From hate crimes to robots, the most impactful laws in the South in 2021
New year, new laws.
State legislatures faced numerous obstacles and uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, but states still managed to approve laws and policies that will impact citizens from all walks of life.
In Southern states, laws were passed to curb an opioid crisis, combat a teacher shortage, and in one state, determine the rules of the road for robots. Here are some of the most important new laws to know about in 2021.
States across the country passed laws in response to the protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd. In Georgia, legislators passed a bill referred to as the "Police Hate Crimes Bill." Under the law, anyone found to “intimidate, harass or terrorize” a police officer can be charged with "bias motivated intimidation" and imprisoned for one to five years and potentially face a $5,000 fine.
In Mississippi, a new law will allow parole for prisoners who are diagnosed with a terminal illness or face a life expectancy of one year or less. Prisoners who are disabled or cannot take care of themselves could also qualify for parole. The law won't apply to anyone convicted of capital murder.
In North Carolina, those who miss a court date for a criminal case can now only be fined once for failure to appear.
North Carolina seems to be preparing for a robot takeover (or at least robot-delivered takeout). The state passed a law defining the rules of the road for delivery robots, including speed limits, right of way and highway restrictions.
The pandemic exposed gaps in broadband for many states as schools turned to virtual classes. In Mississippi, a new law designates funding to expand broadband access in rural parts of the state.
Facing a teacher shortage, Mississippi changed requirements to become a teacher. College students can now enter a School of Education if they score a 21 on the ACT or have a 3.0 GPA in pre-major coursework. They can also pass the Praxis Core, a teacher certification test. Previously, students needed both a 21 on the ACT and a 2.75 GPA, and many cited the ACT score as a major obstacle.
In North Carolina, schools are now required to adopt and implement mental health training and suicide risk referral protocol. In addition, new teachers hired in the state won't receive state medical coverage when they retire. The law was passed in an effort to curb future costs for the state.
In Tennessee, the "Tennessee Pregnant Workers Fairness Act" now requires workplaces to make accommodations for pregnant employees. Those accommodations could include extra restroom breaks or limits on heavy lifting, according to The Tennessean. Pregnant employees can also file a civil violations complaint against their employer if they don’t adhere to the new law.
In Louisiana, state insurance is now required to cover acupuncture treatments for about 218,000 current and former state employees.
In order to combat South Carolina's opioid crisis, legislators passed a sweeping bill that intends to lower prescriptions of opioids and better track overdoses. The bill requires reporting of any opiate antidote administrations and requires practitioners to review patients’ controlled substance prescription history before issuing a prescription for a Schedule II controlled drug, among other things.