New laws taking effect with the new year will affect Hollywood actors, social media stars and chatty motorists. In many states, minimum wage workers will see a pay raise in January. New laws in California will provide protections to actors against unauthorized use of artificial intelligence and require parents to set aside social media earnings generated by children. In Florida and Tennessee, new laws restricting social media use by minors face legal challenges. In Missouri, drivers holding their cellphones could face new fines. Other new laws will restrict certain guns in Minnesota, allow medical marijuana in Kentucky and outlaw drug use on public transit in Oregon.

Artificial intelligence holds the promise of helping countless other students with a range of visual, speech, language and hearing impairments to execute tasks that come easily to others. Schools everywhere have been wrestling with how and where to incorporate AI but many are fast-tracking applications for students with disabilities. Getting the latest technology into the hands of students with disabilities is a priority for the U.S. Education Department, which has told schools they must consider whether students need tools like text-to-speech and alternative communication devices.