Today is the 1st day of the New Year, and that means new laws are coming to New York State. While some laws will start today, some laws allow time for affected businesses and people to prepare for them, so they will start later this year.
Here Are Some New Laws For 2026 In New York State
Min Wage Increase – The minimum wage will increase by $.50 starting today. Workers outside of the New York City area will get $16.00 per hour, while workers in and around New York City will get $17.00 per hour. This will be the last wage increase not tied to inflation. Starting in 2027, the minimum wage in New York will have annual adjustments tied to inflation.
New Health Care laws -Starting today, in New York State, medical insurers will be required to cover medically necessary EpiPens and cap out-of-pocket costs at $100 per year. Plus, breast cancer screening and imaging, and the cost of scalp cooling systems to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy will be required to be covered by health insurers.
Day Care Coverage – Starting in May, Day Care Centers in New York State will be allowed to use pre-approved substitute caregivers to licensed programs. This way if a teacher is out sick unexpectedly, the Day Care will not have to shut down.
Public Data Requests – Starting on April 1st, a new law will go into effect that standardizes the rules for county and city election boards processing public data requests. Local officials will have to transmit records to statewide databases to keep all voter information accurate and accessible.
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Those are just some of the new laws that will impact us here in New York State.
New Laws In New York State In 2026