The Shadow
Virginia/West Virginia – (VR) As the calendar turns to 2026, residents in Virginia and West Virginia face a broad array of new laws impacting daily
life, employment, consumer rights, and public health. From minimum wage hikes to sweeping consumer protections and landmark health initiatives,
the legislative changes reflect both states’ responses to evolving policy priorities and social concerns.
In Virginia, workers celebrating the New Year may notice a modest rise in their paychecks. The state’s minimum wage increased from $12.41 to $12.77 per hour, in line with cost-of-living adjustments mandated by state law. Although incremental, the change is part of a series of scheduled hikes designed to boost income for lower-wage workers and address inflationary pressures. Unemployment benefits saw a concurrent increase, as weekly payments climbed by $52, providing a measure of financial relief for Virginians seeking work or experiencing transitions in employment.
Beyond labor policy, Virginia enacted notable expansions to consumer protection and personal privacy, particularly in digital communication and
social media. The Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act now requires telemarketers to honor opt-out requests, signaled by the words “stop” or
“unsubscribe,” for at least a decade. Telemarketing calls are restricted to the hours between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., and callers must properly identify
themselves during solicitations. The goal of this legislation is to give Virginians greater control over unwanted advertising communications, responding to complaints about intrusive phone calls and text messages.
A transformative area of legislation targets the online safety of minors. New rules under the Consumer Data Protection Act and related statutes mandate that social media companies implement neutral age screening mechanisms to identify users younger than 16 years of age. For these minors, daily access to social media platforms is capped at one hour, though parents retain the ability to adjust limits. These measures, passed by the state’s General Assembly and signed into law in 2025, represent an effort to tackle growing concerns around digital well-being and youth internet usage.
However, legal challenges from major technology industry groups, citing First Amendment grounds, are ongoing and may influence future enforcement.
On the public health front, healthcare consumers in Virginia benefit from provisions eliminating cost-sharing for certain diagnostics. Insurance companies are now prohibited from imposing copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles for breast cancer screenings, including mammograms, MRIs, and ultrasounds, as well as prostate cancer screenings. The new measures are intended to increase early detection, cut financial barriers to preventative care, and align state guidelines with national cancer society recommendations.
Food safety, especially for the youngest Virginians, is another legislative focus. The Baby Food Protection Act now obligates baby food manufacturers to regularly test products for toxic levels of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. Results must be made available to consumers through QR codes on packaging and published online. The law also directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to assess enforcement mechanisms and recommend further regulatory action if necessary.
Additional legal updates require courts to furnish, upon request, itemized statements for individuals ordered to pay fines, fees, restitution, or other costs stemming from traffic or criminal violations. Hospitals, under Malcolm’s Law, must now include fentanyl screening in the array of urine drug tests used for patient diagnosis, addressing the ongoing opioid crisis with an expanded diagnostic approach.
Meanwhile, in West Virginia, lawmakers also targeted lifestyle, consumer, and insurance reforms with the new legislative slate. Among the most debated measures is the restriction of soda purchases with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Effective January 1, 2026, recipients can no longer use SNAP to buy regular, diet, or zero-calorie sodas. This policy, approved following a state waiver and public feedback campaign, aims to encourage healthier buying choices and address mounting concerns around obesity and related chronic health conditions. Residents affected by the change were invited to offer feedback through a Department of Human Services survey, with input collected through the end of 2025.
Insurance regulation also underwent significant changes. Senate Bill 800, signed into law the previous April, now compels insurance companies that
are part of holding company systems to file annual group capital calculations and, where appropriate, liquidity stress test results. The legislation further ensures that all corporate records and data held by any affiliate remain the property and under the control of the insurer. These requirements, reflective of broader national regulatory trends, seek to shore up financial transparency and risk management across the state’s insurance sector.
Taxpayers in West Virginia may also encounter changes in state income tax calculations due to the expiration of key federal tax provisions. These modifications, stemming from the broader rollback of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, will likely result in higher taxable income and increase tax liabilities for some state residents.
As 2026 unfolds, the dual set of reforms in the two Virginias are poised to alter the consumer, public health, and employment landscapes. Residents are advised to familiarize themselves with the new statutes to ensure compliance and maximize the benefits offered by the changes, ranging from a healthier food supply and safer digital environments for children, to expanded healthcare access and increased financial transparency within the insurance industry.
