New laws set to take effect in VA in 2026

Several new laws are set to take effect on the first day of the new year in Virginia. The Baby Food Protection Act will take effect and prohibits the sale of baby food product containing toxic heavy metals that exceed the limit established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Social media platforms will be required to use “commercially reasonable methods” to determine if users are younger than 16 years old in order to limit usage to one hour per day unless a parent over rides, and the Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act will require solicitors sending text messages to honor requests to unsubscribe for at least 10 years.