Two dozen new state laws take effect

Two dozen new Louisiana laws took effect as the new year begins.

Among the provisions that started on January 1, convictions of serious felony crimes will require unanimous jury verdicts. Louisiana and Oregon were the only states that allowed accused criminals to be sentenced to life in prison with a hung jury.

Lawmakers also instituted new sexual harassment guidelines for state agencies that go into effect on Jan. 1. The bill, authored by Rep. Barbara Carpenter, D-Baton Rouge, requires state agencies to provide an hour of sexual harassment training to each employee.

It also requires agencies to report their training to the legislature, and the bill sets guidelines for how to handle accusations of sexual harassment.

“Granny cams” could show up in nursing home rooms for family members to monitor their loved ones, and government agencies must have anti-sexual harassment policies.

Boat registration fees are growing by $9. The student identification cards issued by Louisiana’s public four-year universities must contain the information needed to be a valid voter ID card. And breast cancer screening mandates for health insurance companies are changing.

Lawmakers approved most of the provisions during their 2018 regular legislative session. The unanimous jury law won voter support in the November election after lawmakers placed the constitutional change on the ballot.

This article originally published in the January 7, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.