A new year means many new laws going into effect for Californians. They range from minimum wage increases, to health insurance expansions, to new rules for concealed carry weapons in public places.  

The following is a number of new laws affecting California workers, students and families.

Employment Laws

The state minimum wage increased from $15.50 an hour to $16 an hour beginning Monday, though some cities and counties may have higher local minimum wages, according to the Department of Industrial Relations. 

In April, the minimum wage for fast-food workers will increase to $20 under Assembly Bill 1228. That bill also will establish a fast-food council that will operate for five years and determine future wages and working conditions. 

Thanks to Senate Bill 525, the minimum wage for health care workers will increase to $23 an hour for workers employed under covered health care facilities in California. The wage increase will begin June 1.

Employers are required to give remote employees a 30-day written notice before requiring them to return to an in-person work setting. The notice is required to explain an employee’s right to continue as a remote worker, if applicable, according to SB 731. The bill went into effect on Monday.

SB 700 makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against a person during hiring, termination or any term of condition of employment because of their off-the-job use of cannabis. There are exceptions, such as positions that require federal background checks.

Another bill, SB 616, requires employers to provide more sick leave — at least 40 hours or five days of accrued sick leave by the 200th day of someone’s employment or each 12-month period.

Transportation and Vehicle Laws

AB 413 prohibits stopping or parking a vehicle within 20 feet of a vehicle’s approach to a crosswalk or 15 feet from a curb extension. Drivers will get warnings for now, but citations will start being issued in 2025.

“This law is intended to increase visibility for all road users to see oncoming traffic by removing parked cars near crosswalks and intersections, a safety measure known as ‘daylighting,'” according to the DMV.

State bills also established pilot programs for speed cameras in six cities (San Jose, Oakland, Los Angeles, Glendale, Long Beach and San Francisco) and require motor vehicle dealers to permanently mark catalytic converters with vehicle identification numbers before selling the cars.

Housing Laws 

Starting July 1, AB 12 will cap security deposits at one month’s rent, meaning landlords and property managers can’t ask for more than one month’s worth of rent for security deposits. Owners of no more than two rental properties, or no more than four units, will be allowed to request up to two months of rent for a security deposit. Owners who are a person or LLC whose members are all natural persons can also charge the higher amount.

Current state law allows landlords to charge security deposits in an amount up to two months’ rent for unfurnished properties and up to three months’ rent for furnished properties, in addition to the first month’s rent paid before occupancy. The new law’s limit of one month’s rent for most properties would apply to furnished or unfurnished units.

SB 267 prohibits the use of a person’s credit history as part of the application process for rental housing without giving applicants the option of providing other evidence of their reasonable ability to pay rent — such as pay records and bank statements. The bill went into effect Monday.

Also beginning Monday, tenants in rent-controlled units who have permanent disabilities related to mobility are allowed to relocate to an available unit for the same rate and terms, according to AB 1620.

SB 423 expands on SB 35, which streamlined multi-family and mixed-use housing development in areas that have not met state housing quotas. It also applies the rules to the Coastal Zone, starting in 2025.

SB 4 says it will create a streamlined process for affordable housing development on properties owned by religious organizations and independent higher-education institutions.

Consumer Laws

With AB 1084, department stores with at least 500 employees will be required to have a gender-neutral section for children’s toys.

Campers who cancel their reservation at a state park campsite within two to six days of their scheduled stay could face fees, including the cost of the first night, according to AB 618.

The California Beverage Container Recycling Program has added new beverages and containers that are subject to the California Redemption Value (CRV) fee. Some wine, liquor and juice pouches, boxes and cartons have been added. 

SB 244 will make it cheaper and easier to repair electronics and home appliances. Starting in July, manufacturers will be required to supply consumers and repair shops with parts, tools and documentation needed to repair a device.

SBX1-2 allows the California Energy Commission to penalize refineries who exceed a gross gasoline refining margin to help combat price gouging.

Public Safety Laws

SB 2 prevents the concealed carry of firearms in public places such as school zones and sidewalks beginning Monday.

SB 14 classifies child sex trafficking as a serious felony, meaning harsher penalties for those convicted of such crimes. 

Criminals convicted of dealing high amounts of fentanyl could see increased prison sentences under AB 701.

Medical examiners and physicians will be prohibited from using the term “excited delirium” as a valid medical diagnosis or cause of death under AB 360. The bill also prohibits peace officers from using the term to describe an individual, although they can describe a person’s behavior. Read more about the shift away from the term here.

SB 673 creates a new emergency alert similar to Amber Alerts called Ebony Alerts and will be used to help locate missing Black youths, including young women and girls. The California Highway Patrol would activate the system, which is the agency that activates Amber Alerts, Silver Alerts and Feather Alerts.

Under AB 2282, there will be harsher penalties for people who use hate symbols (such as Nazi swastikas, hanging nooses or desecrating crosses) at schools, cemeteries, places of worship and public places with the intent to terrorize a person.

Public Health Laws

This year, California is expanding Medi-Cal eligibility to undocumented immigrants of all ages.

A new law requires insurance companies to negotiate with ambulance companies for out-of-network charges and settle payments, and bills for uninsured people will be limited to the rate paid for Medi-Cal or Medicare participants, CalMatters reported.

The California Department of Social Services will be directed to make sure LGBTQ+ youths are placed with supportive gender-affirming foster parents under SB 407. The law will require a family to demonstrate the willingness to meet a child’s needs regardless of sexuality or gender identity. 

Code 5350 will establish a procedure of establishing or terminating a conservatorship for people who are disabled because of a mental health disorder or chronic alcoholism.  

AB 663 allows for mobile pharmacies to be created across the state and dispense treatment for opioid use disorder.

AB 352 outlines limits on sharing abortion-related health information.

Colleges and Education

California community colleges and state universities will be required to display estimated costs of material and fees for their classes under AB 607 and will go into effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year.

SB 808 requires the California State University System to submit a report on investigations and outcomes of sexual harassment complaints. Reports are due Dec. 1 of each year and must contain how many complaints resulted in an investigation and how long it took for an investigation to conclude.