New laws on the books January 1

Below is a list of selected new laws that took effect on January 1, 2013.

BUSINESS

Licensed health care providers will be prohibited from using third parties to solicit business from those who have been in automobile accidents, unless they clearly provide their names and the clinics where they work.

The law will require this information to be disclosed to consumers. Violating the statute could result in license revocation. The law will impact companies that may use unethical business practices, such as promising financial payments to those injured, or using actors posing as law enforcement to attract customers.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

There will be an extension to the number of absent days that child care providers can be reimbursed when children of young mothers still in school miss daycare. Currently, under the child care assistance programs, there is a limit of 10 absent days per fiscal year for which child care providers may be reimbursed.

Included in the omnibus health and human services law, the provision allows children in families who meet specified criteria to exceed the limit upon request of the program and approval of the county. The law specifies that if a child attends the child care program for part of an authorized day, payment to the provider must be for the full amount of care authorized for that day.

INSURANCE

Insurance for portable electronic devices covers the loss or damage to devices such as mobile phones, laptops and iPads. Coverage is typically sold at the place of purchase. Legislations passed in 2010 exempted the counterperson from having to be an independent insurance agent and required a vendor to provide training and keep a list of all locations that sell the insurance.

The law requires that the insurance must be offered and sold separately, not as part of a package deal; allows training for sale of the insurance to be done electronically; requires a mandated disclosure to affirmatively state that upon cancellation of the insurance, the premium will be refunded on a ratable basis to the customer; and allows coverage correspondence notices to be sent by mail or electronically.

PUBLIC SAFETY

All school buses used in the state that are manufactured after January 1 will need to be equipped with a crossing control arm on the front right bumper that automatically expands out whenever the bus is stopped and the flashing red lights are in use. Additionally, adopted national school bus specifications are being updated to use 2010 standards instead of those created in 2005.

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