More than 120 new laws passed by the Georgia General Assembly will officially take effect Wednesday, July 1, bringing a wide range of changes that will impact consumers, public safety, agriculture, criminal justice, financial institutions, and businesses across the state.

One of the most significant measures is a new law aimed at protecting older adults and other vulnerable Georgians from financial exploitation. Under the legislation, banks and credit unions will have greater authority to temporarily delay suspicious financial transactions when they have reason to believe a customer is the victim of fraud or financial abuse. The law is intended to give families and law enforcement additional time to intervene before money is permanently lost.

Georgia is also implementing new regulations for cryptocurrency kiosks, commonly known as Bitcoin ATMs. The law requires stronger fraud warnings, limits certain transactions, and places restrictions on fees in an effort to reduce scams that have increasingly targeted seniors and other vulnerable residents.

Several public safety measures also take effect Wednesday, including stronger penalties for certain human trafficking crimes and a new 15-year statute of limitations for civil actions involving alleged childhood sexual abuse by members of the clergy. Other new laws address issues ranging from delivery robots operating on sidewalks to updates in Georgia’s bingo regulations and changes affecting the management and hunting of feral hogs.

Most legislation approved during this year’s General Assembly becomes effective on July 1 because it marks the beginning of Georgia’s new fiscal year. While some bills took effect immediately after being signed by Governor Brian Kemp or have future effective dates, the majority of new state laws will officially become law on Wednesday.

State officials encourage Georgians to familiarize themselves with the new laws, particularly those affecting consumer protection, financial transactions, and public safety.