New Laws to Take Effect in 2015

New Laws to Take Effect in 2015

There have been plenty of laws in the queue waiting to be introduced this year. To begin with, California (930), Illinois (220) and New York will be heading up for new laws that will come into effect in 2015 out of which many will be starting from January 2015.[1] Specifics of some of these important laws are:

• In accordance with the Institute for Taxation and Economic policy, there have been Gas Tax changes in 10 States, with an increase in rate, specifically in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Florida; and decrease in Kentucky, West Virginia, Vermont, Nebraska and New York effective from January 2015.[2]
• An introduction to new Privacy Laws in the state of Delaware[3] and California[4] which includes enhanced security, Social Security Numbers sale prohibition, ‘Eraser Law’ etc. The laws will be effective in January 2015.
• 29 states and D.C. to have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage, as of January 2015.[5]
• Federal Employees in US to receive at pay rise of 1% in 2015, as signed by President Obama in December 2014.[6]
• Strict standards for new record keeping and reporting requirements issued by Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), which will be implied upon various employers coming under OSHA in US where the employers have been allotted a deadline with regard to fatalities or injuries happening in workplace. These laws have taken effect from January 1, 2015.[7]

The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) “Pay-or-play” requirements go into effect for employers with 100 or more full-time employees.[8] According to the US Small Business Administration (SBA), “[e]mployers with at least 50 but fewer than 100 full-time or full-time equivalent employees will generally have an additional year, until 2016, before these