With the arrival of 2016, millions of Californians will see a multitude of new laws to focus on.
Here are some of the highlights of the new laws:
SEIZURE OF WEAPONS
Assembly Bill 1014 will allow for the temporary removal of firearms from people who are at risk of committing acts of violence. The measure was passed last year in the wake of the Isla Vista shooting, where teenager Elliot Rodger went on a rampage near the campus of UC Santa Barbara, killing six people and himself.
Under the law, police will be allowed to seize private, legally owned weapons for up to three weeks without charges or without allowing the owner of the weapons to contest the seizure.
EARBUDS AND DRIVING AND BIKING
The approval of Senate Bill 491 will prevent drivers from wearing headsets, earbuds or headphones in or over both ears while driving a vehicle or riding a bicycle. The law will not apply to workers who operate emergency vehicles, construction equipment or waste collection vehicles while wearing a headset or safety earplugs.
GROCERY WORKERS
AB 359 protects grocery workers in stores of at least 15,000 square feet from being fired during a 90-day transition period if the grocery store is undergoing a change of ownership. However, workers can still be dismissed for performance-related reasons.
MINIMUM WAGE HIKE
Californians will also see the State’s minimum wage rise from $9 an hour to $10 an hour.
DROUGHT-TOLERANT YARDS
Another instance of new laws affecting nearly everyone in the state: the prohibition of local governments from banning water-conscious landscaping at private homes, although the landscaping will still be subject to city standards and guidelines.
SCHOOL EXIT EXAM
Under SB 172, high school seniors in California will no longer have to take a long-standing exit exam to graduate. The bill lifts the requirement through the 2017-2018 school year and also applies retroactively to 2004, meaning students who have completed all the other graduation requirements since then can apply for diplomas.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF NEW LAWS
• AB 1116 — This bill requires manufacturers of smart TVs to inform users that their voices may be recorded and transmitted back to the manufacturers. It also prohibits manufacturers from using or selling for advertising purposes any voice recordings collected for the purposes of refining the voice-recognition feature of a television.
• AB 199 — Provides tax exemptions for businesses that buy recycling and composting equipment. It also expands eligibility for the tax exclusion to equipment that uses recycled feedstock to make new products.
• SB 697 – This bill will increase accountability and transparency in the State’s Public Utilities Commission.
• SB 272 – Local governments will be required to create an inventory of their key data-keeping systems. They will make that catalog publicly available online and list the types of data collected by those systems. Cybersecurity systems and infrastructure-control systems are exempt.
• SB 664 – Regional water-management officials will be required to assess the vulnerability of their water systems to an earthquake and publicly report that assessment as well as any mitigation plans.
