A new year brings on some new laws for residents of Delaware in 2023.
Read on to find out the laws that will have an impact on you here in Delaware, and some that have taken effect in neighboring states as well.
Delaware
Minimum Wage Increase
Delaware’s minimum hourly wage is now $11.75.. It will continue to increase to $13.25 in 2024 and $15 in 2025.
Cash Bail Reform
House Bill 204 makes several changes to the bail/pretrial process in Delaware, including requiring courts to consider risk by “using empirically-based tools to determine whether a defendant is likely to stay out of trouble and come to court.”
Pennsylvania
Fentanyl Test Strips
Fentanyl test strips are no longer illegal in Pennsylvania.
License Plate Frames
Police in Pennsylvania can no longer pull over a driver for having a license plate frame that obstructs the plate.
Switchblades
It’s now legal to own and carry a switchblade in Pennsylvania due to HB 1929.
Turnpike Toll Collection
If you have $250 or more in unpaid Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls, you may be at risk of having your vehicle registration suspended. The Pennsylvania Turnpike will also see a 5 percent increase in tolls to begin January 8.
New Jersey
Higher Auto Insurance
New Jersey increased the minimum amount of liability insurance.
Concealed-Carry Gun Restrictions
There are new restrictions in New Jersey on how and where you can carry a concealed gun.
Bill A4769 prohibits people from carrying guns in several “sensitive places,” including schools, courthouses and bars. New Jersey residents will also be required to get insurance and take training classes to get a permit.
Longer Work Hours for Teens
A new bill is allowing teenagers in New Jersey to work longer. Expanding the summer work hours for teens aged 16-18 up to 50 hours. Bill A4222
The bill also expands working hours for teens between the ages of 14 and 15 to mirror federal laws for working minors.
The bill also removes authority from school districts to issue working papers and removes parental consent for a minor to work while requiring the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to provide parents with an opt-out for extended summer working hours for the minor. The bill also increases the amount of time a minor may work before a break is required from five hours to six hours.
Voter Privacy
Polling stations in New Jersey must now have privacy sleeves for printed ballots.
Firearm Registration
Bill S1204 requires firearm owners who become New Jersey residents to obtain a firearm purchaser identification card and register handguns acquired outside of the state
Ammunition Tracker
Bill A1302 regulates the sale of handgun ammunition and develops a system of electronic reporting of handgun ammunition sales.
Faster Unemployment Payments
Bill S2357 allows out-of-work New Jersey residents to get unemployment benefits more quickly.
