Artificial intelligence. Immigration. Gender-related care for minors.
Across the nation, new laws will take effect at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1 in virtually every state. From cellphone bans to higher minimum wages, here are some of the important policy changes set to go into effect in 2026.
Regulating A.I.
An increasing number of states are passing new laws to regulate A.I. even as the Trump administration attempts to neuter such laws or punish states that regulate the industry.
Lawmakers in California, where many A.I. companies are based, have passed several new laws governing the technology. One new California law, inspired by a teenager in the state who died by suicide after confiding in ChatGPT, will put in place safeguards for A.I. chatbots. The law will regulate the exposure of minors to sexual content and establish protocols for how chatbots should deal with users expressing suicidal thoughts. Other new laws ban chatbots from misrepresenting themselves as medical professionals and require law enforcement officers to disclose when they use A.I. to generate reports.
A Texas law limits the use of A.I. systems to manipulate human behavior, establishes a state A.I. ethics council and requires government agencies to disclose to consumers when they are interacting with A.I.
And in Illinois, a new law restricts employers’ ability to use artificial intelligence for hiring or other employment decisions.
Cellphone Bans
In recent years, many states have placed limits on cellphone use by young children and teenagers. Now, more are following suit. By the start of the 2026-27 school year, districts in California, Georgia and Massachusetts must comply with state laws that limit or prohibit students’ usage of cellphones or other personal devices.
Some states that already have cellphone bans are attempting to further expand social media and data privacy protections for minors. A new Virginia state law will require social media platforms to limit daily use for children under 16 to one hour per day, with parents being able to increase or decrease that limit.
And in Texas, a state law that would require app stores to verify users’ ages and require parental consent for downloads and purchases by minors has been blocked by a federal judge for violating the First Amendment. It would have gone into effect on Jan. 1.
Responding to Immigration Crackdowns
As the Trump administration enacted mass deportations in 2025, several states put laws on the books to advance or curb the activities of federal immigration officers. Those laws are now set to kick in.
In California, where raids by masked ICE agents prompted a backlash, a law banning law enforcement officers, including federal agents, from covering their faces while on duty goes into effect on Thursday. The Trump administration has said federal agents will not follow the mask restrictions and has sued to block the law’s enforcement.
Another California law will allow relatives to assume temporary guardianship of children whose immigrant parents are detained or deported and will prevent day care centers from collecting information on citizenship or immigration status.
A similar law set to take effect in Illinois will prevent schools from sharing the immigration status of children or their families.
Meanwhile, in Texas, sheriffs operating county jails will be required to cooperate with federal officials in enforcing immigration law. Those sheriffs may receive extra personnel and funding.
Medically Assisted Death
Three states — New York, Illinois, and Delaware — have laws slated or expected to take effect in 2026 that would allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with medical assistance.
In each state, the laws would give patients with a prognosis of fewer than six months to live the right to die. The governors of Delaware and Illinois have both already signed laws set to take effect in 2026. Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York has declared her intent to sign a similar bill if the legislature passes some proposed amendments.
With Ms. Hochul’s signature, New York would become the 13th state with a right-to-die law on the books.
Increasing the Minimum Wage
As affordability increasingly becomes a political focal point, more than 20 states are set to increase their minimum hourly wage for workers in 2026.
Michigan will increase its minimum wage by more than a dollar per hour, from $12.48 to $13.73. In Nebraska, it will jump by $1.50 to $15.
The minimum wage will rise from $16.50 to $17 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County, and from $15.50 to $16 everywhere else in New York State.
Gender Surgery and Recognition
Weeks after the federal government threatened to pull funding from hospitals that offer gender-related care for minors, some states are cracking down further.
Starting Jan. 1, New Hampshire will prohibit the prescribing of hormone treatments and puberty blockers to alter a child’s gender. Another law will ban breast surgeries as a form of gender care for minors. New Hampshire had previously enacted legislation prohibiting transition surgery for minors.
And in North Carolina, the state legislature overrode the governor’s veto to pass a law that, beginning Jan. 1, officially recognizes just two sexes in the state. The measure referenced President Trump’s January 2025 executive order on the subject.
Chris Hippensteel is a reporter covering breaking news and a member of the 2025-26 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers.
The post From A.I. to Immigration, These New State Laws Will Take Effect in 2026 appeared first on New York Times.
