NEW LAWS TAKE EFFECT IN CALIFORNIA

By Miriam Raftery

January 12, 2016 (Sacramento) -- As we ring in the new year, a slew of new laws are taking effect in California that could affect you or your family, school, workplace, or business.  Here are highlights from some of the 808 new laws signed by Governor Jerry Brown:

POLICE

Privacy: The police can’t go through your e-mails, text messages, GPS data or other electronic info without a search warrant, except in emergencies, thanks to SB 178.  In addition, AB 1116 protects you from TV voice recognition features that could secretly record private conversations.

Police use of force:  All law enforcement agencies in California must now collect information on shootings of civilians or police, as well as other use of force incidents that result in serious injury or death, under AB 953, by San Diego Assemblywoman Shirley Weber..  The reports must be filed with the California Department of Justice annually.

Videotaping police:  You are allowed to take video of a police office, under Senate Bill 411.

WORKERS RIGHTS

Wage fairness:  If you’re a woman in the workplace, The Fair Pay Act, SB 358, requires your employer to pay you the same wages as a man doing substantially similar work. The new law also makes it easier to challenge pay disparity and prohibits employers from banning discussion among employees about their pay or their coworkers’ pay for purposes of determining wage fairness.

Family leave:   If you need time off from work to handle a child-care emergency or enroll kids in school or childcare, you can now use family leave under SB 579.  Family leave rules have also been expanded to include step-parents, foster parents and others as well as parents, guardians and grandparents.

Religious and disabilities accommodations:  Your employer can’t retaliate or discriminate against you if you ask for accommodation for your disabilities or religious beliefs,  whether or not the accommodation is actually granted.

Cheerleader pay:  If you’re a cheerleader for a professional sports team, here’s something to cheer about:  A new law by San Diego Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez will require you to be treated as an employee and paid at least minimum wage.

GUNS

Guns and the mentally ill:  If you’re afraid that a family member could hurt themselves or others, you can apply to a court for a gun violence restraining order to limit your relative’s access to firearms for up to one year.  

Guns on campus:  If you have a concealed carry permit, you can’t bring your gun onto school or college campuses in California unless you get permission from campus authorities.

HEALTH

Vaccinations:  Starting in July, if you’re a student in almost any elementary or high school in California, you must get vaccinations unless you have a valid medical reason not to.  Daycare workers must also get vaccinated.

Medical marijuana:  A new state Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation, jokingly known as “BUMMER” is now in charge of licensing the entire medical marijuana supply chain including growing, testing, transportation, distribution and sales under  a package of new laws enacted.

Electronic cigarettes:  If you’re a minor, you can’t buy electronic cigarettes, even if those vaping devices don’t contain tobacco, under AB 2016.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Renewable power:  Senate Bill 350 mandates that California will get 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030.  The new law also doubles energy efficiency requirements for existing buildings.

Oil pipelines: As a result of the Santa Barbara oil pipeline spill, a pair of new bills increase oil pipeline inspections and make oil spill cleanup quicker.

Plastic microbead ban:  Sale of personal products containing plastic microbeads, which contaminate the ocean, will be banned in California, but not until 2020.

Air Resources Board: San Diego Assemblywoman Toni Atkins authored AB 1288, which adds two new members to the Air Resources Board. The new appointees must represent someone working directly with the most polluted communities in the state.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Youthful offenders:  If you committed certain crimes when you were under 23 years of age, the parole board must consider your release under SB 261.

WATER

Water conservation:   You can let your lawn turn brown without facing fines from local governments under AB 1. You can also install drought-tolerant landscaping or artificial turf, which local governments and homeowner associations can no longer prohibit.

VOTING AND ELECTIONS

Ballot initiatives: If you want to put an initiative on the statewide ballot, it’s going to cost you a whole lot more.  Seeking to discourage frivolous actions, the Legislature raised the filing fee for state initiatives ten-fold, from $200 to $2,000.

Motor voter: The motor-voter registration measure by San Diego Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez will automatically register adults in California to vote when they apply ro or renew their driver’s licenses, though drivers can opt out if they choose.

Campaign flyers:   Starting in October, just in time for the fall elections, campaign flyers must disclose who paid for them.

DRIVING

Bicyclists:  If you’re a bicyclist, you now have to take the next available turnout if five vehicles or more are backed up behind you.

Listen up: If you wear earbuds, earphones or headsets, it’s now illegal to have them on both ears while you’re driving a motor vehicle or bicycle in California.

Traffic tickets: You can fight a traffic ticket without paying the fine first, under SB 405.

EDUCATION

Homeless students: An estimated 270,000 homeless students attend school in California.  Several new laws aim to help them, allowing homeless youths to get state funding for high school equivalency or GED exams and requiring that foster youths be informed of a complaint process they can use if they are not receiving all the services and exemptions to which they are entitled.

Sexual abuse: New laws require teaching high school students about sexual assault prevention in health education classes and mandate the state’s Department of Educatoin ot develop best practices for preventing sexual abuse on campus.

FOSTER CARE

Foster kid medications: After media documented theshocking number of foster care kids on psychiatric medications, SB 239 gives child welfare social workers more oversight of mental health treatment for foster kids including psychotropic medicines.

MISCELLANEOUS

Ivory:   If you own anything made of elephant ivory, it will be illegal to sell it after July 1^st. The ban includes antiques and items obtained long ago. There are some excemptions, however, including antiques with 5% ivory or less and music instruments such as pianos with 20% ivory or less. After July 1^st, there will be a $50,000 fine for selling antique elephant ivory.

Beer tasting: Beer tasting will now be allowed at farmers’ markets under AB 774. Cheers!