New Year's Day will usher in the start of 2017 as well as the adoption of several new laws passed during the last session of the General Assembly.

Twenty-nine laws will go into effect, covering issues from oversize loads on roads to the licensing of mobile barber shops.

Among the new legislation, there are a few tweaks to state handgun laws.

Cost for a lifetime carry permit will decrease from $500 to the regular fee plus $200, which currently would total $300.

Fees on lifetime permits for retired law enforcement officers are also lowered.

For active duty, retired, or honorably discharged military, the handgun carry permit age is reduced from 21 to 18 years of age.

After the start of the year, Tennessee students will be taking a civics test at some point during their high school years.

School districts will pull between 25 and 50 questions from the 100 question civics test required of immigrants seeking citizenship.

Students must score better than 70 percent to pass, and students will be able to take the test as often as needed to pass.

The bill was initially written that students would take the entire 100 question test and that passing would be a requirement for graduating with a regular diploma.

An amendment did away with requirement to pass the exam in order to graduate, but all students will be encouraged to take the exam, regardless.

The statute concerning utility vehicles, classed by the state as medium speed vehicles that are normally used off road, driving on county roads has also been adjusted.

Classes of vehicles are better defined, required safety equipment has been updated, and the new measure does not cap speed at 35 miles per hour.

Persons convicted of vehicular homicide involving drug or alcohol intoxication will no longer be eligible for probation and robbery of pharmacies in order to obtain drugs will now be included in the list of enhancing factors considered when sentencing the convicted.