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:
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Floridians can carry weapons without a permit
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California makes it easier for residents, local governments and the state attorney general to sue firearm retailers in civil court
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Kansas bans transgender people from using restrooms, locker rooms, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers that are consistent with their gender identities
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Georgia blocks most gender-affirming care for transgender people under 18
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Florida bans classroom instruction on STIs and periods before sixth grade
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Near-complete ban on no-knock warrants in Minnesota
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Virginia classifies fentanyl as a ‘weapon of terrorism’
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Marriage licenses for kids are banned in Connecticut
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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.”
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Tougher consumer data privacy laws in Colorado and Connecticut expected to afford residents more control over their personal data
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Pornography sites required to take “reasonable steps” to verify that their users are at least 18 years old in Virginia
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School books with sex acts are now banned in Iowa
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Restrictions on certain race and gender topics in Tennessee
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Mississippi picks the blueberry as its state fruit
Notable laws not included in NBC’s article:
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Maryland legalizes recreational marijuana for those 21 and above presenting an ID
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Connecticut makes it legal for people to grow marijuana
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Massachusetts allows people who are in the country illegally to apply for a state driver’s license
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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
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Washington and Idaho pick state dinosaurs
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.