State legislatures have introduced a host of new employment-related bills during the first quarter of 2025. Trends include immigration enforcement; diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; AI in the workplace; wage theft; protections for tipped employees; reproductive rights; and rights related to gender identity and gender-affirming care, among others.

Three months into the new legislative year, with all but a handful of state legislatures currently in session, several employment law trends for 2025 have emerged. Some of the more significant trends reflect the country’s social and political atmosphere, particularly with respect to legislation introduced in support of or in response to Trump administration priorities, and some of the legislative hot topics from 2024 are still trending this year. While it is too early to tell which of the thousands of bills at the federal, state, and local levels will ultimately be enacted, the following seem to be the most notable trends currently.

Trend: Discrimination and Diversity Initiatives

While the new administration has been active in its efforts to reduce the size of the federal government and concentrate power in the executive branch, state legislatures have responded by advancing their own policies that either complement and support the Trump administration’s priorities, or aim to combat those priorities and preserve certain rights for the citizens of their states.

President Trump issued a package of executive orders...

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