Various new Vermont laws take effect July 1

Some new laws took effect in Vermont on July 1. Our Cat Viglienzoni has a rundown on a few of the ones that will affect you the most.

There's now a 92 percent tax on e-cigarettes with the goal of stopping teens from vaping. Raising the age to buy tobacco products to 21 won't take effect until this fall though.

It's also the first day of the new DMV inspection manual. You'll now get advisories for some repairs that aren't considered crucial to safety. And if your car is older than 16 years, you won't need to get your emissions checked.

There's a new push to promote economic development. The law expands grants to attract new workers to Vermont from out of state, though the money itself won't be on the table until next year.

Another new law ups the security on birth and death certificates, and specifies who can request those. The goal is to prevent fraud.

Columbus Day is no more. Vermont is now calling the second Monday in October "Indigenous Peoples' Day." Vermont joined a handful of states in renaming the day to honor Native Americans.

Some new help for Vermont's bee populations. There are now some restrictions on pesticides that harm bees and more help for managing Vermont's honeybee hives. The law aims to decrease the overall use of chemicals in the state by directing the Vermont Agency of Agriculture to register as a "restricted use pesticide" any neonicotinoid pesticide labeled as approved for outdoor use that is distributed, sold or offered for sale in the state.

Starting July 1, nonprofits, governments and schools will have to pay a fuel tax. A loophole in the law was closed. That means about $400,000 a year more for the state's low-income weatherization program.

Also going into effect, a change affecting the sale of capital assets and real estate in Vermont. One of the changes relates to capital gains as it relates to personal income taxes. Any gain above $875,000 will be taxed at standard income tax rates. Also, the purchase of a controlling interest in an entity holding title to real property in the state of Vermont will trigger a property transfer tax liability.

And people with arm tattoos can now become Vermont state police officers. They will have to cover them on the job though. Previously, they would not have been considered for trooper jobs.

And stay tuned to WCAX News in the coming days and weeks as we delve into some of these laws in greater detail.