New State Laws Debrief

Over 100 new state laws will be enacted on July 1, 2016. The following article will provide highlights of these new laws.

Crime and Law Enforcement

Colorado will enact a law that increases the amount of time that a victim of sexual assault has to file a case to 20 years after the event.
Florida and Georgia will now speed up the process of collecting and testing forensic evidence of rape crimes.
Connecticut will require its colleges to enact a “Clear and Voluntary” policy for sexual activity.
Indiana will allow the public to view and copy footage from police officers’ body cameras unless:
- It would pose a significant risk of harm to a person or to the public.
- Interfere with someone’s right to a fair trial.
- Interfere with an ongoing investigation.
- Not serve the public interest.

The police agency producing the footage may also censor nudity, severe violence, death, someone who is a minor or an undercover police officer.

Virginia law will not allow someone to smoke in a car with a passenger who is younger than 8.
In Tennessee, anyone who is convicted of human trafficking for prostitution or takes unlawful pictures of sexual gratification will be registered as sex offenders.

Indiana has enacted an abortion law that specifically bans abortions for the purposes of race, sex, or potential genetic abnormality.
Florida, Mississippi, and Missouri will now prevent or reduce tax dollars from funding Planned Parenthood clinics.
Mississippi will ban the “dilate and evacuate” procedure that is used for second trimester abortions.
Florida physicians will now need admittance privileges to other hospitals and clinics to have a patient transfer agreement.
South Dakota will enforce misdemeanor charges against physicians who abort a fetus that has been developing for 20 weeks or more.
Georgia will require the Juvenile Court and the Administrative Office of the Courts to collect and present statistics on girls 17 and younger who sought an abortion with notifying their parents.

Georgia will allow employees and students over the age of 18 to conceal and carry stun guns on college campuses.
Idaho will become the 10th state to allow its residents who are 21 or older to carry and conceal firearms without a permit or training.
In Virginia, anyone who has been served with a permanent protective order must relinquish his or her firearms within 24 hours of the law’s enactment on July 1st.
Virginia will also recognize concealed carry permits from other states.
Tennessee will allow active military members, honorably discharged veterans, and retired military veterans to receive a concealed carry permit without taking classes required to others.

California will not allow parents to opt out their children for vaccination without a valid medical reason.
Vermont will be the first state to require labels on genetically modified food ingredients that will state “produced with genetic engineering.”
Virginia will require its hospitals to disclose all charges for services rendered in advance to the patient.
California will allow physicians to prescribe lethal amounts of medication to terminally ill patients who request it.
The “Right to Try” Act will be enacted in several states that will allow doctors to administer experimental drugs to patients, with their consent, if all other measures to cure or treat an illness have been exhausted.

Start of new fiscal year starts for almost all states on July 1st.
Virginia and Connecticut are both increasing sales tax on cigarettes; Virginia is raising cigarette tax to $1.20, and Connecticut is raising cigarette tax to $3.90.
Oklahoma is going to double court costs for traffic and criminal cases.
Compensation for fallen National Guard families will be more than doubled from $4,000 to $8,800.
Maryland’s minimum wage will increase from $8.25 to $8.75. It is expected that the minimum wage will continue to grow to $9.25 by next year, and to $10.10 by 2018.
Maryland will also restore funding to its “Program Open Space” that will return $60 million over the next two years in hopes of increased land preservation.
Several states will be enacting larger fees for fantasy sport games. Virginia and Indiana, for example, will be charging a $50,000 fee for the operation of fantasy sports websites.