July 1 marks the start of a new fiscal year for most U.S. states, and with that comes the enactment of new laws. Here’s a list of the notable ones:
-
Floridians can carry weapons without a permit
-
California makes it easier for residents, local governments and the state attorney general to sue firearm retailers in civil court
-
Kansas bans transgender people from using restrooms, locker rooms, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers that are consistent with their gender identities
-
Georgia blocks most gender-affirming care for transgender people under 18
-
Florida bans classroom instruction on STIs and periods before sixth grade
-
Near-complete ban on no-knock warrants in Minnesota
-
Virginia classifies fentanyl as a ‘weapon of terrorism’
-
Marriage licenses for kids are banned in Connecticut
-
Indiana repeals ban on throwing stars, except on school property. The statute defines throwing stars to “mean a throwing-knife, throwing-iron, or other knife-like weapon with blades set at different angles.”
-
Tougher consumer data privacy laws in Colorado and Connecticut expected to afford residents more control over their personal data
-
Pornography sites required to take “reasonable steps” to verify that their users are at least 18 years old in Virginia
-
School books with sex acts are now banned in Iowa
-
Restrictions on certain race and gender topics in Tennessee
-
Mississippi picks the blueberry as its state fruit
Notable laws not included in NBC’s article:
-
Maryland legalizes recreational marijuana for those 21 and above presenting an ID
-
Connecticut makes it legal for people to grow marijuana
-
Massachusetts allows people who are in the country illegally to apply for a state driver’s license
-
Washington will deduct a tax from workers’ paychecks to fund a mandatory long-term care insurance program for residents who can’t live independently due to illness, injury or aging-related conditions
-
Washington and Idaho pick state dinosaurs
Wow, America is going down the toilet.
Maryland legalization of recreational marijuana comes into effect today, accompanied by record expungement. That’s kinda notable.
Nice to have more positive changes!
Not advocating for it but we don’t need to be locking people up or scarring them for life over that stuff.
Wow Mississippi, really swinging for the fences!
What, no period talk until 6th grade? Did no one tell them the average age of menarche has been declining for a while, and it’s not unusual for 9-10 year olds to start menstruating? If anything they should be covering it for even younger kids than before.
That’s certainly one of the dumbest culture war legislations in recent history… I don’t even see any particular ideological justification for this either.
Washington chose a state dinosaur.
cute feathery boi
To be fair, that is a pretty cool looking dinosaur.
We got this guy. Cool in a different way.
I mean hey find me a dino that isn’t cool. Washington’s got a beautiful beast for sure.
What is going on in Indiana with that they had to make ninja stars illegal in the first place? Either way it’s good to see that injustice righted while still thinking of the children.
A lot of laws about weapons aren’t really about anything actually happening or dangers. Often it’s about perceptions people have or actually about trying to target a group politicians don’t like.
That’s how bailsongs and switch blades got restricted in a lot of states. Also why suppressors or short barreled firearms are regulated like hand grenades.
American gun control was born immediately after slaves were freed
I really have to squint to see some of the good laws in that list. Most of them just made me cringe.
Also for Virginia: All Delta products or hemp based THC products are no loner legal
Good on MN and CT! Sad to see where some other parts of the country are heading.