What’s changing in 2025? New laws on eggs, firearms, and gym memberships
As we step into 2025, changes in federal policies are expected as President-elect Donald Trump begins his term.
With a significant election year ahead, many states have pushed ahead with their own legislative processes, enacting laws that address a variety of issues, from the sale of eggs to penalties for serious thefts, like smash-and-grab crimes.
Gun violence prevention advocates are celebrating the introduction of new laws designed to inform consumers about gun ownership risks and promote safe gun storage practices. At the same time, various new laws are being implemented to impose stricter punishments, indicating a trend away from recent criminal justice reforms.
Here’s a summary of notable laws that will take effect on January 1, 2025:
New Firearm Regulations
- California: Introduced a series of laws enhancing gun safety, including a requirement for retailers to provide pamphlets on firearm ownership’s hazards. Additionally, hate-based threats will now be considered when seeking gun violence restraining orders.
- Colorado: From January 1, any handgun left in an unoccupied vehicle must be secured in a locked hard-sided case and kept out of plain sight. The vehicle itself must also be locked, with some exceptions. Furthermore, by July, the state will mandate an eight-hour training course for those applying for concealed carry permits.
- New Hampshire: New legislation is reinforcing gun rights, emphasizing privacy protections by banning specific merchant codes used in transactions. This law also prohibits employers from restricting employees from keeping guns stored in their locked vehicles, effective January 1.
Diverse Approaches to Public Safety Amid Falling Crime Rates
- California: A new law will enforce stricter penalties for large-scale “smash-and-grab” retail thefts.
- New Hampshire: Adjustments in bail reform will lead to longer detentions for certain crime suspects, with most provisions becoming active January 1.
- Washington: New penalties for negligent driving resulting in fatalities will be introduced.
- In Illinois: Police will now receive autism awareness training, and the Adult Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board must include two participants from the program, along with a simplified process for juveniles seeking to clear their criminal histories.
- In Missouri: A renewal of a law focused on criminal expungement will broaden the scope, allowing individuals to seek more expungements.
New Social Media Restrictions for Minors in Florida
A controversial law set to take effect in Florida will prohibit anyone under 14 from having a social media account. This law replaces a previous one vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who advocated for increased parental involvement.
Social media platforms will be mandated to remove accounts suspected to belong to minors under 14, with account holders given 90 days to appeal this. In cases of accounts belonging to 14 or 15-year-olds, the platforms will allow a 90-day window for a parent or guardian to provide approval.
The law implements significant fines and civil liabilities for social media platforms that knowingly violate these regulations. However, the portions regarding social media have already faced legal challenges on First Amendment grounds. The Attorney General’s office recently announced that enforcement against major social media platforms will be paused until a court ruling on a preliminary injunction is made, with a hearing anticipated in late February.
This legislation also requires any websites displaying “harmful materials for minors,” like explicit content, to implement age verification to prevent access for anyone under 18. Non-compliance will attract substantial fines, with this requirement set to be enforced from January 1.
Tennessee has a similar law set to go into effect on January 1.
Focus on Eggs, Gym Memberships, and Pets in New Laws
Illinois is implementing a law to simplify the process for residents.
Individuals in the state can now cancel their gym memberships more easily, following the approval of House Bill 4911 over the summer. This new law permits cancellation via email or the gym’s website.
Pennsylvania is joining over 35 states that are working to safeguard pets involved in domestic violence by allowing judges to prohibit a defendant from owning, injuring, or mistreating the victim’s animal. This legislation will become effective on January 17, 2025.
Effective January 1, all eggs sold in Colorado must originate from cage-free farms. This requirement was established by legislation passed in 2020, motivated by pressure from an animal rights organization that threatened to introduce a ballot initiative if lawmakers did not act. Additionally, egg producers in Colorado with more than 3,000 hens must also adhere to the cage-free standards.
Voters in Nevada have approved two ballot measures aimed at modifying the language in the Nevada Constitution. The revisions will change outdated terminology for individuals with disabilities, updating “insane” to “persons with significant mental illness,” “blind” to “persons who are blind or visually impaired,” and “deaf and dumb” to “persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.” The legislation also abolishes the language that formerly permitted slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal sanctions.
