New laws on police, courts, health kick in July 1

LAW ENFORCEMENT

[...] Georgia was the only state to allow broad privileges for law enforcement facing grand jurors for using deadly force.

Police officers now will have to answer questions if they decide to make a statement before a grand jury.

States can choose to opt out of a federal ban on food assistance for convicted drug offenders.

Lawmakers and groups opposing abortion successfully passed several measures into law this year, including creation of a grant program for "pregnancy resource centers" that offer medical and other services to pregnant women while discouraging them from getting abortions.

A separate measure requires juvenile courts to collect and submit statistics on minors requesting a judge's permission to have an abortion without informing her parents or guardians and judges' responses.

A "Right to Try" law allows people with terminal illnesses to use experimental medical treatments that have completed the first phase of a federal trial and remain under study.

Another law, inspired by former President Jimmy Carter, prevents insurance companies from limiting coverage of drugs for stage four cancer patients.

First-year University of Georgia football coach Kirby Smart told reporters at a spring news conference that while visiting the Capitol this session he was asked about the differences between UGA and other football programs.