Californians get 900 new laws

December 27, 2014

On New Year’s Day California will have 900 new laws including one that allows drivers licenses for undocumented workers and several that help protect against online bullying.

Here are some of the new laws:

Law against posting private nude photos or videos online: Posting private nude photos or videos is now a misdemeanor. The law protects those who take nude selfies they intend to be private from distribution on the web.

Law against mug shot profiting: Posting a mug shot on line and then charging the person money to take it down will be a crime. Several commercial web sites game that a person’s embarrassment will get them to fork over anywhere from $300 to $800 to have it removed.

Paid sick leave: A new law now allows employees not currently offered sick leave to earn one hour for every 30 hours worked. California is the first state in the nation to require sick leave benefits.

Cell phone kill switches: All smartphones manufactured after July 1 and sold in California will be required to have a kill switch. If stolen or lost, the owner can activate the kill switch and render the phone inoperable.

Sexual assault at colleges and universities: During colleges and universities disciplinary hearings over allegations of sexual assault, the standard will move from did one party say no to did both parties say yes. The adoption of the new policy is required if campuses want to continue receiving state financial aid.

Groundwater basins: There are three new laws in California to begin regulation of the state’s groundwater basins. The laws require local agencies to create sustainable groundwater management plans.

Driver’s licenses for undocumented residents: A law passed in 2013, goes into effect Jan. 3 allowing undocumented people living in the United States to get a drivers license. The Department of Motor Vehicles is expecting approximately 1.4 million people to apply.