Some of the new US laws that go into effect in 2022

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(CNN) -

The year 2021 was marked by countless regulations linked to the covid-19 pandemic.

As Americans dodged government and private sector mandates on wearing masks and vaccinations, elected officials also struggled to change other aspects of everyday life, enacting laws that affect everything from the curriculum to families. public schools to legal recreational marijuana.

With the year 2022 underway, these are some of the new laws that went into effect on January 1.

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Minimum wage increases

In recent years, many states have proceeded to increase their minimum wage requirements.

As of Saturday, 20 states saw their minimum wage hike take effect, while New York's hike began on Friday.

The increase in New York - along with those in California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island - is part of the increases scheduled to reach the minimums of US $ 15 per hour, according to a report by Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory US, which provides financial, compliance and regulatory information.

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States also raised rates due to previously passed legislation or ballot initiatives, and other state-mandated wage increases - in places like Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington. - are due to automatic cost of living adjustments based on inflation.

Missouri voters approved a proposition in 2018 that gradually raises the state minimum wage to $ 12 over five years.

Michigan, New Mexico and Virginia adopted similar legislation with targets of $ 12.

• US companies raise minimum wage to tackle worker shortage

Surprise medical bills

Although the pandemic will bring some medical problems in 2022, Americans can say goodbye to at least one healthcare headache thanks to the 'No Surprises Act', which bans most surprise medical bills from of Saturday.

This federal restriction, passed by Congress in late 2020, prohibits most unexpected medical charges from out-of-network providers and will apply to about 10 million bills a year, according to federal estimates.

Protects patients when they receive emergency care or scheduled treatment from doctors and hospitals that are not in their insurance network and that they did not choose.

In these cases, consumers will only be responsible for in-network cost sharing.

School program

In the year 2021 there were intense national and local debates about what students learn in schools, one of the main points of controversy being the critical theory of race.

In Illinois, lawmakers prioritized Asian-American history by passing a law requiring it in public schools.

• What is and what is not critical race theory?

The Asian-American History Equitable Teaching Act went into effect Saturday, making Illinois the first state to have this requirement.

The law requires schools to add a unit to the curriculum on "events in Asian American history," including the contributions of Asian Americans to the advancement of civil rights since the 19th century, and "contributions made by Asian Americans. individuals in government and the arts, humanities and sciences, as well as the contributions of Asian American communities to the economic, cultural, social and political development of the United States, "according to its text.

Recreational cannabis and alcohol

Californians of legal drinking age had something else to celebrate at midnight: several more years of selling alcohol to go.

The state allowed restaurants and some bars to sell alcoholic beverages to go from the early days of the pandemic, but a new law that took effect on Saturday extends the rule - which was set to expire at the end of 2021 - until on December 31, 2026.

"For many establishments, flexibilities like outdoor parklets and take out cocktails have helped bring in critical revenue that allowed them to maintain operations during tough times and keep workers on the payroll," said Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom it's a statement.

And in Montana, residents 21 and older will be able to purchase cannabis for recreational use in some counties starting Saturday.

A new law allows the possession and purchase of "up to one ounce of cannabis, which can include up to eight grams of concentrate and / or up to 800 mg of THC in edible form," according to the Marijuana Policy Project.

Adults can also "grow up to two cannabis plants at home, with a maximum of four plants per home," the group said.

The law applies only to counties that passed a 2020 ballot related to recreational cannabis use.

Environment

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As lawmakers have debated the impact of humans on the environment, some everyday things have come into the limelight.

For Washington residents, it's fuel-powered leaf blowers.

A regulation passed in 2018 prohibits the use of these tools by residents and gardeners, and carries fines of up to US $ 500.

The delay in implementing the rule "allowed the city and others affected to have time to switch to greener electric leaf blowers or some other alternative," according to The Washington Post, which said fuel blowers "can be so noisy such as heavy traffic and cause health problems for people who breathe its fumes. "

CNN's Shawna Mizell and Tami Luhby contributed to this report.

United States Laws