unlicensed employees if they are a certified peer recovery coach with no pending controlled substances felony charges. 7/1/2025 Indiana HB 1416 Workplace Posters Requires gas stations to display human trafficking awareness posters. 7/1/2025 Indiana SB 405 Government Contractors/ Labor Management Relations Provides that government entities may not require that employees of a contracted private employer are members or nonmembers of a labor organization. 7/1/2025 Indiana SB 409 Leave of Absence Prohibits employers from taking adverse action against an employee if the employee was absent from work to attend a case conference committee meeting for the employee's child. 7/1/2025 Indiana SB 475 Healthcare Noncompete Agreements Prohibits noncompete agreements between a physician and an employer. 7/1/2025
- Iowa
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Employment Policies Requires employers to treat employees who adopt a child the same as biological parents for purposes of employment policies, benefits, and protections. 7/1/2025 Iowa SB 377 Employment Classification Prohibits the consideration of the deployment, implementation, or use of a motor carrier safety improvement when determining a person's employment status. 7/1/2025 Iowa SB 418 (HB583) Gender Identity Defines “sex,” “female,” “male,” and related terms; removes gender identity from protected classifications. 7/1/2025 Iowa HB 767 (SB 110) Drug Testing Provides that notification of a positive drug test may be given in person or sent electronically. 7/1/2025
- Kansas
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Noncompete Agreements Provides that restrictive covenants in certain types of business contracts are enforceable and not considered a restraint of trade. 7/1/2025
- Kentucky
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Kentucky HB 398 Workplace Safety and Health Prohibits the state from adopting or enforcing any workplace safety or health measure not enacted at the federal level. 6/29/2025
- Louisiana
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Louisiana SB 66 Discrimination Prohibits discrimination based on military status. 8/1/2025
- Maine
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Maine LD 238 (SP 104) Healthcare; Independent Contractor Provides that the Maine Emergency Medical Services Act cannot be construed to prohibit a licensed emergency medical services person from rendering medical services as a volunteer or contractor. 9/3/2025 Maine LD 1157 (HP 762) Unemployment Provides for unemployment benefits during certain training periods; amends the unemployment reporting and payment requirements for employee leasing companies. 9/30/2025 Maine LD 894 (SP 383) Leave of Absence Clarifies intermittent leave requirements under the state's paid family and medical leave law; establishes penalties for delinquent contributions and successor employers who fail to make payments. 9/30/2025 Maine LD 1898 (HP 1269) Discrimination Adds seeking or receiving an order of protection as a protected class under the Maine Human Rights Act. 9/30/2025
- Maryland
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Retail Alters the minimum age for employment in Allegany County with certain alcoholic beverages license holders from 16 to 18 years of age. 7/1/2025 Privacy and Data Security Establishes the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act of 2024; requires businesses that collect personal data to conduct a regular assessment of activities that present a heightened risk of harm to consumers, including automated decisions and algorithms. 10/1/2025 Healthcare Requires healthcare employers to notify the state when suspending, terminating, or accepting a voluntary resignation from a licensed physician for reasons that may be grounds for discipline or revocation of the healthcare provider’s license. 10/1/2025 Military ⁄ Veteran Status
Expands the definition of who may be given a hiring preference based on military status; modifies definition of “eligible service members” for leaves for themselves and their family members. 10/1/2025 FMLA ⁄ State Equivalent Amends the Parental Leave Act to exclude from coverage employers who are covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act for the current year. 10/1/2025
- Massachusetts
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Wage Transparency Requires employers to disclose the pay range for specific positions in job postings and employment offers; requires covered employers to submit pay data to the state. 10/29/2025
- Montana
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Montana SB 143 (LC2447) Contracts Amends the statute of limitations for any action regarding a contract, covenant, obligation, or liability founded on an instrument in writing from eight to six years. 10/1/2025 Emergency Responder Leave Prohibits termination of volunteer emergency service providers who are absent or late to work while performing these services during an emergency. 10/1/2025 Montana HB 226 (LC1663) Immigration Requires employers to verify all employees' legal ability to work in the United States prior to commencement of work. 7/1/2025 Workers' Compensation Provides that whether an employer furnishes transportation or an employee receives reimbursement for costs of travel is not dispositive of whether the employee is covered by workers' compensation provisions. 10/1/2025 Montana HB 428 Workers' Compensation Clarifies when an employer is an employer of a temporary worker for purposes of workers’ compensation requirements. 10/1/2025 Montana HB 807 (LC2455) Vaccinations Prohibits employers from requiring vaccines allowed under an emergency use authorization or undergoing safety trials. 10/1/2025 Montana SB 163 (LC5) Medical Privacy and Data Security Adds protections for the privacy of neural data and revises provisions related to privacy notices. 10/1/2025 Montana SB 297 (LC372) Privacy and Data Security Amends the opt-out, privacy notice, and enforcement provisions of the Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act. 10/1/2025
- Nebraska
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Nebraska LB 293 Benefits Provides requirements for health benefit plans offered by professional employer organizations. 9/9/2025 Nebraska LB 415 Leaves of absence Amends the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act to exclude small employers and certain workers, set a waiting period for accrual, clarify intersection with employer-provided PTO policies, and eliminate the private right of action. 9/2/2025 Nebraska Initiative 436, Paid Sick Leave (Ballot Measure) Paid Sick Leave Entitles employees to paid sick time beginning October 1, 2025. 10/1/2025
- Nevada
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Nevada AB 215 (BDR 132) Child Labor Modifies the number of hours minors under 16 may work per week; prohibits most 16 to 18-year-olds from working overnight hours on any night immediately preceding a school day. 10/1/2025 Nevada AB 422 (BDR 190) Leaves of Absence Requires an employer to allow an employee who is a volunteer member of the Nevada Wing of the Civil Air Patrol to take leave for training or emergency missions. 10/1/2025 Employer Liability Reduces the minimum required insurance coverage for a transportation network company (TNC); clarifies that a TNC is not liable for acts or omissions of drivers that result in harm. 10/1/2025 Nevada SB 162 (BDR 789) Discrimination and Harassment Requires compliance with civil rights laws in order to receive state funding. 10/1/2025 Nevada SB 179 (BDR 35) Discrimination and Harassment Requires the Nevada Equal Rights Commission to consider antisemitism as a motivation in investigations of alleged discrimination. 10/1/2025
- New Hampshire
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
New Hampshire HB 358 Lactation Accommodation Requires employers to provide access to space and reasonable break periods for employees to express breast milk during work hours. 7/1/2025
- New Mexico
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
New Mexico HB 586 Healthcare Provides whistleblower protections for healthcare employees. 7/1/2025
- New York
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
New York: NYC Final Rules re Paid Prenatal Personal Leave (7 NYCRR 7-201 et seq.) Leaves of Absence Incorporates the New York State paid prenatal personal leave requirements into the New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act; affords employees a separate bank of 20 hours of paid prenatal personal leave. 7/2/2025
- Ohio
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Workplace Posters Allows employers to post wage statements and certain labor law notices online; clarifies how the child labor abstract must be posted. 7/21/2025 Ohio: Cleveland Ordinance No. 104-2025 Salary History/Job Posting Prohibits an employer from inquiring into an applicant's salary history; requires an employer to disclose the salary range for a position in the job posting. 10/27/2025
- Oregon
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Hiring/Age Discrimination Makes it unlawful for an employer to require or request disclosure of an applicant’s age or graduation dates, prior to completing an initial interview, or if there is no initial interview, prior to making a conditional offer of employment. 9/28/2025 Oregon SB 69 Leaves of Absence Provides for the use of unpaid leave to care for a child under certain circumstances; permits employers to require certification that an employee is able to resume work following medical leave; clarifies that the qualifying purposes for paid family and medical leave constitute permissible uses for sick leave. 9/24/2025 Professional Employer Organizations Amends definition related to professional employer organizations (PEOs) under workers’ compensation law and provides new requirements for PEOs. 9/24/2025 Leaves of Absence Provides that in any week an employee is eligible to receive workers’ compensation or wage replacement benefits, the employee is disqualified from receiving family and medical leave benefits. 9/24/2025
- Tennessee
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Tennessee HB 1181 (SB 73) Privacy and Data Security Creates the Tennessee Information Protection Act requiring businesses to protect consumer personal data. 7/1/2025 Tennessee SB 995 (HB 1034) Healthcare Noncompete Agreements Prohibits the enforcement of restrictive covenants against healthcare employees and contractors. 7/1/2025
- Texas
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Workplace Policies/ Background Checks Requires delivery network companies to implement intoxicating substance and anti-discrimination policies for delivery people, and to conduct background checks before hiring delivery people. 9/1/2025 Texas SB 1257 (HB 778) Benefits Requires health benefit plan coverage for gender transition adverse effects and reversals. 9/1/2025
- Vermont
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Healthcare Requires hospitals to develop a security plan to prevent workplace violence, and to conduct a security risk assessment and staff training. 7/1/2025 Leaves of Absence Expands access to unpaid family and medical leave and provides job-protected leave for reasons related to domestic violence, bereavement, and a qualifying exigency. 7/1/2025 Vermont HB 704 Wage Transparency Requires employers to include a job description and the compensation in each job advertisement. 7/1/2025 Vermont SB 117 Wage and Hour Clarifies how the minimum wage is calculated and the employer penalty amount for unpaid wages. 7/1/2025 Vermont SB 30 Benefits Requires health insurance plans to cover abortion and abortion-related care. 9/1/2025
- Virginia
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Unemployment Provides that an employer waives all rights in connection to unemployment claims where the employer failed to respond in a timely manner. 7/1/2025 Virginia HB 1730; Virginia SB 894 Employer Liability Provides for employer liability for criminal sexual assault by an employee or agent under certain circumstances. 7/1/2025 Virginia HB 2269; Virginia SB 1260 Healthcare Requires hospitals to establish a workplace violence reporting system, including reporting, record retention, and antidiscrimination requirements. 7/1/2025 Noncompete Agreements Amends the definition of “low wage employee” in the statute prohibiting noncompete agreements with low wage employees. 7/1/2025
- Washington
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Washington Final Rule re Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (WAC 296-123)
Pay Equity Implements statutory amendments to the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act that extend protections to additional protected classes; clarifies and implements the state's pay range disclosure requirements and salary history inquiry prohibition. 7/1/2025 Personnel Files Requires employers to provide a copy of a personnel file to an employee or former employee upon request; defines “personnel file.” 7/27/2025 Healthcare Background Checks Requires fingerprint-based background checks for certain long-term care workers in certain circumstances; places limitations on the screening and disqualification of long-term care workers. 7/27/2025 Washington HB 1490 (SB 5318) Home Care Background Checks Requires home care agencies to complete fingerprint-based background checks for certain individuals. 7/27/2025 Criminal Background Checks Prohibits an employer from rejecting an applicant for failure to disclose a criminal record or from taking adverse employment action based on an employee or applicant’s arrest record or juvenile conviction record. 7/27/2025 Paid Sick Leave Requires an employer to allow an employee to use paid sick leave to prepare for or participate in certain immigration proceedings. 7/27/2025 Washington HB 1905 Pay Equity Expands the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act pay equity protections to members of all protected classes. 7/1/2025 Benefits Amends the statute converting a qualifying business to a worker-owned cooperative, employee ownership trust, or an employee stock ownership plan. 6/30/2025 Job Postings Allows for corrections to wage and salary disclosures in job postings without penalties if made within five business days. 7/26/2025 Healthcare Workplace Training Amends the required disaster preparedness training for employees at assisted living facilities to include extreme heat and extreme cold. 7/27/2025 Washington SB 5501
Hiring Prohibits employers from requiring a valid driver's license as a condition of employment, unless driving is one of the essential job functions. 7/27/2025 Washington SB 5525 Business Closing/RIF Sets notice requirements for businesses closing or mass layoffs. 7/27/2025
- West Virginia
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
West Virginia HB 2441 Unemployment Disqualifies individuals who fail a drug test from receiving unemployment benefits. 7/2/2025 West Virginia HB 3080 Military / Veteran Status Expands the veteran hiring preference to allow employers to exercise a military spouse hiring preference. 7/9/2025 West Virginia SB 427 Child Labor Eliminates the requirement that 14- or 15-year-olds obtain a work permit; requires employers seeking to hire a child 14 or older to receive an age certificate from the commission prior to employing the child. 7/11/12025
- Wyoming
Bill / Ordinance / Regulation
Main Topic
Summary
Effective Date
Noncompete Agreements Provides that contractual covenants not to compete, with certain noted exceptions, are void; specifies requirements for covenants not to compete for physicians. 7/1/2025
