New laws overlooked in 2012

December 31, 2012

Californians began 2012 with the news that they could no longer purchase the delicacy of shark fin soup, and six months later they had to give up foie gras.

Governor Jerry Brown signed nearly 900 bills into law in 2012, targeting everyone from hunters to party bus operators.

As California meat eaters mourned the loss of foie gras, the legislature took aim at hunters using hounds to pursue bears and bobcats. SB 1221, signed into law by Brown in September, banned the use of dogs to trap bears and bobcats for hunting purposes. Animal rights advocates called it a “pet-friendly” law.

While it remains unknown whether the acquitted Casey Anthony hunted her deceased two-year-old daughter Caylee, the California legislature seized on the national spotlight of the trial as an opportunity to pass a missing persons law. “Caylee’s Law,” AB1432, makes it a misdemeanor for a parent or guardian to fail to report the disappearance or death of a child under the age of 14 within 24 hours.

Another death spawned a law regulating behavior on party buses. AB45 pays tribute to Brett Studebaker, a San Mateo 19-year-old who died in a car crash after drinking on a party bus. The new law makes party bus drivers legally responsible for underage passenger drinking and holds the drivers of the fun buses to the same standards as those who chauffeur limousines.

Most bills Brown signed in the past year will take effect January 1.