Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages.
Name a sizzling matter and there is a good probability there is a new legislation taking impact in 2025 in a single state or one other.
Many of the legal guidelines handed in January are the results of legal guidelines handed this yr. Others come up from voter-approved poll measures. Some face authorized challenges.
Here’s a take a look at a few of the most vital state legal guidelines in impact:
Hollywood stars and childhood influencers
California, residence to Hollywood and a few of the greatest tech corporations, is making an attempt to rein within the synthetic intelligence business and impose sure parameters on social media stars. New legal guidelines search to stop using digital replicas of Hollywood actors and artists with out permission and permit estates of lifeless artists to sue over unauthorized use of synthetic intelligence.
Parents who revenue from social media posts that includes their kids shall be required to put aside earnings for his or her younger influencers. A brand new legislation additionally permits kids to sue their dad and mom for failing to take action.
Limits of social media
New restrictions on social media in a number of states face court docket challenges.
A Florida legislation bans kids below 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for ages 14 and 15. But the appliance has been delayed resulting from a lawsuit introduced by two associations of on-line corporations, with a listening to scheduled for the tip of February.
A brand new Tennessee legislation additionally requires parental consent for minors to open social media accounts. NetChoice, an business group for on-line companies, is difficult the legislation. Another new state legislation requires pornographic web sites to confirm that guests are no less than 18 years previous. But the Free Speech Coalition, a commerce affiliation for the grownup leisure business, has issued a problem.
Also challenged are a number of new California measures aimed toward combating political deepfakes, together with one which requires giant social media platforms to take away deceptive election-related content material and one other that enables any particular person to sue for damages for l use of synthetic intelligence to create fabricated photos or movies in political contexts. advertisements.
School guidelines on gender
For the primary time nationwide, California will start implementing a legislation that prohibits faculty districts from adopting insurance policies that require employees to inform dad and mom if their kids change their gender identification. The legislation was a precedence for Democratic lawmakers who needed to cease such insurance policies handed by a number of districts.
Abortion protection
Many states have handed legal guidelines limiting or defending abortion rights because the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the nation’s proper to the process in 2022. One of the most recent is the Democratic-led state of Delaware. A invoice would require state well being plans for workers and Medicaid plans for low-income residents to cowl abortions with out deductibles, copays or different cost-sharing necessities.
Gun management
A brand new Minnesota legislation bans weapons with “binary triggers” that permit for extra fast fireplace, inflicting a gun to fireplace one shot when the set off is pulled and one other when the set off is launched.
In Delaware, a legislation provides schools and universities to a listing of college zones the place firearms are prohibited, with exceptions for these working in an official capability, akin to law enforcement officials and assigned safety guards.
Medical marijuana
Kentucky is turning into the most recent state to permit individuals to make use of marijuana for medical functions. To apply for a state medical hashish card, individuals should get hold of written certification from a medical supplier of a qualifying situation, akin to most cancers, a number of sclerosis, continual ache, epilepsy, continual nausea or post-traumatic stress dysfunction. Nearly four-fifths of American states have now legalized medical marijuana.
Minimum wages
Minimum wage staff in additional than 20 states will obtain raises in January. The highest minimal wages shall be these in Washington, California and Connecticut, which can exceed $16 an hour after modest will increase.
The largest will increase are anticipated in Delaware, the place the minimal wage will rise from $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, the place a poll measure authorised by voters in 2022 will add $1.50 to the present $12 minimal. ‘Now.
Twenty different states nonetheless comply with the federal minimal wage of $7.25 an hour.
Travel safer
In Oregon, drug use on public transportation shall be thought-about a misdemeanor offense of interfering with public transportation. As the measure made its method via the Legislature, a number of transportation officers stated drug use on buses and trains, and at public transportation stops and stations, was making passengers and drivers really feel much less protected.
In Missouri, legislation enforcement has spent the final 16 months warning motorists that utilizing hand-held cell telephones is against the law. Starting within the new yr, the penalties will go into impact: a advantageous of $150 for the primary violation, as much as $500 for the third and subsequent violations and as much as 15 years in jail if a driver utilizing a mobile phone causes damage or demise. But police should discover a major violation, akin to dashing or swerving throughout lanes, to quote motorists for violating the cellphone legislation.
Montana is the one state that has not banned texting whereas driving, in keeping with the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Tax breaks
Arizona tenants will not must pay taxes on their month-to-month lease, because of the repeal of a legislation that had allowed cities and cities to impose such taxes. While a win for renters, the brand new legislation represents a monetary loss for governments. An evaluation by the Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that $230 million can be misplaced in municipal tax income in the course of the first full fiscal yr of implementation.
Meanwhile, Alabama will provide tax credit to companies that assist staff with little one care prices.
Kansas is eliminating its 2% gross sales tax on groceries. He can also be reducing particular person revenue taxes by reducing the highest tax charge, growing a credit score for little one care bills and exempting all Social Security revenue from taxes, amongst different issues. Taxpayers are anticipated to save lots of roughly $320 million yearly sooner or later.
Voting rights
An Oklahoma legislation extends voting privileges to individuals who had been convicted of felonies however whose sentences had been acquitted or commuted, together with commutations for felonies that had been reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, an Oklahoma City Democrat, introduced the invoice to the Senate.
“I feel it is essential that individuals who have gone via trials and tribulations of their lives have a system that brings them again and permits them to take part as contributing residents,” Young stated.
Associated Press writers Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Summer Ball in Jefferson City, Missouri; Gabriel Sandoval in Phoenix; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and Sean Murphy of Oklahoma City contributed.
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