Editor’s note: We changed the featured image of this article to include one made without AI technology.

New California laws that came into effect on Jan. 1 have introduced new benefits, rules and regulations for citizens and businesses.

Laws relating to criminal and civilian treatment have been updated to adjust officer conduct, increase penalties and rules for certain convictions and create a new emergency alert for missing black women and children.

• AB-2773: Police officers must announce the reason for traffic and pedestrian stops before beginning their investigation.
• AB-600: Courts can recall sentences and adjust them in accordance to new or updated laws.
• AB-791: Defendants charged with life without parole can no longer be released on bail during their appeal process.
• AB-701: Increases the penalty for distributing or selling fentanyl by adding years to a sentence depending on the amount the convict possesses.
• SB-14: The human trafficking of a minor is now designated as a “serious felony”.
• SB-673: Creates a new emergency alert for missing black women and youth known as “Ebony Alerts”.
• AB-645: Permits the start of a speed camera pilot program in Long Beach, San Jose, Oakland, Glendale, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Laws such as AB-701 and SB-14 strengthen the punishment for crimes which have escalated in societal effect in recent years. There was a 49% increase in people prosecuted for human trafficking from 2011-2021 and 70,601 deaths related to fentanyl overdoses reported in 2021.

AB-2773 also provides civilians more protection and information prior to being investigated during a stop. In a Senate Committee on Public Safety hearing held on June 21, 2022 the author of AB-2773, assemblymember Chris Holden, said the bill “brings transparency to the service of protecting our public.”

Medical laws and programs have been passed which tackle the issues of drug addiction, mental health and privacy.

• AB-352: Requires companies that manage electronic health records to maintain the confidentiality of all records related to sensitive medical services such as abortion, gender-related care, and pregnancy loss.
• SB-345: Protects healthcare providers and people from legal action against them by other states that have criminalized or limited the aforementioned sensitive services.
• AB-663: Makes the deployment of more mobile pharmacies easier and allows them to carry medications used for treatment of opioid use disorder.
• SB-35: The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act allows families and first responders to request court-ordered mental health treatment to people experiencing critical psychotic disorders. All counties in California must implement this program by Dec. 1, 2024.

Bills such as AB-352 and SB-345 were made in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 where abortion was made illegal in several states and people began traveling to other states where the procedure is legal.

“In a medical setting, people should never fear that their information will be used against them,” assemblymember Rebbeca Bauer-Kahan, author of AB-352, said in a bill analysis on May 18. “Patients who live in states with abortion bans are traveling to access needed care, but those patients risk their safety when they return to their home state.”

On Sept. 26, Governor Gavin Newsom signed twelve gun control bills, some of which are now in effect:

• SB-2: Removes the requirement for “good cause” for citizens when applying for a concealed carry permit and identifies sensitive locations where concealed carry is restricted such as schools, various government properties, and public events.
• AB-455: Defendants in mental health diversion can no longer own firearms if ordered by the court.
• AB-732: Defendants convicted of a felony or specified misdemeanor must surrender their firearms within 48 hours of a conviction if they are not in custody.
• AB-92: Anyone who is prohibited from possessing a firearm can no longer possess body armor.

“While radical judges continue to strip away our ability to keep people safe, California will keep fighting,” Newsom said. “The data proves they save lives: California’s gun death rate is 43% lower than the rest of the nation. These new laws will make our communities and families safer.”

Labor and housing laws have passed which have improved benefits for jobs and have given more opportunities for affordable housing in California.

• SB-3: Increases California’s minimum wage to $16 per hour. The bill requires the Director of Finance to annually adjust the minimum wage.
• SB-616: Expands the amount of sick days available to workers from 3 to 5 (or 40 hours) and makes an employee eligible for at least 5 additional sick days or paid time off after 6 months of employment.
• SB-700: Employers can no longer discriminate against employees for marujana usage outside of work.
• AB-12: Caps security deposits at the equivalent of one month’s rent.
• SB-423: The state government is authorized to streamline affordable housing projects if the local government is failing to meet housing planning goals. This is an extension and amendment of SB-35 which was passed in 2017.
• SB-4: Allows religious institutions and nonprofit colleges to develop housing on their property.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’s 2023 consumer price index, at the end of last year the U.S. saw an average increase of 3.4% in the price of all consumer goods.

“In most jurisdictions, the process to approve new housing is arduous, unpredictable and expensive,” Senator Scott Wiener, author of SB-423, said in a bill analysis. “It often requires multiple levels of approval from local governments and navigation of an environmental review process that greatly empowers opponents of new housing.”