Here are a few state laws that will go into effect January 1, 2024.
The minimum wage for California will be $16 an hour.
Assembly bill 1228 will boost the minimum wage of fast food workers from $16 to $20 an hour, affecting approximately 500 thousand fast-food workers in the state.
Assembly bill 2188 will make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or penalization a person if it is based on the employee’s use of marijuana off the job and away from the workplace. Exempt from this bill is pre employment drug screening, and certain applicants and employees. These include building and construction trades, and positions that require federal background investigation or clearance.
Senate bill 616 will allow California workers to receive an additional two days of paid sick leave for the year. This is up from the required three days. The law also extends the definition of ‘sick leave’ to include caring for a sick family member, and include paid time off for victims of stalking, domestic violence, and sexual assaults.
Sb 497 will establish a rebuttable presumption that an employer retaliated against an employee in certain circumstances. Currently, law requires an employee to establish a prima facie case of retaliation. Under the new law, if the employer takes adverse employment action within 90 days of an employee making a complaint that is protected under labor laws, there is a presumption that the employer retaliated against the employee, and must identify a legitimate, non-retaliatory reason for the alleged employment action.
Sb 2 tightens existing concealed carrying laws in California. The carry permit age will be raised from 18 to 21, the training hours required will be doubled from 8 to 16 hours (with renewal going from 4 to 8), and identifies certain public places where guns may not be carried, even with a valid license. These include local and state government buildings, churches, and school grounds. The bill will also disqualify a person from carrying a firearm if there is a reasonable likelihood they are a danger to the self, others, or community at large.
Ab 28 will impose an additional 11% tax on the retail sale of firearms and ammunition. The collected tax will go to fund various gun violence prevent, education, research, response, and investigation programs under the gun violence prevention and school safety act.
Sb 14 will make human trafficking of a minor a serious felony for all purposes. This will enhance the punishment of repeat offenders under California’s three strike law.
Sb 701 will increase the penalties for trafficking fentanyl.
Ab 2282 will strengthen the punishment for the use of terror symbols on schools, cemeteries, places of worship, employment, private property, or public spaces. These hate symbols include, but are not limited to, the nazi swastika, noose, and a desecrated or destroyed cross or religious symbols.
Ab 12 will prohibit landlords from demanding security deposits that exceed an amount equal to one month’s rent. Currently landlords can demand a security deposit equal to 2 months rent for unfurnished residential property, and 3 months for furnished residential property.
Ab 4 allows nonprofit places of worship or higher education institutions to more easily construct urban housing on their excess property by passing most of the local permitting and environmental laws.
Addt’l Laws Added to List:
Sb 478 will take effect in July. The bill will require websites and advertisements to show the actual cost of a service or item upfront
Ab 360 will prohibit “excited delirium” from being considered a medical diagnosis or valid cause of death.
Ab 587 will require social media companies to post their terms of service, and submit a semiannual report to the attorney general on their enforcement of these policies.
Sb 267 will prohibit using a person’s credit history without as part of the application process for rental housing in instances where there is a government rent subsidy. An alternative form of evidence must be allowed, such as pay records or bank statements.
Ab 452 will eliminate the current statute of limitations for the recovery of damages suffered as a result of childhood sexual assault. Currently law states that recovery of damages be commenced within 22 years of the date the plaintiff attains the age of majority, or within 5 years of the date the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered that psychological injury was caused by the assault.
