State Labor and Tech Regulation

A roundup of state laws taking effect Jan. 1, 2026 details California becoming the second state to grant unionization rights to roughly 800,000 rideshare drivers under a Newsom‑brokered deal with Uber and Lyft, Colorado expanding paid family leave to add 12 extra weeks for parents of babies in neonatal intensive care, Virginia imposing a one‑hour‑per‑day social media limit for children under 16 absent parental consent (now facing a NetChoice First Amendment challenge), and 18 states implementing Trump‑approved waivers restricting the use of SNAP benefits to buy soda, candy and other specified foods. These measures reflect an accelerating use of state law to regulate gig‑economy labor, children’s online activity and low‑income nutrition in coordination and tension with federal policy.