Hilda E. Santiago

A number of new laws that were passed during the 2024 legislative session went into effect on Tuesday, October 1st.

New laws include increasing safety for home health care aides who are on the front lines of direct contact with clients, giving the elderly population more options for choosing nursing homes and preventing discrimination for those under mental health care.

The internet is a great informational resource, but can also be misused by thieves, bullies, predators, scam artists, and other criminals. To protect privacy, online services will be prohibited from collecting personal data without approval from those under 18, and those 13 years of age and younger only with parental consent.

Animal rights were on the radar with the banning of dog races and gifting of live animals at fairs, and increased penalties for hurting or killing a police dog. Also, the Siberian Husky officially became the state dog on October 1!

Additionally, to help facilitate voting access for eligible voters, we included a question on the ballot in our next election that will allow voters to choose whether to implement a law for no-excuse absentee ballots.  With that in mind, the integrity of our electoral system is central to voter trust and participation in elections and to help safeguard that confidence we extended the time violations of state election laws can be referred to the State Elections Enforcement Commission for investigation.
 
There are several new laws in addition to the above – please click HERE for the full list and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.