8 New Laws Signed In 2015, And What They Mean For You
Transportation funding
After several short-term patches throughout the year, Congress finally passed a long-term funding bill for the country’s highway and transit spending.
‘Every Student Succeeds’
The Every Student Succeeds Act gave power over education reform back to states and local school districts, effectively reversing the power given to the federal government under No Child Left Behind.
NSA reform
The USA Freedom Act changed the way the federal government collects and monitors phone data, a result of Edward Snowden’s revelations about the National Security Agency’s bulk data collection.
Healthcare reform
The biggest healthcare bill passed since Obamacare changed the way doctors are paid for treating Medicare patients, which officials on both sides said would emphasize quality over quantity.
Microbead-free waters
Those little plastic balls that companies put in their soap, toothpaste and lotion will eventually be no more. The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 bans “the manufacture and introduction into interstate commerce of rinse-off cosmetics containing intentionally-added plastic microbeads.”
Combatting human trafficking
The Justice For Human Trafficking Victims Act created funds for state and local grants to prevent human trafficking and provide funds for victims, which will be paid for by fines from people convicted of trafficking and sexual abuse.
ID cards for veterans
Some military veterans have no way of identifying themselves as such outside of their Department of Defense discharge papers, which they don’t carry around every day to take advantage of discounts and other veteran benefits.
Suicide prevention for veterans
Named after an Iraq and Afghanistan Marine Corps veteran who took his own life in 2011, the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act created a series of Veterans Administration mandates to prevent suicide among U.S. veterans.
Read more here:
http://patch.com/new-hampshire/exeter/s/fir20/8-new-laws-signed-in-2015-...