WPBN: On January 1, Colorado will implement a number of new legislation ranging from minimum wage to car seats. Here are a few of the new laws that will take effect on January 1, 2025.
Driving while using a cell phone
Drivers in Colorado who are caught using their phones while driving will be subject to citations from law enforcement. Officers can only issue a ticket for a secondary crime, such as running a red light, speeding, or reckless driving, if the offender is holding their phone while committing a primary traffic infraction.
A first offense carries a $75 fine, while a third offense carries a $250 fine. Additionally, the driver’s license will lose points. Hands-free use will still be permitted by law. First responders and crises are exempt from the statute.
During the 2024 legislative session, SB24-065, the new law, was passed.
Car seats for children
By adding new standards for the usage of car seats and booster seats, HB24-1055 amends Colorado’s kid passenger safety law.
The following are the modifications made by the new law:
- Expands the age at which children must utilize a child restraint system from under the age of eight to six.
- Children that need to be restrained in a rear-facing child restraint system in a rear seat are older (from under one year old to under two years old) and heavier (from under twenty pounds to under forty pounds).
- Mandates that toddlers under two who weigh more than forty pounds be secured in a forward-facing or rear-facing restraint system.
- The age at which children must be restrained in a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint system in a rear seat, if one is available, is raised from one year or older to two years or older but under four years old, depending on the child’s weight.
- Requires children who weigh at least 40 pounds and are at least 4 years old but under 9 years old to use a booster seat or child restraint system; if one is available, it must be placed in the back seat.
- Raises the minimum age of 16 to 18 years old for children to be secured in a safety belt or child restraint arrangement.
According to HB24-1348, a firearm must be kept in a secured, hard-sided container that is out of sight in order to be left in an unattended car. The container’s vehicle needs to be locked. If it’s in the trunk, both the trunk and the car need to be locked.
Additionally, unless the firearm is kept in a closed hard-sided or soft-sided container, the law forbids leaving a non-handgun in an unattended vehicle.
The container’s vehicle needs to be locked. If it’s in the trunk, both the trunk and the car need to be locked. The firearm must have a locking mechanism installed if it is kept in a soft-sided container.
Antique firearms, firearms used in farm or ranch vehicles, individuals who live in their cars, law enforcement and military personnel, and specific hunting-related activities are exempt.
It is a civil offense to keep a firearm in a car in an unsafe manner.
Changes Ahead: New Laws That Took Effect in North Carolina on Dec. 1, 2024
Eggs without cages
The 2020 law HB20-1343 establishes guidelines for the confinement of chickens that lay eggs that are sold.
Hens must be housed in a cage-free environment by January 1, 2025, according to the law. Additionally, it establishes requirements for the amount of space each hen must have and forbids companies from selling eggs or egg products made from hens kept in conditions that don’t adhere to these requirements.
Farms with fewer than 3,000 egg-laying hens and companies who sell fewer than a specific quantity of eggs each week are exempt. For each infraction, the agriculture commissioner may levy a civil fine of up to $1,000.
The minimum wage
The minimum wage in the state will rise from $14.42 to $14.81 per hour. For tipped workers, the minimum wage will rise from $11.40 to $11.79 per hour. Higher minimum salaries are up to the individual counties and towns.
The state constitution requires an annual adjustment for inflation, which is the cause of the increase.
