SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Several new Georgia laws are taking effect July 1, impacting health care, finances, education and many more.
Here is a list of the most relevant new laws going into effect tomorrow that you should know:
Finances
HB111 | Income tax cut: Georgia’s flat income tax will drop slightly from 5.39% to 5.19% which plans to bring the rate down to under 5%.
HB136 | Child tax credit: The child and dependent care tax credit will include a new $250 credit for each child under 6 years old.
SB55 | Dignity and pay act: Will end a loophole that allowed employers pay less than minimum wage to workers with disabilities.
Education
HB371 | Quality basic education act: Raises $75 thousand dollars in funding to improve quality of education.
SB1 | Riley Gaines Act: This legislation prohibits transgender athletes from taking part in sports at middle school, high school, and college levels within the state. The law is named after Riley Gaines, an activist who, after sharing a fifth-place finish with a transgender woman in a collegiate swimming event, advocated for such regulations across the country.
SB17 | Ricky and Alyssa’s law: Panic buttons in public K-12 schools will be mandatory.
HB340 | Distraction-free education act: Personal electronic devices will be banned for elementary and middle school students.
SB123 | No expulsion for missing school: Students cannot be expulsed from school for being absent too much.
Health
HB428 | IVF Protections: Makes in vitro fertilization a right, ensuring its accessibility in the state.
SB6 | Fentanyl Test Strips: The new law imposes stricter sentences for individuals found guilty of Fentanyl trafficking. Additionally, possessing Fentanyl test strips will no longer be against the law.
HB352 | Gestational Diabetes Care: Health insurers must better cover diabetes treatment for pregnant women.
SB241 | Organic Human Composing: This eco-friendly burial option will allow deceased Georgians to have their remains composted or mulched into soil.
Animals and Hunting
HB177 | Animal Protection: Will protect household pets in both family violence and dating violence protective orders.
HB331 | Ban on Roadside Pet Sales: It will no longer be permissible to sell pets from vehicles or at gas stations. Only sellers with the proper licenses will be authorized to conduct pet sales.
HB167 | Pink Hunting Gear: Fluorescent pink hunting gear is now a legal alternative to orange deer hunting gear.
