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Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters; iStock
January 2, 2024 (Sacramento) - Monday marked the day many new California laws went into effect, including the state’s new concealed firearm restrictions that, until Saturday, had been blocked by a federal judge.
The law bans Californians from carrying firearms in various public places such as parks, stadiums and places of worship. It was passed in response to a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that reduced limitations on who can receive concealed carry permits.
- Requires insurance companies to negotiate and settle payments with ambulance companies for out-of-network charges and limits ambulance bills for uninsured people to the Medi-Cal or Medicare rate.
- Establishes a state restitution fund for consumers who fall victim to false advertising.
- Establishes a pilot program in six cities for speeding cameras.
- Lifts a statewide ban on cruising and undoes a ban on modifying vehicles to a certain low height.
- Adds three years to the sentence for dealing more than one kilogram of fentanyl.
- Increases penalties for human sex trafficking of a minor by classifying it as a “serious felony.”
- Establishes “Ebony Alerts” for missing Black youth and women ages 12 to 25.
- Streamlines the process for undocumented college students to apply for state financial aid.
- Expands Medi-Cal to eligible undocumented immigrants of all ages.
- Requires private health insurance plans to cover birth control products for women without prescriptions or co-pays at in-network pharmacies, and bans out-of-pocket costs for vasectomies for men with private insurance.
- Requires nursing homes to offer residents copies of any information that explains reasons for their eviction.
- Makes it easier for religious institutions and non-profit colleges to develop affordable housing.
- Gives developers permission to build denser, taller buildings if they set aside additional units for middle-income earners.
- Makes it easier for courts to slap down “frivolous” environmental lawsuits.
- Increases guaranteed paid sick leave from three days a year to five.
- Bans employers from using hair or urine test results for marijuana in their decisions to fire or penalize workers and bars employers from asking job applicants about prior cannabis use (workers in the construction industry and positions that require federal background checks are not included).
CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters
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