New state laws go into effect July 15

Includes easier access to concealed weapons for domestic violence victims

By LRC Public Information

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 1, 2014) — New state laws approved during the Kentucky General Assembly‘s 2014 regular session go into effect on July 15.

That means victims of domestic violence who want concealed carry permits for protection will find them easier to obtain. Adult care employers will soon be able to check a new adult abuse registry to see if prospective employees are listed. And some Kentucky nurses will have broader prescription writing authority.

The state constitution specifies that new state laws take effect 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature, except for general appropriation measures and those containing emergency or delayed effective date provisions.

New state laws taking effect July 15 include:

• Senate Bill 29 will require acupuncturists to be licensed.
• Senate Bill 98 will create an adult abuse registry to help employers in the adult care profession determine if a prospective employee has a previous history of substantiated adult abuse, neglect or exploitation.
• House Bill 260 will allow an ATV operator 16 years of age or older to cross a public roadway if the speed limit is 45 miles per hour or less without protective headgear in order to get from one ATV trail to another.
• Senate Bill 66, known as the “Boater Freedom Act,” will require boating enforcement officers to have a reasonable suspicion of violation of the state’s boating laws before boarding and inspecting a boat on Kentucky waterways.
• Senate Bill 20 will designate October as Anti-Bullying Month and a purple and yellow ribbon as the symbol for anti-bullying awareness. The bill was the idea of students at Madison Middle School in Richmond.
• House Bill 157 will require more training for doctors on recognizing and preventing abusive head trauma among children.
• House Bill 128 will allow anyone who has been granted an emergency protective or domestic violence order to receive a provisional concealed carry permit in one business day. The petitioners would undergo the same background checks and application requirements as other applicants but would have up to 45 days to complete the necessary training for a full concealed carry license.
• House Bill 232 requires businesses and other entities to notify consumers if a security breach might have resulted in the unauthorized acquisition of consumers’ personal or financial information.
• House Bill 98 will allow school staff trained by health professionals to assist diabetic students with insulin administration.
• House Bill 90 will require parents or guardians to make a court appearance when a driver under 18 is cited for a traffic violation.
• House Bill will tighten legislative ethics rules to prevent a lobbyist from buying food or drink for an individual legislator. It will also prevent interest groups from paying for lawmakers’ out-of-state travel and prohibits legislators and legislative candidates from accepting campaign contributions during General Assembly sessions from political action committees or organizations that employee lobbyists.
• Senate Bill 7 will broaden the prescribing authority of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.
• Senate Bill 184 will allow a person’s record to be cleared of a non-violent offense if a judge determines the offense resulted from being a victim of human trafficking.
• Senate Bill 170 will update and expand the state’s list of invasive and noxious plants, such as kudzu and poison hemlock, targeted for eradication from roadsides and public right-of-ways.
• House Bill 396 expands eligibility for Kentucky Jobs Retention Act benefits to include manufacturers of appliances. The legislation is expected to help GE invest up to $325 million in its Appliance Park operations in Louisville.
• Senate Bill 47 will require periodic reporting of health statistics relating to drug-addicted or dependent newborns.
• House Bill 237 outlines the state’s $5.2 billion plan for road and bridge projects throughout the state for the next two fiscal years.
• House Bill 475 will allow residents near state park lodges and golf courses in counties where alcohol sales currently aren’t allowed to vote on whether by-the-drink alcohol sales should be allowed at the facilities.
• House Bill 69 would make it a Class D felony to possess a “tax zapper,” a device that could be used on a computerized cash register to help a retailer hide sales subject to tax from tax collectors.
• House Bill 337 will make it easier for veterans with applicable military experience to become licensed as an HVAC professional.
• Senate Bill 225 will update the state’s voyeurism laws to outlaw a practice called “up-skirting” in which a cell phone is used to take pictures underneath a woman’s skirt without her consent.
• Senate Bill 213 will allow Sunday alcohol sales at small farm wineries if authorized by a fiscal court vote or a local option election.