New laws taking effect the first day of 2024 will bump Maryland’s minimum wage to $15 an hour for most employers, broaden insurance coverage, extend the list of counties with plastic bag bans, and attempt to rein in telemarketers.
Here’s a list of what’s coming in the new year.
Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties, as well as the city of Frederick, all have plastic bag bans taking effect Jan. 1.
The law passed by the Anne Arundel County Council in June excludes the city of Annapolis from the countywide ban. In Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and Frederick, plastic bags will still be allowed for certain items like raw meat and bulk goods, such as nuts. Retailers in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties will have to charge a minimum of 10 cents for paper or reusable bags in most cases, though Frederick’s ordinance does not impose a fee, and Anne Arundel won’t impose the charge until Feb. 1. The Anne Arundel County law allows retailers to provide free reusable bags during certain times, such as around Earth Day.
Baltimore County’s plastic bag ban took effect Nov. 1, with a 5-cent minimum fee for paper or reusable bags. Baltimore City’s ban on single-use plastic bags took effect in 2021.
Maryland’s minimum wage will be set at $15 an hour, an increase from the current $13.25 that’s coming a year early following a push by Gov. Wes Moore.
The $15 minimum wage was originally set to take effect in 2025...
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