July 1 is the effective date in many states for laws passed during this year's legislative sessions. Some of those laws, by topic, specific to law enforcement:
CRIMiNAL JUSTICE
- Virginia expands eligibility for the death penalty to include those who kill on-duty auxiliary police officers or fire marshals.
- Oklahoma requires public schools to include lessons about the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in their curriculum.
- A new law in Alabama makes human trafficking a crime.
- In New Hampshire, prison inmates would be paroled at least nine months before their maximum sentences end so they can be supervised as they move back into their communities.
- In Kentucky, people who violate domestic violence orders could be required to wear ankle monitors under a law that takes effect July 15. Mississippi is creating a process for first-time, non-violent offenders convicted of certain felonies to expunge their records.
CYBERSPACE
- Motorists in Georgia and Kentucky face fines if caught texting while driving, while laws in those states also bar new drivers from using cell phones.
- New Hampshire adds cyberbullying to its anti-bullying laws by addressing electronic devices, including telephones, cell phones, computers, pagers, e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging and websites.
- Nevada adds bullying and cyberbullying to a list of banned activities in schools.
DRINKING
- Convicted drunken drivers in four California counties — including car-centric Los Angeles — will have to prove they are sober before they can start their vehicles; the test program requires first-time offenders to install ignition interlock devices.
- Indiana residents who want to buy alcohol must show proof of age no matter how old they are. A new Wisconsin law aimed at curbing drunken driving increases mandatory jail time for repeat offenders.
- In North Carolina, meanwhile, liquor distilleries can obtain permits to hold tasting events to promote their products.
GUNS
- People with permits to carry concealed weapons can carry guns into restaurants that serve alcohol in Virginia and New Mexico.
- An Indiana law lets workers keep guns locked in their vehicles while parked on their employers' property.
- In Alaska, Gov. Sean Parnell signed "the Firearms Freedom Act," which exempts firearms, accessories and ammunition made and kept in state from federal gun regulations.
HEALTH
- In Minnesota, minors can no longer get tattoos or pierced genitals, regardless of whether they have a parent's permission.
- Ohio will require insurance plans governed by state law to offer parents the chance to buy coverage for their children up to age 28, going beyond the federal law.
- Mississippi will now require a doctor's prescription for the decongestant pseudoephedrine, an ingredient in methamphetamine.
VETERANS
- Georgia will allow members of the armed services and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to have the diagnosis noted on their driver's license.
- An Ohio law taking effect Friday requires employers to provide two weeks of unpaid leave to the partners or parents of injured active-duty service members.