Printer-friendly version
By Miriam Raftery
January 1, 2013 (Sacramento)--A flurry of new laws are slated to take effect in California in the New Year. Here are a few of the new laws that could affect you, your family, or your business:
Minimum wage workers will get a raise in pay starting July 1st, when the minimum wage will rise by a dollar in California, from $8 to $9 an hour, under Asssembly Bill 10.
If you’re looking for a job, AB 556 makes itillegal for an employer to discriminate against you based on your military or veterans’ status, under the Fair Employment and Housing Act in California.
If you’re a victim of stalking, your employer cannot fire you or discriminate you if you take time off to appear in court on any proceeding related to the stalking issues. Similar protections are already in place for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Your employer must also make reasonable efforts to protect your safety, such as consideration transfer, changing your schedule, assigning a new phone number, or providing locks, under Senate ill 400.
If you’re a victim of a crime or a witness to a crime, it’s now illegal for your employer to fire you, discriminate or retaliate against you for taking time off work to appear in court under Senate Bill 288. Hhowever your employer can ask for proof such as a police report.
Current law allows workers up to six weeks of paid family leave time to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, domestic partner or parent, or to bond with a newborn or newly adopted child. That law is being expanded effective July 1st under SB 770 to also include caring for a seriously ill brother or sister, grandparent, grandchild, or parent-in-law.
Employers can have their business license revoked or suspended if they retaliate against employees or others on the basis of citizenship or immigration status – and they could be fined up to $10,000 per violation, per SB 666.
Patients can now access physical therapy treatment directly, without a referral, under AB 1000. Therapy for patients who initiate their own services will be limited to no more than 12 visits, or 45 calendar days, whichever is less. The law also requires a physical therapist to refer the patient to another medical provider if the patient’s condition requires treatment or services beyond the therapists’ scope of practice or if the patient is not improving.
You won’t have to worry about running up millions of dollars in medical bills any more. SB 639 conforms California law to the Affordable Care Act requirements. Any policy that becomes effective or renews on January 1, 2014 or later must limit your annual deductibles to $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families – and your yearly out of pocket total costs will be limited to $6,500 for individuals or $12,700 for families in most circumstances.
If you’re a minor, you can now get photos or text that you posted online removed, thanks to SB 568. So if you don’t want your would-be employers to see those wild photos taken during youthful indiscretions, better ask to have them taken down before you turn 18. The new law also prohibits online and mobile application owners from marketing certain products or services to minors.
If you threaten to report the immigration status of a person or their family member, you could now be charged with extortion under AB 524.
If you’re a transgender student, AB 1266 allows you to choose which restroom to use and whether to participate in boys’ or girls’ sports at any public school in California.
Motorists, be aware that starting July 1, another new law requires drivers to allow at least three feet when passing a bicyclist –though there are exceptions if conditions are too dangerous.
Smokers can no longer light up at any University of California campuses, since effective January 1st, the UC system has banned all tobacco products including e-cigarettes.
The California State University system will consider a similar ban on its campuses this spring.
Recent comments