Gov. Newsom signs hundreds of new California laws. Here's what they cover
Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a midnight deadline Friday to pass or reject hundreds of proposals that the legislature sent to his desk this year. Here is a look at what will become state law.
Health care
SB 107 aims to make California a sanctuary state for transgender health care, shielding transgender people, including youth and their parents, from legal action from states with bans and restrictions.
Newsom has signed several abortion and reproductive healthcare-related measures in the wake of the United State Supreme Court overturning abortion protections, which restricts access to the procedure in several states. This includes laws that protect medical records and cooperation with out-of-state entities regarding abortion restrictions (AB 2091, AB 1242), expands abortion training options and providers (SB 1375), and protections for people from criminal or civil liabilities for pregnancy loss or abortion (AB 2223).
Labor
SB 1162 requires employers to make salary ranges for available job positions to applicants and employees. It also sets new pay data reporting requirements based on gender and race.
AB 2183 makes it easier for farmworkers to unionize.
SB 951 increases the share of paid family leave provided to lower-income Californians. It extends what was a temporary increase in the benefit from 55% of wages to 60% to 70% depending on income. In 2025, the bill requires an increase of the benefit to 70%.
Law enforcement and criminal justice
SB 971 allows most old convictions on non-violent or non-sex relate offenses in criminal records to be permanently sealed. It applies to previous convictions of those who completed their sentence and did not return to the criminal justice system.
SB 1008 provides free phone calls to people detained in California prisons and jails.
SB 301 and AB 1700 aim to crack down on the sale of stolen merchandise online, requiring online marketplaces to collect more information from sellers with high volumes of product, and sets up a section on the state Attorney General’s office website to report stolen items.
AB 2294 gives law enforcement the ability to keep those in custody accused of organized retail theft.
AB 1740 and SB 1087 aim to crack down on catalytic converter thefts.
SB 836 prohibits disclosure of a person’s immigration status in open court in a criminal case by any party unless approved by a judge.
Climate
The governor signed 40 climate-related bills, several of which aim to significantly reduce the state’s use of oil and gas by 2045. AB 1279 puts the state’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2045 into state law, SB 1137 establishes new setbacks for new oil drilling near communities, SB 1020 requires the state’s electric grid to be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2045.
AB 2238 creates an extreme heat advance warning and ranking system.
Housing and Homelessness
Newsom signed 38 measures related to housing. AB 2011 and SB 6 aim to boost housing production and affordability by turning unused retail spaces into homes and communities.
SB 1338 establishes new judicial branches in all of California’s 58 counties that will provide court-ordered care to those who are unhoused and severely mentally ill.
Social media and the web
SB 2273 establishes the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, requiring online platforms to consider the best interest of child users and to default to privacy and safety settings that protect children’s mental and physical health and wellbeing.
AB 587 requires social media companies to publicly post their policies regarding hate speech, disinformation, harassment and extremism on their platforms, and report data on their enforcement of the policies. It also requires companies to provide reports to the California Attorney General’s office on terms of service violation data and enforcement action.
COVID-19
AB 2963 requires workplaces to continue providing employees with COVID-19 exposure notifications until 2024.
AB 152 extends required, supplemental paid sick leave for COVID-19 until Dec. 31, 2022.
AB 2098 makes it easier for the California Medical Board to punish doctors who spread COVID-19 misinformation.
Miscellaneous
AB 1766 allows undocumented immigrants to obtain state identification cards through the Department of Motor Vehicles.
SB 988 establishes suicide hotline call centers in California and dedicates a source to fund a 988 system in the state.
AB 1314 establishes the “Feather Alert” for missing Native American people
AB 1249 exempts PG&E wildfire victims from paying taxes on settlement payments from the wildfire trust.
SB 1287 prohibits gender-based pricing on products based on who they're marketed towards.
California now has three, optional, new state holidays on the books including Juneteenth (AB 1655), Lunar New Year (AB 2596) and Genocide Remembrance Day (AB 1801).
AB 1817 bans the use of chemicals commonly known as PFAS from being used in fabrics and makeup by 2025.