New laws in 2025: A year of transformation for healthcare, labor, and privacy

The beginning of 2025 ushers in significant legislative shifts across the United States, with new laws aimed at addressing issues ranging from medical marijuana access to the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), data privacy, labor protections, and more. These laws reflect the country’s evolving stance on technology, healthcare, labor rights, and discrimination. Below, we explore the most consequential legal changes that are shaping various sectors this year.

Kentucky legalizes medical marijuana

Kentucky made headlines as it became the latest state to legalize medical marijuana, starting in 2025. Following Governor Andy Beshear’s signing of the bill into law in March 2023, the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services has finalized the necessary regulations for the program’s launch. Kentucky now joins 47 other states that have legalized cannabis for medical use.

This expansion reflects the growing trend of states adjusting their stance on cannabis, recognizing its therapeutic potential, and working toward creating a regulated market for medical marijuana.

Anti-discrimination laws in Illinois and California

In response to evolving societal and medical needs, Illinois has introduced new anti-discrimination protections aimed at safeguarding reproductive health decisions. Under these protections, discrimination will be prohibited based on a person’s choices related to contraception, fertility, sterilization care, miscarriage management, assisted reproductive technologies, and pregnancy decisions, including termination.

In California, Assembly Bill 1955 has passed, preventing school staff from being required to inform parents about a student’s gender identity change. This law applies across various educational bodies, including charter schools and state special schools. The bill strengthens privacy protections for transgender students, ensuring they have the freedom to express their identity without fear of unauthorized disclosure.

AI regulation and privacy laws

AI regulation has become a top priority for many states, particularly in Illinois and California. In Illinois, a new law has taken effect that prohibits the unauthorized distribution of AI-generated audio and visual replicas of individuals, both during their lifetime and for up to 50 years posthumously. This law is especially relevant given the growing concerns around AI’s potential misuse in replicating the likenesses of public figures, artists, and even everyday individuals without their consent.

California has introduced similar regulations, mandating that performers must give informed consent before AI can replicate their likeness or voice. The state’s measures extend protection to digital replicas for up to 70 years after an individual’s death. These laws address the ongoing concerns surrounding AI’s potential to manipulate public images and the growing importance of ensuring that technology respects individuals’ privacy and consent.

The expansion of AI regulation also brings concerns about bias in training datasets. AI systems have the potential to perpetuate existing biases if the data used to train them is flawed or incomplete. Addressing these biases is crucial in fostering trust in AI technologies, especially in sectors like healthcare, where biased algorithms could lead to incorrect diagnoses or treatment decisions. Ensuring transparency in how AI systems are developed and deployed can help mitigate these risks, ultimately improving public confidence in their use.

Data privacy laws across the country

In addition to AI regulation, data privacy laws are set to become stricter across multiple U.S. states in 2025. Eight states—Delaware, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, and Tennessee—are implementing new privacy measures that will require businesses to be more transparent about how they collect and use personal data.

Maryland, for instance, will limit businesses’ ability to collect personal data, allowing it only when deemed “reasonably necessary” for delivering goods or services. Furthermore, the sale of sensitive data will be banned in Maryland, signaling a significant shift toward more stringent consumer protections.

These new privacy measures are designed to increase trust between consumers and businesses by offering greater transparency and control over personal information. With tech giants continuing to collect vast amounts of consumer data, these state-level initiatives are crucial for addressing concerns about privacy and misuse of personal data.

Changes in labor laws and wage increases

Reforms in child labor laws: Several states are also introducing changes to labor laws, particularly regarding child labor. In California, Assembly Bill 3234 mandates that employers publish the results of child labor audits to ensure compliance with child labor laws. Businesses will now need to report instances where children were exposed to unsafe working conditions, both physical and mental. This new level of transparency aims to protect minors and ensure they are working in safe environments.

Meanwhile, Illinois has replaced its existing child labor laws with clearer regulations that specify the hours minors can work and the occupations they are prohibited from working in. The law mandates that minors must always work under the supervision of an adult who is at least 21 years old. Similarly, Indiana has amended its child labor laws, allowing minors aged 14 and 15 to work until 9 p.m. on school nights and expanding the work hours for those aged 16 and 17.

Pay transparency and minimum wage increases: In the realm of wages, significant changes are also underway. States like Minnesota and Illinois are introducing pay transparency laws, requiring employers to disclose salary ranges and benefits in job postings.

Minnesota’s law applies to businesses with at least 30 employees, while Illinois’ law affects businesses with 15 or more employees. This move toward pay transparency is designed to foster fairness in compensation and provide job seekers with more clarity when considering opportunities.

Additionally, several states are increasing their minimum wages in 2025. California, for example, has raised its minimum wage from $16 to $16.50 per hour. The state has also raised the minimum salary for full-time exempt employees to $68,640. In Colorado, new state salary thresholds will impact various levels of employees, including executives and professionals. Other states like Maine, Washington, and New York are also increasing their minimum salary thresholds for state employees.

Paid family leave programs

In terms of family leave, Delaware and Maine have enacted laws requiring employers to contribute to paid and medical family leave programs. Delaware’s law mandates that businesses with at least 10 employees contribute to parental leave, while Maine’s program requires employers with just one employee to contribute. These changes aim to provide workers with more access to paid family leave, allowing them to take time off to care for a newborn, address personal health issues, or care for a family member in need.

Restricting access to minors’ gender-affirming care

Several states are implementing restrictions on transgender minors’ access to gender-affirming care. In New Hampshire, a law set to take effect in 2025 will ban gender-transition surgeries for minors and prevent referrals for such procedures to out-of-state providers.

While hormone therapy and puberty blockers are not restricted, the law has sparked significant debate, with proponents arguing that it protects minors from making irreversible decisions, while critics contend that it undermines the autonomy of youth and could negatively impact mental health.

These laws are part of a broader national trend where 26 states have implemented some form of restriction on transgender minors’ access to gender-affirming care. Advocacy groups, including GLAD, argue that such decisions should be made by medical professionals in consultation with patients and their families, not lawmakers, raising concerns about the potential impacts on patient outcomes.

A year of change and challenges

The legislative changes in 2025 signal a major shift in healthcare, labor, privacy, and discrimination laws across the U.S. States are adapting to societal changes, setting new standards that could influence national policies. These laws, such as medical marijuana legalization and AI regulation, promote fairness, transparency, and individual rights.

As these reforms roll out, they raise questions about patient outcomes, AI’s future, and the balance between innovation and personal freedoms. 2025 promises to be a transformative year, with states at the forefront of addressing key societal issues.