9.27.23 – Dcist
Somehow, it’s the end of September. And while the federal government is probably shutting down, the D.C. region is gearing up for a slate of new laws. Typically, Jan. 1 and July 1 are the most popular dates for legislation to go into effect as they align with fiscal year calendars but Oct. 1 occasionally corresponds to new laws in the books as well.
D.C.
D.C. won’t see many huge changes on Oct. 1. but it is the start of the city’s new fiscal year, meaning that previously passed and enacted laws can now be funded.
311 improvements: Included in the new budget is a provision that requires the city’s Department of General Services to make common service requests available to the public on D.C.’s 311 system, including addressing issues like broken equipment at a playground or overflowing trash cans.
More money for residents with disabilities: Starting Oct. 1, the Personal Needs Allowance for residents who receive support from the city will increase from $100 to $150 monthly.
Expanding fertility treatment: While it won’t start right on Oct. 1, the fiscal year starting on Sunday includes funding that will cover infertility diagnoses and up to three cycles of fertility-enhancing drugs for Medicaid recipients or other residents using the DC Healthcare Alliance. It’s part of a new bill passed by the council that will require insurers to cover up to three rounds of IVF for residents. The full bill will go into effect in Jan. 2025.
Ban on cashless businesses: Although it passed in 2021, a bill from the D.C. Council that would ban cashless businesses received funding in the fiscal year 2024, meaning the legislation finally goes into effect on Oct. 1. Businesses who don’t accept cash are subject to civil penalties, but Chairman Phil Mendelson’s office says it’s unclear whether the executive is prepared to enforce the law.
Maryland
It’s a season of change in Maryland with dozens of new laws going into effect on Oct. 1.
Changes in the courts: Starting on Oct.1, the state will repeal the “spousal defense” – a provision in the law that prohibited someone from being prosecuted for rape or other sexual crimes against their legal spouse.
The state will also lift the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse – a change that’s expected to usher forth a wave of lawsuits against the Catholic Church. The Baltimore Archdiocese is already considering filing for bankruptcy due to the expected cases.
Wait times for record expungement will be reduced: after a person has served a sentence for a misdemeanor, their record can be expunged after five years, down from ten. Felony and second-degree assault charges will be eligible for expungement after seven years and first and second-degree burglary and theft will be eligible after 10.
Starting Oct. 1, the state’s Attorney General will have the authority to prosecute officers if investigators deem that they unjustly killed or seriously harmed someone. Under current law, those determinations are made by the local state’s attorneys’ offices after the AG’s office completes Independent Investigations Divisions. Now, that division will also decide on prosecution steps.
Protections for victims of violent or hate crimes: A bill going into effect on Oct. 1 will prohibit incarcerated people from contacting and going to the residence or workplace of their accuser if they were accused of sexual crimes involving children, violent crimes, or stalking, among others. Under another bill, victims of hate crimes will be able to sue the person or group who committed the offense against them.
Firearms restrictions: As of Oct. 1, people with concealed-carry permits in Maryland will be banned from bringing firearms into various public places like schools, health care facilities, polling places, stadiums, museums, and venues that serve alcohol or cannabis for on-site consumption, and private property unless the owner has given them permission to do so.
Drug Policy: The state will alter its Good Samaritan law on Oct. 1; a person experiencing a medical emergency due to alcohol or drug use will receive immunity from criminal charges if the evidence to bring those charges was only obtained as a result of the person seeking medical assistance.
Starting on Oct. 1, hospitals will also be required to conduct tests for fentanyl as a part of urine drug testing. If the test detects fentanyl, the results are to be shared anonymously with the Maryland Department of Health.
Virginia
In Virginia, not many laws kick into effect on Oct. 1. Instead, it’s a more important deadline for work group recommendations and reports due back to the General Assembly.
State park accessibility: Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation will launch a two-year pilot program that will provide all-terrain power wheelchairs to visitors at state parks. The department will select where it will deploy the pilot program, and report back on its outcomes to the General Assembly by Nov. 1, 2025.