Four New Laws in Effect January 1st in Washington State

Many new laws will go into effect on January 1st, 2020 here are four that may affect you and your family:

1. Minimum Wage Goes Up: Beginning January 1, the minimum wage in Washington state will increase from $12 to $13.50 an hour.
2. Family leave Changes : In 2020, families in Washington will be able to take up to 18 weeks of paid leave. It's not just new parents that will benefit from this change. Anyone with a family medical crisis can get paid time off. Families can still earn up to 90% of their typical pay through the Paid Family and Medical Leave program. The less you make, the more of your income you can get back. People can get a minimum of $100 a week and up to a maximum of $1,000 a week.
3. Smoking Age increases to 21 years of age for purchase of tobacco and vaping products.
4. Car Seat Law: Starting in January, the following rules will be enforced:
   • Children up to age two must ride in a rear-facing car seat.
   • Children ages 2-4 years must ride in a car seat with harness (rear or forward-facing)
   • Children 4 years and older must ride in a car or booster seat until they are 4'9" tall.
   • Children up to age 13 must ride in the back seat when practical.