New Laws Taking Effect January 1, 2027: State-by-State List

Laws in six states are set to take effect on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, according to the official pages of each state’s legislature and, for Illinois, the governor’s July 10, 2026 announcement. This story lists 21 of them by state, plus seven state minimum wage rates and the federal Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. It covers only laws confirmed on official pages, so it is not a full count of every law with that date. Print the list from New Laws January 1, 2027 by State below, and mark the date on a January printable calendar.

Which state laws take effect January 1, 2027?

Each row gives the bill, what it does in plain terms and the official page. All rows carry the effective date of Jan. 1, 2027 on that page. Florida’s HB 991 and HB 505 also contain sections with other dates, as their pages state.

State	Bill	What it does	Official page
Illinois	HB 3811	Authorizes a private professional guardian to serve as temporary guardian for a person with a disability	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	HB 4535	Lets a school district use an e-learning day if it is a polling place; the day does not count toward emergency days	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	HB 4577	Updates the definitions of guided play, play-based learning and student-initiated play for kindergarten instruction	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	HB 4659	Lets survivors of domestic abuse raise an affirmative defense in court when a loan was taken out through coercion tied to the abuse	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	HB 4757	Makes technical changes to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	HB 5393	Removes limits on Limited Health Service Organization plans to allow covered dependents and a higher maximum benefit	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	SB 0118	Makes several changes to the Crime Victims Compensation Act	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	SB 2909	Bars an evaluator from using artificial intelligence (AI) to score a teacher’s evaluation, and bars a teacher from using AI to generate evidence of professional practice	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	SB 2968	Lets the State Treasurer set up and run a non-profit investment pool	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	SB 3113	Raises penalties for not meeting requirements to operate oil and gas wells	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	SB 3341	Clarifies and updates language on a minor’s ability to consent to contraceptive services	Governor’s announcement
Illinois	SB 3967	Clarifies an existing incentive program that pays experienced Certified Nursing Assistants for tenure at long-term care facilities	Governor’s announcement
Florida	HB 991 (Ch. 2026-26)	Changes election procedures	Bill page
Florida	SB 1134 (Ch. 2026-43)	Covers official actions of local governments	Bill page
Florida	HB 505 (Ch. 2026-178)	Covers virtual currency kiosks	Bill page
Florida	HB 1329 (Ch. 2026-161)	Covers local government finances	Bill page
Florida	HB 967 (Ch. 2026-169)	Covers electronic payments to local governments	Bill page
Washington	HB 2225 (Ch. 168, 2026 Laws)	Covers AI companion chatbots	Bill summary
Washington	SB 6228 (Ch. 265, 2026 Laws)	Gives a tax exemption for prescription drug warehousing and relief for critical access pharmacies	Bill summary
Colorado	HB26-1139 (Ch. 325)	Covers use of AI in health-care coverage decisions	Bill page
New York	S8828 (Ch. 96 of 2026)	Chapter amendment to the state’s AI safety act	Bill page
Louisiana	SB 275 (Act 257)	Sets payment rates for nurse anesthetists	Bill information

What do the Illinois laws cover?

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office listed the Illinois bills in its July 10, 2026 announcement, “Gov. Pritzker Takes Bill Action.” Twelve of the bills on that list carry the date Jan. 1, 2027. They touch schools (HB 4535, HB 4577, SB 2909), health care and long-term care (HB 5393, SB 3341, SB 3967), courts and victims (HB 4659, SB 0118), guardianship (HB 3811), state finance (SB 2968) and oil and gas wells (SB 3113). HB 4757 is a technical change to the Health Facilities Planning Act.

What do the Florida laws cover?

The Florida Senate’s bill pages list five 2026 laws with a Jan. 1, 2027 date. HB 991, approved April 1, 2026, states that “this act shall take effect January 1, 2027,” except for sections that took effect on becoming law. HB 505, on virtual currency kiosks, takes effect Jan. 1, 2027 except as otherwise provided in the act. The other three, SB 1134, HB 1329 and HB 967, deal with local governments: their official actions, their finances and electronic payments made to them.

Which laws in Washington, Colorado, New York and Louisiana start in 2027?

Washington’s legislature shows an effective date of 1/1/2027 for HB 2225 and SB 6228. Colorado’s HB26-1139, signed June 2, 2026, says that on and after Jan. 1, 2027, the rule applies “when determining coverage for health-care services.” New York’s S8828, signed March 27, 2026, states that the act takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027. Louisiana’s SB 275, signed May 15, 2026, has an effective date of 1/1/2027.

Which state minimum wages change on January 1, 2027?

State labor agencies list these hourly rates for Jan. 1, 2027. The full state list is in our minimum wage increases story.

State	Hourly rate	Official source
California	$17.40	Department of Industrial Relations
Washington	$17.73	Labor and Industries
New Jersey	$16.48	Labor and Workforce Development
Michigan	$15.00	Labor and Economic Opportunity
Virginia	$13.75	Va. Code 40.1-28.10
South Dakota	$12.30	Labor and Regulation
Minnesota	$11.87	Labor and Industry

What changes at the federal level in January 2027?

The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027 is 3.6%, and benefits rise beginning in January. The Social Security Administration site blocks automated access, so this figure rests on two newsrooms that agree: Fox Business and ABC News, both reporting on Oct. 14, 2026. Payment dates are in our Social Security COLA 2027 story. For the federal calendar, see federal holidays in 2027.

What is not in this list?

Laws that could not be confirmed on an official page are left out: California bills, Texas, Oregon, Virginia cannabis and federal tax-law changes. Check a bill’s official page for its full text and any sections with a different date. A printable yearly calendar helps keep the dates in view.