New State Laws Take Effect Tomorrow

INDIANAPOLIS -- Friday marks the date on which most of the legislation approved this past session by the General Assembly takes effect. 

Beginning July 1, Hoosiers that aren’t regular customers at a pharmacy will only be able to buy a small amount of cold medicine that contains pseudoephedrine without a prescription. That’s because of a new law aimed at curbing meth production. Regular pharmacy customers will be able to purchase the medicine as usual.

Drivers could see an increase in road maintenance as the state directs more than $500 million to state and local infrastructure maintenance and preservation. Local governments will also have new tax options, including new wheel and excise taxes for some cities and towns.

More than two million Hoosiers will see a decline in the registration fees they pay at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. A fee system overhaul reduced or eliminated 163 different registration fees. Only eight fees will increase -- seven affecting for-hire buses and one for commercial semi-trailers. While the new law's language takes effect July 1, the new fees won't be implemented until January 1.

And the public will now have much greater access to police body camera footage. A new law requires police to prove to a judge why a video should not be released, rather than put the burden of proof on the public or the press.