Laws set to take effect Thursday in Louisiana

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Over 200 laws are set to take effect Thursday, August 1, in Louisiana. Here’s a few of them:

NO HARASSING THE REFS

Louisiana lawmakers have made it a crime to harass referees and officials, both verbally and physically. The proposed bill calls for those who commit the crime to pay up to $500 in fines, serve a maximum of 90 days in prison, 40 hours of community service work, and mandatory counseling.

NEW CHILD SAFETY SEAT LAW

Child safety seat laws are changing: The law requires children 2 years old and younger to be restrained in a rear-facing child safety seat until they reach the highest point of either the height or weight limit.

A child who has outgrown the rear facing seat and who is at least 2 years old must be restrained in a forward-facing child safety seat with an internal harness until they reach the height or weight limit.

A child 4 years old or older and who has outgrown the forward-facing safety seats must be restrained by a belt-positioning booster seat secured with a seat belt.

A child 9 years old or older or who has outgrown a booster seat can use the car's adult seat belt if it fits correctly on their body.

If a child can fall into more than one of these categories you should use the “more protective category.”

State Police say to use the Five Step test.

MINIMUM MARRIAGE AGE SET

Another law sets 16 as the minimum age to get married in the state but it requires a judge and parents to sign off on 16 and 17 year old’s wanting to get married.

Louisiana agencies cannot deny or revoke an occupational license when someone falls behind on student loan repayments.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Medical marijuana is now legal in Louisiana and patients can use an inhaler to take the drug. The current law allows patients to consume medical marijuana through oils, edibles and extracts.

In order to legally receive medical marijuana, patients must have “debilitating medical conditions,” such as cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, intractable pain, human immunodeficiency virus, Crohn’s Disease, chronic pain, glaucoma, or PSTD among others.

An anti-hazing law, passed in response to the 2017 alcohol-related death of LSU fraternity pledge Maxwell Gruver, takes effect.

The new provisions aim to get colleges to report allegations more quickly or face a fine of up to $10,000.

ANIMAL SHELTERS

Animal shelters can't take in stray or unwanted animals solely to euthanize them for research facilities or sell animals for research or experimentation.

Women seeking abortions via medication are limited to Louisiana’s three abortion clinics in New Orleans, Shreveport, and Baton Rouge, rather than a gynecologist’s office.

The bill will only take effect if similar bans in other states are upheld by federal judges.

The next legislative session is set to start March 9, 2020.

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