New CT laws taking effect July 1

article

The state Capitol building in Hartford, Connecticut. (Mark Mirko/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The state of Connecticut has officially rolled out dozens of new laws taking effect on Monday, July 1.

These include requirements for hairdressers, restrictions for social media companies, changes for kindergarten enrollment and more:

Hairstylist textured hair requirements

The new act will "require the education and training of barbers, hairdressers and cosmeticians to include working with textured hair."

According to the nonprofit Professional Beauty Association, "textured" hair has various curl, coils and wave patterns, and the new law embraces "the diversity of those in the professional beauty industry as well as the clients they serve."

New York and Louisiana also signed this requirement into law.

Illegally passing a school bus

The new act cracks down on drivers who illegally pass a school bus. It allows municipalities to use surveillance technology to track down offenders.

First-time offenders can be fined up to $450, and subsequent offenses will cost motorists between $500 and $1,000.

Entry age for kindergarten students

Effective for the 2024-2025 school year, children must turn five years old on or before Sept. 1 to be automatically eligible for kindergarten. This is a change from the previous cut-off date of Jan. 1.

The state allows a few exceptions to this change. More information can be found here.

Minors on social media

"Social media platforms must remove a minor’s account upon request and stop processing their personal data, with some exceptions, starting July 1, 2024," Bloomberg reports.

THC-infused beverage restrictions

As of July 1, 2024, only licensed cannabis retail establishments can sell THC-infused beverages. Many of these beverages might be displayed as "hemp-derived," Delta-8, Delta-9, Delta-10, THCA or HHC.

The law also restricts the sale of THC-infused beverages to those 201 and older.

Lawmakers say this new law "ensures greater consumer protections."