10:19 AM EDT on Tuesday, July 6, 2004

By LRC eNews

FRANKFORT - New laws approved during the Kentucky General Assembly's 2004 session will go into effect next week.

That means people who illegally park in handicapped spots will pay higher fines. So will drivers who ignore flashing yellow lights and speed through school zones. Shooting animals will no longer be allowed as a routine form of euthanasia at animal shelters. And smoking will be banned in all public parts of the State Capitol.

More than 150 new laws were approved in the General Assembly's 2004 session, which ended April 13. In accordance with the Kentucky Constitution, bills that don't contain emergency clauses or specify an effective date go into effect 90 days after a legislative session ends.

That makes July 13 the effective date for most bills approved in this year's session. New laws going into effect that day include those dealing with the following issues:

Credit card protection. House Bill 7 will allow prosecutors to pursue felony charges against criminals who steal a person's credit information using a "skimming" machine -- a device that can be hooked up between a business's credit card scanner and a phone jack to steal the credit card information traded between the scanner and credit card companies.

Lawsuit protection. HB 48 will provide limited immunity from civil liability to employers who provide accurate job performance information on their past or current employees to another employer.

Fire safety. Senate Bill 63 will ensure college students know whether on-campus housing facilities have fire suppression systems before they make their housing arrangements for the school year. The legislation will require that rental agreements relating to on-campus housing at institutions of postsecondary education disclose whether or not their dorms are equipped with automatic fire suppression systems.

Personal care assistance funding. HB 71 will raise the fines paid by people who illegally park in handicap spots to help fund the state's personal care program for people with two or more useless limbs.

Concealed weapons. SB 83 will permit active duty members of the armed forces who are posted in Kentucky and have been in the state for at least six months to apply for a concealed deadly weapon license.

Student safety. SB 85 will double the fines speeders pay if ticketed in school zones during times when caution lights are flashing and lower speed limits are in effect.

Illegal drugs. SB 86 will make it a felony to traffic in substances intended to defraud alcohol or drugs tests.

Firearms dealers. SB 95 will ensure that firearms dealers are allowed to locate in any area where other businesses are allowed to operate.

Veterans. HB 113 will require local school boards to award high school diplomas to honorably discharged veterans of the Korean War who left school early to join the military. The families of deceased Korean War veterans could obtain diplomas posthumously by providing honorable discharge papers.

Animal shelters. SB 133 will ensure that shooting animals with guns will not be a routine form of euthanasia at animal shelters.

Indecent exposure. SB 145 will increase the punishment for indecent exposure if the crime is committed in front of a child.

Traumatic brain injuries and mental health. HB 157 will increase the service fee paid by drunken drivers from $250 to $325 to raise money for programs that help people with traumatic brain injuries. The legislation also contains provisions that will require that jail inmates be screened for mental illnesses or suicidal tendencies while they are being booked. If the screening indicates signs of mental illness, a 24-hour phone hotline will be available to ensure that mental health professional are available to make recommendations regarding an inmate's care.

Background checks. SB 189 will require a criminal background check on anyone being hired to work in a state psychiatric, mental health and mental retardation long-term care facility. No person found to have been convicted of felony elder abuse, drug abuse, theft or violent crimes will be permitted to be hired.

State fruit. SB 266 will designate the blackberry as the official fruit of Kentucky.

Consumer protection. HB 471 will punish businesses that unfairly raise prices during times of a declared emergency. Price gouging, as it's called, involves huge increases in the price of necessary items such as food, drugs, gasoline, and other emergency supplies, when people need them the most. The law will only be in effect when the governor or president declares a state of emergency or the national threat level reaches the red level.

Smoking limitations. HB 493 will prevent smoking in all public parts of the State Capitol. Smoking is already prohibited in the portions of the Capitol and Capitol Annex controlled by the executive and judicial branches. HB 493 extends smoking limits to the parts of the Capitol controlled by the legislative branch. Though legislative leaders will have the option of designating smoking areas that have their own ventilation systems, smoking will be prohibited in public areas including hallways, stairwells, restrooms, meeting rooms and the Capitol Annex cafeteria.