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Nearly 2 dozen new Kentucky laws go into effect July 15

Posted: Jul 14, 2014 5:47 PM EDT


Updated: Jul 14, 2014 5:59 PM EDT


By Joey Brown - email

FRANKFORT, KY (WAVE) - At least 22 new Kentucky laws go into effect on July 15, which means victims of domestic violence will find it easier to obtain concealed carry permits, adult care employers will 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 laws take effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns, with the exception of general appropriation measures and those containing emergency or delayed effective date provisions.

The General Assembly's 2014 session adjourned on April 15, making July 15 the date that most of the laws go into effect.

Topics covered by the new laws include:

•Acupuncture. Senate Bill 29 will require acupuncturists to be licensed.
•Adult protection. SB 98 will create an adult abuse registry to help employers in the adult care profession determine whether a prospective employee has a history of substantiated adult abuse, neglect or exploitation.
•All terrain vehicles. SB 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.
•Boaters. SB 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.
•Bullying. SB 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.
•Child abuse. HB 157 will require more training for doctors on recognizing and preventing abusive head trauma among children.
•Concealed weapons. HB 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.
•Consumer protection. HB 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.
•Diabetes. HB 98 will allow school staff trained by health professionals to assist diabetic students with insulin administration.
* Driver safety. HB 90 will require parents or guardians to make a court appearance when a driver under 18 is cited for a traffic violation.
•Ethics. HB 28 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.
•Health care. SB 7 will broaden the prescribing authority of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.
•Human trafficking. SB 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.
•Invasive plants. SB 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.
•Jobs retention. HB 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.
•Newborn health. SB 47 will require periodic reporting of health statistics relating to drug-addicted or dependent newborns.
•Road plan. HB 237 outlines the state’s $5.2 billion plan for road and bridge projects throughout the state for the next two fiscal years.
•State parks. HB 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.
•Tax zappers. HB 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.
•Veterans. HB 337 will make it easier for veterans with applicable military experience to become licensed as an HVAC professional.
•Voyeurism. SB 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.
•Wineries. SB 213 will allow Sunday alcohol sales at small farm wineries if authorized by a fiscal court vote or a local option election.