Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
What New California Laws Are Now in Effect?
d8a347b41db1ddee634e2d67d08798c102ef09ac
By The New York Times
Published 1 month ago on
January 2, 2025

Shoppers in Los Angeles, Nov. 4, 2024. Bills passed by the state Legislature, along with a ballot measure passed by voters, imposed harsher penalties for shoplifting in California. (New York Times/Philip Cheung)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Harsher penalties for serial shoplifters. A framework for Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes. New safeguards against artificial intelligence deepfakes.

Kate Selig

New York Times

The California Legislature passed hundreds of bills in 2024, many of which went into effect on Jan. 1 and touch nearly every aspect of life in the Golden State.

Here’s a look at some of the most prominent laws that took hold on New Year’s Day.

Shoplifting Crackdown

The state passed a series of laws targeting retail crime and property theft, including shoplifting, car break-ins and smash-and-grab robberies.

The legislation increases penalties for repeat offenders, creates additional ways to prosecute crimes as felonies and allows the police to arrest people suspected of retail theft with probable cause, even if officers did not witness the crime.

One significant change allows prosecutors to add up the value of property stolen from multiple victims, making it easier to reach the $950 threshold necessary to charge a suspect with a felony.

The changes come as California voters have shifted to the right on crime. While overall crime rates in California are among the lowest ever recorded, certain crimes, such as vehicle thefts and shoplifting, have risen in recent years.

In November, voters passed Proposition 36, a ballot measure that imposed harsher penalties for shoplifting and drug possession. That went into effect in mid-December.

Pathway for Amsterdam-Style Cannabis Cafes

Marijuana dispensaries in California are now allowed to sell food and nonalcoholic beverages and host live events, paving the way for Amsterdam-like cannabis cafes.

Marijuana businesses in the state, home to the nation’s largest number of cannabis consumers, rallied for the law.

A separate law lets local governments create “entertainment zones,” where restaurants and bars can sell alcoholic drinks to go, and outdoor drinking will be permitted.

Protections Against Sexually Explicit Deepfakes

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several artificial intelligence-related protections. One bill makes it illegal to create and distribute lifelike depictions of real people in images that cause serious emotional distress, targeting AI-generated deepfakes that are sexually explicit. Another bill requires social media platforms to provide users with a way to report sexually explicit deepfakes of themselves.

Newsom did however veto a sweeping AI safety bill that was aimed at limiting the growth of the technology, directing legislators to revise it in the next session.

Ban on ‘Forced Outing’ of LGBTQ+ Youths by Schools

School districts can no longer require teachers or staff members to disclose a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents.

The legislation, the first of its kind in the country, responds to policies in some school districts that required employees to notify parents if a student began using different pronouns or identified as a gender not reflected in school records.

“Teachers can still talk to parents,” Newsom said at a news conference in December. “What they can’t do under the law is fire a teacher for not being a snitch. I just don’t think teachers should be gender police.”

Several school districts have sued the state over the legislation, and the case is pending in federal court.

Reparations Measures for Black Residents

Multiple laws modeled after recommendations from the state’s Reparations Task Force are taking effect, including a measure that broadens protections against discrimination based on hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locs and twists that protect hair from damage and are often worn by Black people.

Another such law requires companies to give advance notice to employees and county officials before closing a grocery store or a pharmacy. That measure is aimed at preventing neighborhoods from losing their main source of food or prescriptions, which disproportionately affects areas that are predominantly Black.

Of the 14 reparations bills prioritized by the California Legislative Black Caucus, six were signed into law. Some failed to pass the Legislature, and two were vetoed by Newsom. The package did not include the direct cash payments recommended by the task force.

Blocking Medical Debt From Affecting Credit Scores

Health providers and debt collectors are now prohibited from reporting most medical debt to credit agencies, preventing it from having a negative impact on credit reports. These reports, which are the basis for credit scores, can affect a person’s ability to secure a loan, mortgage or even a job.

Millions of Californians have unpaid medical bills, including more than half of low-income residents, according to the California Health Care Foundation.

Restrictions on Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics and Clothing

Several laws that ban certain toxic chemicals from clothing and cosmetics take effect on Jan. 1.

One bill targets 24 chemicals in cosmetics, including mercury and formaldehyde. Other bills ban the sale of cosmetic products, clothing and outdoor gear containing PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” a group of thousands of chemicals that persist in the environment and accumulate in the body.

Exposure to PFAS has been linked to severe health risks, though experts are still researching to fully understand their effects. These chemicals are widespread in the blood of Americans and difficult to get rid of, as they can be found in items including pizza boxes and dental floss.

The Legislature passed the laws before 2024 but gave companies additional time to comply.

Safeguards for Money Made by Child Content Creators

Two pieces of legislation enhance financial protections for child content creators, including child influencers and minors featured on YouTube, Instagram, and other online platforms that generate revenue.

One bill extends the state’s Coogan Law, which protects child performers, to minors employed as content creators on online platforms. Employers will be required to deposit at least 15% of their earnings into a trust account.

The other measure mandates compensation for minors featured in online content that makes money, requiring parents or guardians to set aside a portion of their earnings in a trust account.

Proactive Ban on Octopus Farming

California is banning octopus farming and the sale of farmed octopuses, citing concerns about animal welfare and environmental impacts. Although currently there are no large-scale octopus farming operations in the state, the legislation aims to prevent them from opening in the future.

The law describes octopuses as “highly intelligent, curious, problem-solving animals” that are “conscious, sentient beings.”

California is the second state to prohibit octopus farming and the first to ban the sale of farmed octopuses.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Newsom Signs $50M Plan to Battle Trump Policies, Support Immigrants

DON'T MISS

Fresno Students Entering the Work World Need Your Help to ‘Dress the Part’

DON'T MISS

Hanford Shooting Leaves One Dead, Another in Critical Condition

DON'T MISS

Rabies Detected in Fresno, Reedley. Fresno County Urges Caution Around Wild, Stray Animals

DON'T MISS

Plane Located That Matches the One That Went Missing in Alaska With 10 Aboard; 3 Bodies Found

DON'T MISS

Trump Says He’s Revoking Biden’s Security Clearance in Payback Move

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Seek Public’s Help in Locating Missing 75-Year-Old Man

DON'T MISS

Fresno Students Walk Out of Class to Protest Deportations

DON'T MISS

State Department Lays out Plans for $7 Billion-Plus Arms Sale to Israel

DON'T MISS

Donation to Food Bank to Provide 1.3M Meals to Western Fresno County

UP NEXT

Fresno Students Entering the Work World Need Your Help to ‘Dress the Part’

UP NEXT

Hanford Shooting Leaves One Dead, Another in Critical Condition

UP NEXT

Rabies Detected in Fresno, Reedley. Fresno County Urges Caution Around Wild, Stray Animals

UP NEXT

Plane Located That Matches the One That Went Missing in Alaska With 10 Aboard; 3 Bodies Found

UP NEXT

Trump Says He’s Revoking Biden’s Security Clearance in Payback Move

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Seek Public’s Help in Locating Missing 75-Year-Old Man

UP NEXT

Fresno Students Walk Out of Class to Protest Deportations

UP NEXT

State Department Lays out Plans for $7 Billion-Plus Arms Sale to Israel

UP NEXT

Donation to Food Bank to Provide 1.3M Meals to Western Fresno County

UP NEXT

Fresno Mission Opens Second Thrift Store Supporting Homeless, Recovering Addicts

Rabies Detected in Fresno, Reedley. Fresno County Urges Caution Around Wild, Stray Animals

2 hours ago

Plane Located That Matches the One That Went Missing in Alaska With 10 Aboard; 3 Bodies Found

3 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Revoking Biden’s Security Clearance in Payback Move

3 hours ago

Fresno Police Seek Public’s Help in Locating Missing 75-Year-Old Man

3 hours ago

Fresno Students Walk Out of Class to Protest Deportations

3 hours ago

State Department Lays out Plans for $7 Billion-Plus Arms Sale to Israel

3 hours ago

Donation to Food Bank to Provide 1.3M Meals to Western Fresno County

3 hours ago

Fresno Mission Opens Second Thrift Store Supporting Homeless, Recovering Addicts

4 hours ago

Judge Blocks Trump From Placing 2,200 USAID Workers on Paid Leave

4 hours ago

Alaska Legislature Asks Trump to Retain Denali’s Name

5 hours ago

Newsom Signs $50M Plan to Battle Trump Policies, Support Immigrants

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed laws Friday setting aside $50 million to help the state protect its policies from c...

2 hours ago

FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom waits for President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to step off Air Force One upon their arrival at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
2 hours ago

Newsom Signs $50M Plan to Battle Trump Policies, Support Immigrants

2 hours ago

Fresno Students Entering the Work World Need Your Help to ‘Dress the Part’

Hanford police arrested a suspect in a fatal shooting outside an In-N-Out, believed to be linked to an illegal drug transaction. (Hanford PD)
2 hours ago

Hanford Shooting Leaves One Dead, Another in Critical Condition

2 hours ago

Rabies Detected in Fresno, Reedley. Fresno County Urges Caution Around Wild, Stray Animals

Ice is visible in the Bering Sea Jan. 22, 2020, as seen from a small plane airplane near the western Alaska coast. (AP File)
3 hours ago

Plane Located That Matches the One That Went Missing in Alaska With 10 Aboard; 3 Bodies Found

President Donald Trump smiles as he arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. (AP/Ben Curtis)
3 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Revoking Biden’s Security Clearance in Payback Move

Fresno police are searching for Tommy Savala, 75, who was last seen Thursday morning near Simpson Avenue and North Fresno Street. (Fresno PD)
3 hours ago

Fresno Police Seek Public’s Help in Locating Missing 75-Year-Old Man

McLane and Duncan Polytechnical high school students walked out Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, to protest deportations, marching down Cedar Avenue. (GV Wire/Eric Martinez)
3 hours ago

Fresno Students Walk Out of Class to Protest Deportations

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend