Four new laws taking effect in Virginia on Monday

In Virginia, various new laws passed by the General Assembly earlier this year take effect on Monday.

The laws passed by the Democratic-held state House and Senate and approved by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) range from making to-go cocktails permanently legal to outlawing child marriage. Here are four of the laws going into effect in the Old Dominion.

To-go cocktails

A pandemic-era provision was made permanent effective Monday when to-go cocktails were made legal on a permanent basis.

To-go cocktails were originally instituted via an order by then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) in April 2020, making the “sale and delivery of mixed beverages and pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption” allowed with regulation. Youngkin signed a permanent extension into law earlier this year after signing a two-year extension into law in 2022.

The state became the 26th to make to-go cocktails legal when the bill was signed into law. Since Virginia approved the legislation, Massachusetts and Colorado have also permanently legalized to-go cocktails.

Ban on child marriage

Lawmakers have raised the minimum age for marriage in the commonwealth in an effort to combat child marriages entirely in the Old Dominion. Earlier this year, the legislature and Youngkin approved a bill that changes the age for marriage from 16 to 18.

Under state law previously, 16- or 17-year-olds could get married if they had permission from a parent or guardian, but now, only those 18 or older may be married in the state effective Monday.

Another marriage-related bill, providing backstops to keep same-sex and interracial marriage legal in the state, will also go into effect on Monday. Both types of marriage were legalized via Supreme Court decisions.

Legacy admissions ban at public universities

Another piece of legislation that goes into effect on Monday bans legacy admissions at public universities within the state.

Propelled by the 2023 Supreme Court decision to outlaw affirmative action, many activists cried foul that legacy admissions gave an unfair advantage to some applicants. Lawmakers in the Democratic-led chambers passed a bill outlawing legacy admissions, and Youngkin signed the bill.

The law means public institutions, such as the University of Virginia, may not consider if an applicant’s family has connections to the school when deciding on admissions.

Hate crime definition expanded

Another proposal that takes effect on Monday expands the definition of a hate crime to include ethnicity in a bid to counter rising antisemitism after the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

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The expanded definition would protect people who are Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh, among other groups, from hate crimes, in addition to the previously held definition by the state, which protects based on race and sex, among other factors.

Other changes to state law effective Monday include making it illegal to shut off utilities on homes during extreme cold or heat and allowing universities in the commonwealth to pay student-athletes through name, image, and likeness deals.

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