Here are the new laws that took place as of January 1, 2018:
Immigration:
- Senate Bill 54: Makes California a “Sanctuary State” this limits the ability of state and local police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Officers cannot inquire about someone’s immigration status or detain them on hold request from the federal government, unless they have been convicted of one of more than 800 crimes.
- Assembly Bill 291: Prohibits landlords from reporting their undocumented renters
- Senate 257: Allows students whose parents are deported to continue to attending California schools
- Assembly 450: Bans employers from cooperating with or allowing immigration enforcement raids at their work sites without a court order
Guns:
- Bill 424: Eliminates a policy, implemented last year that gave school administrators authority to decide whether employees with concealed carry permits should be allowed to bring their firearms onto campus. Employees will now be banned from carrying their firearms onto campus
- Assembly Bill 725: Someone convicted of a hate crime will lose their right to possess a gun for 10 years
- New Restrictions on Buying Ammunition: There are new restrictions on buying ammunition. Customers must now purchase their ammunition through a licensed vendor which means that even if customers order their ammunition online, they must ship it to a vendor and pick it up in person through a licensed vendor.
Marijuana:
- Proposition 64: Recreational marijuana is now available for retain purchase. Adults 21 and older can buy up to an ounce of weed and up to 8 grams of cannabis concentrations, through only in cities that have permitted stores
Drug Prices:
- Senate Bill 17: Requires manufacturers to notify the state at least 60 days before dramatically increasing the price of most drugs. Health insurers will also have to report how much prescription drugs are contributing to the cost of their plans, including annual hikes to premiums.
- Assembly Bill 265: Prohibits discount coupons for brand-name drugs, which can lower how much patients pay out-of-pocket. Critics contend the coupons build customer loyalty to more expensive medications, ultimately costing insurers more and potentially driving up premiums.
Hiring:
- Assembly Bill 168: A prospective employer will no longer be able to decide how much money to offer you by asking what you made at your last job. The salary history of job applicants can only be disclosed voluntarily.
- Assembly Bill 1008: Aims to improve employment prospects for formerly incarcerated job seekers by banning the box on applications that asks about criminal conviction history. Employers will still be able to conduct a background check once a conditional offer has been made, but the law, which is part of a national ban-the box movement, is meant to give former convicts a better opportunity to be considered on their merits before they are judged for past mistakes.
Job Leave:
- Senate Bill 63: Employees working at small businesses with between 20 and 49 employees are now guaranteed up to 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave within the first year of their child’s birth, adoption or foster care placement. Workers at larger businesses with at least 50 employees already received this benefit.
- Assembly Bill 908: Boosts state compensation for workers taking paid leave to temporarily care for a family member, to 60 percent of their regular wages from 55 percent, and up to 70 percent for the lowest earners.
Minimum Wage:
- The minimum wage increases by 50 cents, to $11 per hour for workers at companies with at least 26 employees, and to $10.50 for those at smaller firms.
Affordable Housing:
- Senate Bill 2: Adds a fee of $75 to $225 on real estate transactions. It is expected to generate up to $300 million annually for affordable housing projects, programs that assist homeless people and long-range development planning.
- Senate Bill 35: Allows developers to bypass the lengthy, and often expensive, review process for new projects.
- Assembly Bill 167: Seeks to tamp down on “not in my backyard” backlash by making it harder for cities and counties to vote down proposed developments that fir within their long-range housing plans.
