Here are some of the laws that take effect New Year's Day
BATON ROUGE - Water bills will rise by a few dollars to support safety tests on drinking water, state museums can start hiring police officers and regulations aimed at protecting the elderly from financial abuse are among the Louisiana laws taking effect with the start of the new year.
Nineteen new or revised statutes are slated to hit the books when 2017 begins, passed by state lawmakers during their spring legislative sessions. Many are modest or technical adjustments, but some changes could draw notice from taxpayers.
DRINKING WATER FEES
Customers of Louisiana's community water systems will see their $3.20 annual fee rise to $12 to help cover the Office of Public Health's drinking water inspection program.
Nearly 1.6 million customers, including households and businesses, are expected to pay the higher fees, raising an estimated $13.5 million for the state public health office annually, according to a financial analysis done for lawmakers.
Another $500,000 will be paid to the Louisiana Rural Water Association each year, and a slice of the fee money will go to local government agencies that own the water systems.
Read more: http://www.houmatoday.com/news/20161230/here-are-some-of-laws-that-take-effect-new-years-day-in-la