New 2025 laws address AI in movies, rapid-fire guns, more

artificial intelligence. miscarriage. Guns. marijuana. Minimum wage.

Name a hot topic, and chances are there will be a new law about it that will take effect in 2025 in one state or another.

Many of the laws launched in January are the result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges.

Here’s a look at some of the most notable state laws that have gone into effect:

Hollywood stars and child influencers

California, home to Hollywood and some of the biggest technology companies, is seeking to rein in the AI ​​industry and set some standards around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent digital replicas of Hollywood actors and performers from being used without permission, and allow the heirs of deceased performers to sue for unauthorized use of artificial intelligence.

Parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to allocate some of the profits to micro-influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for not doing so.

Limits of social media

New social media restrictions in several states are facing challenges in court.

Florida law prohibits children under the age of 14 from creating social media accounts, and requires parental consent for those between 14 and 15 years old. But implementation is being delayed by a lawsuit filed by two Internet company associations, and a hearing is scheduled for late February.

Tennessee’s new law also requires parental consent for minors to open social media accounts. NetChoice, an industry group for Internet businesses, is challenging the law. Another new state law requires porn sites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old. But the Free Speech Alliance, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, presented a challenge.

Several new measures in California aimed at combating political deepfakes are also facing a challenge, including one that would require large social media platforms to remove deceptive election-related content and another that would allow any individual to sue for damages over the use of artificial intelligence to create images. Or fabricated videos on politics. advertisements.

School rules regarding gender

In a national first, California will begin enforcing a law prohibiting school districts from adopting policies that require employees to notify parents if their children change their gender identity. The law was a priority for Democratic lawmakers who wanted to stop such policies passed by several districts.

Abortion coverage

Many states have passed laws limiting or protecting abortion rights since the US Supreme Court struck down the right to the procedure nationwide in 2022. One of the most recent is the Democratic-led state of Delaware. The law there would require that the state’s employee health plan and Medicaid plans for low-income residents cover abortions without any deductible, copayments or other cost-sharing requirements.

Gun control

A new Minnesota law bans the use of “double-trigger” weapons that allow for faster firing, causing the weapon to fire one shot when the trigger is pulled and another when it is fired.

In Delaware, the law adds colleges and universities to the list of school districts where weapons are prohibited, with exceptions for those acting in their official capacity such as law officers and commissioned security guards.

Medical marijuana

Kentucky has become the latest state to allow people to use marijuana for medical purposes. To apply for a state medical cannabis card, people must obtain written certification from a medical provider for a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea, or PTSD. Nearly four-fifths of US states have legalized medical marijuana.

Minimum wage

Minimum wage workers in more than 20 states are scheduled to get raises in January. The highest minimum wages will be in Washington, California and Connecticut, all of which will exceed $16 an hour after modest increases.

The largest increases are scheduled for Delaware, where the minimum wage will rise by $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, where a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 will add $1.50 to the current minimum of $12 an hour.

Twenty other states still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Safer travel

In Oregon, drug use on public transportation will be considered a misdemeanor offense of interfering with public transportation. As the measure made its way through the Legislature, several transportation officials said drug use on buses and trains, and at transit stations and stops, makes passengers and drivers feel less safe.

In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the past 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cell phone use is illegal. Starting in the new year, the penalties will kick in: a $150 fine for a first offense, progressing to $500 for a third and subsequent offenses, and up to 15 years in prison if a driver using a cellphone causes injury or death. But police must note the underlying violation, such as speeding or crossing lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law.

Montana is the only state that has not banned texting while driving, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Tax exemptions

Renters in Arizona will no longer have to pay a tax on their monthly rent, thanks to the repeal of a law that allowed cities and towns to impose such taxes. While the new law is considered a victory for tenants, it represents a financial loss for governments. An analysis by the nonpartisan Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimates that $230 million in municipal tax revenues would be lost during the first full fiscal year of implementation.

Meanwhile, Alabama will offer tax breaks to businesses that help employees with child care costs.

Kansas is eliminating the 2% sales tax on grocery stores. It also lowers individual income taxes by lowering the top tax rate, increasing the credit for child care expenses and exempting all Social Security income from taxes, among other things. It is expected to save taxpayers about $320 million annually in the future.

Voting rights

Oklahoma law expands voting privileges to people convicted of felonies but whose sentences were commuted or commuted, including commutations for crimes reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, carried the bill in the Senate.

“I think it’s very important for people who have gone through trials and tribulations in their lives that we have a system that brings them back and allows them to participate as contributing citizens,” Young said.