Law new refers to an official rule or regulation that has been proposed, debated, and passed by a legislative body such as Congress. The law can be created by a bill, which is the formally introduced legislation, or through a process of research, discussion, changes and voting called a “resolution.” The final result is a Public Law, sometimes referred to as an Act.
New laws that went into effect at midnight to start 2024 include:
A new law helps to decrease the chances of accidental drug overdoses by making it easier for local pharmacies to provide fentanyl and other drug adulterant testing resources. It’s known as Matthew’s Law, and it is named for a man who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2020.
Another new law aims to protect tenants of NYCHA developments. It requires building owners to give residents 30 days notice before installing keyless security devices that grant access to common areas of the building. It also ensures that those contracted to test water quality samples comply with all federal, state and local regulations.
Laws that will make it easier for victims of crime to apply for victim compensation funds are also taking effect this year. In particular, this year’s reforms expand eligibility by removing the requirement that victims have to prove that a crime was committed in order to receive compensation.
Another new law is designed to make it easier for City agencies to provide employees and job applicants with information regarding student loan forgiveness programs. DCWP will now create a template for the notice and distribute it to City employees, which they will be required to provide to job applicants.