A New Year Brings New Laws

It's 2009: You Cannot Text While Driving In Calif., Smoke In An Oregon Bar, Or Pee In Public In N.H.

(CBS/AP)  A New Year brings new laws across the United States.

Some new laws are prompted by how we use technology. For example, in California it's now illegal to read-or-write text messages while driving.

Some people support the new law:

"Texting is more dangerous than talking on the phone," one person told CBS News correspondent Dan Raviv, saying that texters are "not even looking at the road!"

California also has a law against "school bullying" done by the Internet.

A new law going into effect in Arkansas (which was approved by voters in November) bans unmarried couples from adopting children or becoming a becoming a foster parent.

Many supporters of Act One argued that children shouldn't be raised by an unmarried couple, although critics suggested the law was geared primarily toward homosexuals who sought to become foster or adoptive parents.

One Fayetteville couple, Anne Shelley and Dr. Robin Ross, said the new law means their adopted four-year old daughter, a Vietnamese orphan named Eva Mae, will grow up an only child, something they say isn't right.

Shelley said this new law will mean an even greater shortage of homes for needy children.

According to the Department of Human Services, one-third of the 1,100 foster homes in the state are headed by single people.

Oregon joins California, Washington and other states that ban smoking in bars. And if smokers going through withdrawal wanted to dine out on some polyunsaturated fats instead, Oregon blocked that too, with a ban on restaurant foods with trans-fats.

In Illinois, outdoor fitness facilities will be required to have defibrillators. The law was named after Northwestern University football player Rashidi Wheeler, who collapsed and died during a 2001 practice. An investigation found that a defibrillator would have saved him.

Also beginning Thursday, eating disorders will be legally considered "serious mental illnesses" in Illinois, allowing people with the conditions to obtain insurance coverage. The state legislature overruled Gov. Rod Blagojevich's amendatory veto of the legislation to approve the bill in September.

One law not named after Gov. Blagojevich (but wags suggest it might have been) is a prohibition against contractors with $50,000 or more in state contracts from contributing to the officeholder who oversees the deal.

Legislators made no secret that it was aimed at alleged "pay-to-play" practices in Blagojevich's administration, some of which prosecutors were scrutinizing for years before the latest allegations.

Other new Illinois laws include barring employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of genetic testing; further restricting the movements of sexual offenders and preventing them from working as election judges; increasing penalties for people found guilty of possessing child pornography; and extending the time victims may report sexual assault to three years.

In Florida, a handful of new laws include one that gives hospital patients improved consumer protection. It requires hospitals and health care facilities to give patients a good-faith estimate of anticipated charges for planned procedures if requested. They must also post notices in reception areas advising patients how they can get information on charity and discount policies.

Another new measure requires the Agency for Health Care Administration to compile data on the non-discounted costs of some 150 common procedures and diagnostic treatments for comparison purposes.

Another is designed to get better dental service for poor and rural areas.

In Oklahoma only "fire-safe" cigarettes designed to prevent fires will be sold in the state beginning today.

In Georgia, new tax laws will eliminate the state and local taxes for insurance carriers that offer high-deductible health plans. Critics argue that the new law will do little to reduce the ranks of the state's uninsured, but insurers are expected to save up to $146 million over the next five years.

In West Virginia, the business franchise tax and the corporate net income tax rates are both being lowered. Businesses can also get tax credits for creating jobs that are full-time, pay at least $32,000 a year and offer health benefits.

In New York two dozen new laws take effect Thursday. A utility law allows more residents and farmers to send surplus energy produced by wind, solar or other onsite power generating systems to utilities for sale to other customers. If a customer sends more power than they use in a year, the utility pays them for the balance.

Another measure restricts the use of certain anabolic steroids on thoroughbred and harness racing horses. The law restricts the use of four steroids (stanozolol, boldenone, nandrolone and Testosterone) approved by the federal government for therapeutic use on animals. The state law allows using only one of the steroids - often used to help an animal heal from injury - at any one time. The permissible level of each steroid was also reduced.

Among the other new laws: Registration for the state's organ and tissue donor registry will be included on voter enrollment forms.

And in New Hampshire, peeing in public has become costly. The new law makes public urination or defecation a violation punishable by up to a $1,000 fine.

To be guilty, the person would have to know the act would affront or alarm someone else.

The legislation was meant to correct a gap in current law in which public urination was sometimes prosecuted under indecent exposure laws, which could land urinators on a sex offender registry.

[grammawhamma]

As far as smoking, it is not fair that I have to breathe it when I am in my car because the car ahead of me has a driver who smokes...
Posted by roystoll2 at 12:46 PM : Jan 02, 2009

Oh please!!! And you''re not worried at all about the deadly car exhaust...just that nasty second hand smoke? Give me a break!

[displeased]

America, land of the can''''t do a ******* thing without there being a law and fine for it. "Be proud of the freedoms you have here, you don''''t get them in other countries.-Sarcasm-"
Posted by lochlan

If folks would exercise some common sense and consideration, we wouldn''t need these silly laws.

[lochlan-2009]

roystoll2

You are the problem with this country. Everything is about you, isn''t it? I don''t want to have to listen to your pathetic legislation, and whining about someone else enoying a cigarette. It encroaches on my civil liberties and the pleasure of the smokers, and irritates the shat out of me. But we haven''t made your *******'' illegal, yet. People like you feel that everyone should go out of their way to stop doing what you don''t want them to be doing because you don''t like it, and that they should go out of their way to do what you want them to, because of whatever fairytale you come up with in your head on why they should be doing it. You picked the wrong country to live in if you want laws against other peoples rights. STOP TELLING OTHERS HOW TO LIVE YOUR WAY!!!!

[sly_64]

You are definatley more free in certain states than others. I grew up in NJ, and I''m glad I escaped. While living there, you are subject to the laws that the mob creates and corrupt politicians create.
I live in Florida now, and it is much better, aside from just the weather.

[roystoll2]

As far as smoking, it is not fair that I have to breathe it when I am in my car because the car ahead of me has a driver who smokes or in a line somewhere. It stinks aside from the health problems. Smoking ages you quicker. If you have a few smokers in a line of ten, you can easily pick them out. Also, I am tired of losing friends or seeing famous people die before their times, because they smoke. Please quit for your own good. It is ruining your health and your youth.

[roystoll2]

What you people do not understand is that YOU are the power in this country but we let irresponsible people who can get the media to bite on their sensationalist causes, run the country, like legalizing pot. Gay marriage is another minority issue. I personally think that most gay people are great folks and they should have ALL of the rights of marriage but not actual marriage. This country is supposed to be the majority rules. We are not supposed to be ruled by the loudest minority. This *** against racial profiling needs to stop. If young black males don''t want attention from the police, stop the crime that causes it. Turn the perpetrators in! Don''t glamorize it.

[rrozsa-2009]

I fail to understand the crazy control. We are going to have to fight back. Someday we''''ll get tired of the powerful and controlling telling us what to do...there will have to be a rebellion. And when that happens count me in.

----------------Posted by CarlyLaine at 05:06 AM : Jan 02, 2009

===============================================

If that day ever comes, you better pray that all guns haven''t long since been taken away from the citizens ''for our own protection''!

[rrozsa-2009]

How about some new laws with stiff penalties for lieing, cheating politicians !


---------Posted by clc811 at 12:39 PM : Jan 01, 2009

==============================================

Because the politicians write the laws! That''s the same reason why politicians are exempted from many laws (including truth in advertising laws, which do NOT apply to campaign promises/advertisements)! In short, the nanny government is set up to tell everyone else what to do or not to do, but the government itself is exempt, since they wrote the laws that way!

[lochlan-2009]

Congratulations Americans and Happy New Year!!!!!!


America, land of the Free, well not so free, well actually you can''t do a ******* thing without there being a law and fine for it.


America, land of the can''t do a ******* thing without there being a law and fine for it. "Be proud of the freedoms you have here, you don''t get them in other countries.-Sarcasm-"

[jt_lancer]

scienceman1 - ''These laws are passed - because so many adults can''t act RESPONSIBLE without being FORCED to do so!''

Really? I am guessing that YOU exclude yourself from the ''irresponsible'' group?

Do you think the govt acts more responsibly? Let''s see... $10 Trillion federal debt, multi-billion dollar taxpayer funded bailout of failing companies, trillions in future debt obligations to entitlement programs, endless foreign wars that are financial unsustainable, etc.

I''ll take an irresponsible individual over a ''responsible'' govt any day.