BATON ROUGE — Several new laws affecting a wide array of issues in Louisiana—including unemployment, THC regulations, and tax law—will take effect on Jan. 1.More than two dozen bills passed by state lawmakers in regular and special sessions will become effective on New Year's Day.Here are some of the laws and how they will affect residents—Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law: Act 75 updates the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law to create regional notification centers, among other changes. Child Support: This law, Act 86, details an updated schedule for basic child support obligations, detailing how much a non-custodial parent must pay a custodial parent for a child’s needs based on income and number of children. Another law, Act 770, also details child support guidelines and the schedule for calculating payments, as well as providing support for adult disabled children. Seafood Safety: This law, Act 148, allows the state agriculture commissioner to prohibit misleading packaging and marketing of seafood products. The new law specifically requires restaurants, seafood markets and grocers that sell cooked or prepared crawfish or shrimp from outside of the U.S. to display a disclaimer about that fact.Planned Communities Act: Act 158 revises regulations for newly formed homeowners associations, requiring that they file with the Secretary of State, among other changes like requiring any changes to be made by a supermajority of the entire HOA. Veterans' Insurance Rates: This law, Act 173, will extend the state's 25% premium discount on car insurance policies for active duty military personnel to military reservists, retired military and some veterans.Homeowner's Policy Grace Period: Act 175 implements a grace period of up to 60 days for the payment of a semi-annual or annual insurance premium for homeowners' insurance upon the insurer's receipt of a request from a surviving spouse. Noncompetition Clauses: Act 273 will restrict "noncompete" agreements for physicians. The law says that physician contracts can only contain the so-called noncompete clauses for up to five years depending on doctors' specialties. Hospitals could previously put noncompete clauses into contracts for as long as they wished.Financial Disclosure Statements for Officials: This new law, Act 282, outlines requirements for annual financial disclosure statements that must be made by certain elected officials, including detailing the regulations behind the purchase or sale of immovable property, investments and mutual funds.Dental Healthcare Transparency: This law, Act 357, outlines new regulations dental healthcare providers must abide by to maintain transparency in their expenditures for plan premiums. This includes the filing of annual reports. Locksmithing Licensing: This law, Act 385, creates an avenue for and details the practice of locksmith licensing, including detailing license and renewal fees.Downsizing Unemployment Benefits: This new law, Act 412, limits the state’s unemployment benefits further than they already are, lowering the amount of maximum benefits from 26 to 20 weeks. The law also creates a scale based on the time a jobless person can get benefits based on the unemployment rate, meaning that the most an unemployed person can get if the rate is below 5% is 12 weeks of benefits. The maximum can only be procured if the unemployment rate is greater or equal to 8.5%. Another law, Act 553, outlines criminal penalties for accepting overpayment of unemployment benefits. This takes effect Dec. 31.Voter Registration: Act 500 requires that Louisiana voters provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote. Documentation will be determined by the Secretary of State’s office.Adoption: Act 515 is the Adoption Awareness Act and provides guidelines and protections for adopted children and their “birth parent”. It also provides support for “birth parents”, adoptive parents and adopted children.Occupational Safety: Act 516 repeals the Occupational Licensing and Review Commission. This removes the requirements of the commission to provide supervision to licensing boards.Special ID Cards for Children: Any Louisiana resident may obtain a state-issued ID when Act 563 takes effect. If the applicant is 17 years old, the signature of a parent or guardian is not required. If the applicant 14 to 16 years old a parent or guardian may sign provided the parent or guardian has the necessary identifying documents.Bachelor's Degree Requirement for State Agency Work: Act 556 prohibits the requirement of a baccalaureate degree for employment with a state agency. No state agency shall require more than three years of relevant experience. Provides educational criteria for state employees.Campaign Finance: Act 664 makes revisions to the Campaign Finance Act.Medical Marijuana: Act 693 regulates to the medical marijuana industry and retailers permitted to sell marijuana. New regulations provided for licensing, inventory and permit renewals. The law also raises the age to purchase hemp-THC products from 18 to 21. Bans the sale of hemp products at gas stations. Will change serving sizes for consumable hemp-derived THC products, including seltzers and gummies.Electronic Monitoring: The Administration of Criminal Justice and Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement shall develop written policies and procedures for the use of electronic monitoring under Act 746.Permalink| Comments