New Year, New Laws

• Did you know that 898 new laws will go into effect in California?  The breakdown is that there were 898 bills that the governor signed into law, 159 bills the governor vetoed and 2 that became a law without the governor signing them. We have compiled a list of some of the most noteworthy laws.

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• Minimum wage: Bumps up by 50 cents to $10.50 for businesses with 26 or more employees, as part of an incremental increase to reach $15 by 2022.
• Drinking at salons: Beginning Jan. 1, beauty salons and barber shops will be allowed to serve free wine or beer to their clients until 10 p.m.
• Gender-neutral bathrooms: Beginning March 1, it will be required for all single-user toilet facilities in any business or public place to be all-gender facilities.
• Right-to-die: Terminally ill patients in California will be allowed to use experimental drugs, which do not have full regulatory approval, to decide when they want to end their lives. It authorizes, but does not require health plans to cover investigational drugs and protects physicians from disciplinary actions if they recommend them once other treatment options have been exhausted.
• School mascots: Beginning Jan. 1, California public schools will be banned from using the name “Redskins” for sports teams and mascots.
• Assault weapons: Voters passed a law that requires Californians who own gun magazines with more than 10 rounds to give them up starting July 1. Buyers must undergo a background check before buying ammunition and will be barred from buying new weapons that have a bullet button, which were developed by gun manufacturers to get around the state’s assault weapons ban.
• Vehicle registration fee: The vehicle registration fee on every vehicle or trailer coach will increase from $43 to $53 beginning April 1.​
• ​Cell Phone Use While Driving: You will no longer be able to handle your phone while driving, unless it is one swipe or tap on the screen while your phone is mounted.

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