New Virginia laws now in effect for 2025

Several new laws passed by the Virginia General Assembly went into effect on Jan. 1. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most significant ones:

Healthcare

Health insurers are now required to provide coverage for colorectal cancer examination and tests, per HB 238.

Car Insurance

Car insurance minimum coverage amounts increased for all Virginians as of Jan. 1 – meaning higher premiums will go into effect for most drivers. Minimum coverage amounts are now $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per person (up from $30,000), $100,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident (up from $60,000), and $25,000 in property damage coverage (up from $20,000). For a deeper dive into the implications of the law, see this story from NBC12.

Minimum Wage

Retirement

Employers who do not currently offer retirement savings plans must participate in RetirePath Virginia, which provides employees with access to retirement savings accounts. The law applies to businesses with 25 or more employees that have been operating for at least two years.

DOT

The Virginia Department of Transportation is now required to maintain a publicly-accessible map and database of utility work occurring within “a highway right-of-way” in a residential neighborhood, per HB 311.

Virginia Memory Project

A new law creates the Virginia Memory Project within the Virginia Center on Aging. The project will confidentially “collect and analyze data on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders in the Commonwealth.” The goal is to connect people with neurodegenerative conditions to service providers and develop new public policies related to the conditions.

Data Protections for Children

Data controllers can no longer process the personal data of a child without parental consent for the purposes of “targeted advertising, the sale of such personal data, or profiling,” per HB 707 and SB 361.

Military Benefits

With the passage of HB 321 and SB 649, the death benefit payout under the Virginia Line of Duty Act will increase from $25,000 to $75,000 for “occupational cancer, respiratory disease or hypertension or heart disease” for deaths occurring on or after Jan. 1.