A new year brings new laws for both Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Ohio Laws:

Religious Days - Starting January 1, Kindergarten through 12th graders will get to use three religious expression days - excusing them from school without any penalty or questions. 

School Bathroom Use - A little later in the year, school bathroom laws will change in Ohio. Feb. 25 transgender people will be required to use bathrooms that align with their gender assigned at birth. They will not be able to use the bathroom that aligns with how they identify. 

“In states unfortunately like Ohio that have anti-trans bills, trans youth experience higher rates of bullying,” Ken Schneck, editor of The Buckeye Flame said. 

Cell Phones in Schools - Also in school this year, Ohioans could see changes with cell phone rules. July 1, the Ohio Department of Education will have a policy for districts to follow to make rules about cell phones. Each district will draw their own line on the restrictions.

“Schools that have restricted or banned the use of smartphones during the school day have seen an improvement,” Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted said on 21 News at 5. 

 

Pennsylvania Laws:

Officials Pay Raise - According to the Associated Press, 1,300 officials will get a pay raise this year. Lawmakers, judges and top executives will get a 3.4% bump. Governor Josh Shapiro will earn nearly $246,000 - making him the second highest paid governor in 2025.

Safe Haven Drop Surrender Locations - Women now have more places where they can surrender their newborn babies in Pennsylvania. 

The commonwealth’s Safe Haven Law now allows a newborn to be dropped off at any urgent care facility within 28 days of birth. The law previously limited surrender sites to places such as hospitals, police stations, EMS stations. If the baby is unharmed, parents don't face any penalties. 

Doula Coverage - Medicaid will now cover doulas. A doula is a non-medical trained professional that helps pregnant women and new mothers with emotional, physical, and informational support. They can go with women to appointments, connect them with resources, attend labor and delivery and give support during the postpartum journey.

Biomarker Cancer Testing Coverage - All PA state regulated health plans including Medicaid will cover biomarker testing. The testing is a laboratory method sometimes used with other procedures to help diagnose some types of cancer. It can also help plan treatments or predict whether cancer will come back. 

“This definitely improves people's chances of survival and it also increases their quality of life as they’re undergoing treatment,” Donna Greco, Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society in PA said.