Approximately 100 new laws are poised to take effect in the State of Connecticut today. The new collection includes a temporary moratorium on the storage and disposal of fracking waste, new requirements and Superior Court procedures related to the appointment of guardians ad litem and counsel for minors “in family relations and other matters,” and new limits on information concerning probation officers under the Freedom of Information Act.

In addition, the revised state budget takes effect today.

Also effective July 1, the State Board of Education will be required to begin developing a new concussion education plan. Local school boards will be prohibited from allowing student athletes to participate in intramural or interscholastic sports until the athlete and their parents learn about the new concussion plan.

Another new act requires public and private higher education institutions, including for-profit institutions licensed to operate in Connecticut, to provide uniform financial aid information to each admitted prospective student.

While school buses and other vehicles transporting students must still display a Carrying School Children sign when it is carrying children to and from school or activities, a new act allows those signs to be removed or covered when the vehicles are not being used for such purposes. The removal or covering of the signs is now allowed, but not required.

New legislation creating the CHET Baby Scholars program becomes law. The program, which was part of the new state budget, offers new parents up to $250 for investing in a tax-free college savings account.

Another new law that takes effect requires Connecticut colleges and universities to adopt new policies for handling sexual assaults.

The Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner can now enter into a Registration Consent Agreement with a motor vehicle owner whose registration was suspended for failing to carry proper insurance if the owner (a) does not contest the determination; (b) shows they have obtained insurance; and (c) pays a $200 penalty. The new agreement requires that, unless the owner of a vehicle does not maintain insurance, DMV will not suspend the registration or rescind a registration it has suspended.

Also in auto notes, dealer and repairer surety bonds have new restrictions, and dealer or repairer licenses can be denied renewal due to delinquent sales taxes. The requirements for driving instructors have been loosened, but there are new requirements for police officers and garages when it comes to towing vehicles from private property. 

A vehicle owner whose vehicle is in the custody of a person or institution who holds a lien on it has a new option to dissolve the lien if the vehicle owner substitutes a surety bond for the vehicle. 

New Legislation effective dates are typically January 1, July 1 and October 1.

To view a list of all of the state’s new laws and summaries of each, click here.

(Associated Press content was used in this story.)