July 1 marks more than the start of a new month. For many states, it also marks the start of a new fiscal year, when hundreds of newly enacted laws officially take effect.

While Congress tends to dominate political headlines, many of the policy changes Americans experience most directly originate in state legislatures. This year, lawmakers across the country are rolling out new laws that could affect everything from how workers negotiate salaries to how much some health care employees earn and how states respond to housing insecurity.

Many of the policies taking effect this week touch on issues where Black Americans continue to face longstanding disparities, including wages, homeownership and access to affordable housing. Together, they offer a snapshot of how states are responding to many of the economic challenges families are navigating today.

Virginia expands pay transparency for job seekers

Beginning July 1, Virginia’s new pay transparency law will require many employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings while generally prohibiting them from asking applicants about their previous pay, according to legal guidance from Williams Mullen.

Virginia joins a number of states, including California, Colorado and New York, that have adopted pay transparency laws in recent years as lawmakers look for ways to reduce wage disparities and give job seekers more information during the hiring process.

According to reporting from Virginia Mercury, supporters say the changes could help applicants make more informed career decisions and negotiate fairer compensation without relying on previous salaries that may reflect existing pay inequities.

California boosts wages for health care workers

The Golden State is also implementing one of the nation’s most closely watched workplace laws.

Many health care workers, starting July 1, will receive wage increases under the state’s phased implementation of Senate Bill 525. Depending on the type of health care facility, minimum wages will rise to between $22 and $25 an hour, with employees at large health systems, dialysis clinics and certain county-operated facilities reaching $25 an hour, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations.

State lawmakers approved the measure in 2023 to gradually raise wages for health care workers while helping providers recruit and retain employees amid ongoing staffing shortages. The raises could be especially meaningful for many frontline health care workers who have continued to shoulder growing demands in hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities.

California’s law also arrives amid a national conversation about wages. Last week, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., introduced legislation that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour, arguing that the current wage floor no longer reflects what many Americans need to afford the cost of living.

Indiana’s latest law centers housing and homelessness

Indiana is taking a different approach to one of the country’s most pressing affordability challenges.

Beginning July 1, Senate Enrolled Act 285 makes it illegal to camp or sleep on unauthorized state- or locally owned public property. Before someone can be charged, law enforcement officers must first issue a warning and determine whether shelter or mental health services are available. If the individual remains within 300 feet of the same location after 48 hours, they could face a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle and the legislation.

Supporters say the law is intended to encourage people experiencing homelessness to connect with available shelter and support services, according to the legislation and reporting by the Indiana Capital Chronicle.” However, Capital B Gary reported that critics argue the measure criminalizes homelessness without addressing the state’s shortage of affordable housing or the underlying causes that push people into homelessness.

The debate comes as housing affordability continues to shape economic opportunity nationwide. According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Snapshot of Race and Home Buying in America, the Black homeownership rate rose to 44.7% in 2023 — the largest annual increase among any racial group — but remained well below the white homeownership rate of 72.4%. The report also found that nearly half of Black renters between the ages of 25 and 40 spend more than 30% of their income on housing, a common benchmark for being considered cost-burdened.

Minimum wage increases across several states

July 1 will also bring higher minimum wages in several states and local jurisdictions, continuing a yearslong trend of states using wage policy to respond to rising living costs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Alaska’s statewide minimum wage increases July 1, while Oregon updates its annual minimum wage rates and numerous cities and counties in California are also implementing local wage increases.

Although the increases vary by location, they reflect a shift toward state-led efforts to boost worker pay as the federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 an hour since 2009. For many workers, the changes come as households continue to grapple with higher costs for housing, groceries and child care.

The bigger picture

The laws taking effect July 1 won’t affect every American equally. But they each illustrate how state governments are intentionally shaping policies that touch on the issues most pressing to voters across the country.

Whether lawmakers are requiring employers to disclose salary ranges, raising wages for health care workers or taking new approaches to homelessness, many states are using July 1 to implement policies aimed at addressing some of the country’s biggest economic challenges ahead of the major midterm elections.

As lawmakers continue searching for solutions to rising costs, many of the policies shaping Americans’ daily lives are being written one state at a time.