With the turn into the new year 2026, several state law changes affect wage and hour compliance, leave administration, onboarding practices, workplace notices, and even discrimination based on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), took effect as of January 1, 2026. Here is a rundown of some key new state laws across the United States.

• Several new state laws that took effect January 1, 2026, significantly impact employer compliance in areas such as wage and hour regulations, leave administration, and workplace notices, requiring multistate employers to update policies and procedures accordingly.
• Notable changes include California’s expansion of leave protections for crime victims and the introduction of the mini-WARN Act, Illinois’s new human rights protections for artificial intelligence, and Pennsylvania’s CROWN Act.

Crime Victim Leave and Paid Sick Leave—Assembly Bill (AB) 406

On October 1, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 406, expanding leave protection for employees who are victims of violence or when their family members are victims to seek legal, medical, mental health, or safety planning services. The law requires employers with twenty-five or more employees to provide leave for covered activities subject to reasonable notice and certification. It does not mandate paid leave, but employees may use available paid sick leave or other accrued paid time off (PTO). The law also expands the covered reasons for using paid sick leave to include leave to appear...

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