Indiana's religious freedom bill among host of new laws

ATLANTA (AP) — Just days after a historic U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, Indiana's religious freedom law took effect Wednesday amid an ongoing national debate over gay rights and religious objections.

Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which sparked protests and boycott threats earlier this year before being quickly revised, is perhaps the most high-profile among a host of bills that become law on Wednesday, the start of the new fiscal year in most states.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Since the Supreme Court's ruling last week on marriage equality, religious conservatives have been focused on preserving their rights.

In Indiana, threats to boycott the state have faded since the Republican-dominated Legislature revised its law to ensure that businesses could not use religion as a legal defense for refusing to provide services, goods, facilities or accommodations.

In Virginia, lawmakers are requiring campus police departments to notify local prosecutors within 48 hours of starting any investigation into possible felony sexual assault.

In California, more than six million workers are expected to benefit from the law, which requires employers to provide at least three paid sick days each year: "The fact that the largest state in the country, the most populous state in the country has enacted a paid sick leave law will show, I'm sure, that this policy is good for workers, good for business and good for the economy," said Vicki Shabo, a vice president of the National Partnership for Women & Families.

A new law in Virginia provides an "affirmative defense" for epilepsy patients who have a doctor's note to use cannabidiol oil, a cannabis derivative, for treatment.