ROANOKE, Va. – There are several new laws and ordinances that take effect on January 1, 2022.
Virginia’s Minimum Wage
Virginia’s minimum wage goes up to $11 an hour. That’s up from $9.50 an hour previously. It’s set to go up incrementally until it hits $15 in 2026. You can see that schedule here.
Minimum insurance coverage
Beginning Jan. 1, the minimum insurance coverage required for vehicles in Virginia will increase. Senate Bill 1182 raises the minimum insurance coverage requirements over the next three years to the following:
This bill applies to vehicle insurance policies issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2022. To purchase license plates and title and register a vehicle in Virginia, a customer must certify the vehicle is covered by the minimum insurance requirements or pay the Uninsured Motor Vehicle Fee.
Surprise medical bills
Many Virginians are already protected against surprise medical bills — thanks to a Virginia law that took effect on Jan. 1, 2021. Now, the federal No Surprises Act (NSA), which takes effect on the first of the year, will provide additional protections for more people against surprise billing for medical expenses. Surprise billing, or balance billing, occurs when patients enrolled in managed care health insurance plans receive care either in an emergency situation or unknowingly from medical service providers who do not participate in the plan’s network of providers, often referred to as “out-of-network” providers, and the provider bills them for more than their plan’s cost-sharing amounts (such as deductibles, coinsurance and copays).
Virginians enrolled in either fully insured managed care health insurance plans issued in Virginia, or the state employee health benefit plan, must not be balance billed by an out-of-network provider for emergency services. Additionally, out-of-network providers cannot balance bill these individuals for certain non-emergency services during a scheduled procedure at an in-network hospital or other health care facility.
You can read much more on the SCC website here.
All municipal elections move to November
Senate Bill 1157, sponsored by Senator Lionell Spruill, Sr., shifts all municipal elections from May to November, starting in 2022. The Governor signed the bill into law in March.
Testing of cosmetics on animals
House Bill 2250, sponsored by Delegate Kaye Kory, and Senate Bill 1379, Senator Jennifer Boysko, prohibit the testing of cosmetics on animals and the selling of cosmetics that have been tested on animals beginning in 2022. The Governor signed the bill into law in March.
Camping on downtown Roanoke sidewalks
Roanoke plans to enforce new law banning camping on downtown sidewalks. City Council passed the new ordinance in December, but there were still questions on how it will be enforced.
Roanoke city attorney, Tim Spencer, told 10 News: “We’re going to continue to connect people with services. But I anticipate again, with this it will be prohibited and there will be a potential for a fine. That may occur, hopefully, it won’t,” he explained. “Our experience of dealing with the same type of regulation with our parks has been compliance, not punishment. And we are hoping to achieve the same thing.
Tax on plastic bags in Roanoke
At the beginning of the new year, Roanoke will become the first city in the Commonwealth to put a tax on plastic bags. The five-cent tax will affect grocery stores, drug stores and convenience stores. Roanoke’s sustainability and outreach coordinator, Nell Boyle says the city has been working to create this kind of tax for the last decade.
“We are hoping it’s the tax you never pay. If you bring your reusable bags you never have to pay the five cents,” said Boyle.
The hope is for people to stop using plastic bags and opt for reusable or paper bags.