A total of 35 laws in Virginia are set to go into effect on Saturday, which include China being banned from purchasing farmland in the state and providing protections for areas of worship.
The new laws were shared by Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears (R-VA) on her social media account, which included a summary of all 35 laws from the Virginia Public Access Project.
New laws in Virginia that go into effect tomorrow, July 1!https://t.co/aUiaEQWkoE
— Lt. Governor of Virginia - Winsome Earle-Sears (@WinsomeSears) June 30, 2023
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Sale of farmland to China
Under this new law, China, along with any "foreign adversary," is prohibited from buying agricultural land in the commonwealth of Virginia. The ban comes as Congress and several other states are working on laws taking similar measures.
In January, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) said that "Virginians, not the CCP, should own the rich and vibrant agricultural lands God has blessed us with.”
Right to worship
This law prevents the governor of Virginia from issuing closures or limitations on places of worship that are stricter than restrictions for businesses and secular organizations. This comes after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many businesses and places of worship to close down for months on end.
Absentee ballots
This new law removes the requirement of having a witness signature when voting via mail-in ballots. Instead, voters can simply vote using mail-in ballots by providing the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Minimum wage for employees with disabilities
Any employees who are hired after July 1 are required to be paid the state minimum wage, while employees with disabilities who were hired before July 1 and were subject to an exemption to the state's minimum wage will see a phased increase to their wage over the next seven years. At present, the minimum wage in Virginia is $12 an hour.
Hearing aids for children
This new law mandates that health insurance providers cover hearing aids for minors when said hearing aids are recommended by a doctor. This coverage includes one hearing aid per hearing-impaired ear, up to a cost of $1,500, every 24 months.
Firearm safety tax credit
Under this new law, an income tax credit of up to $300 will be available for anyone who purchases firearm safety devices from tax year 2023 to tax year 2027. The purchases this credit applies to include those for gun safes and locks.
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Pornography age verification
This new law requires pornography websites to verify the age of their users and prevents people under the age of 18 from accessing pornography. Earlier this year, Louisiana became the first state to require age verification for websites with a "substantial portion" of pornographic content.
The full list of laws that will go into effect on Saturday can be found here.