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New California laws you need to know in 2024

December 28, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

A large number of new laws, passed during the latest legislative session, will impact employers, renters and other Californians in 2024. These include laws to boost the minimum wage, assist renters and provide subsidies for low income residents.

Wage-based electric bills

Remember when electric bills were based on how much electricity a household used? Well that was then and this is now. Under Assembly Bill 205, lower income households will be able to save about $300 a month while households making $180,000 a year or more may have to pay an extra $500 a year.

Regulators will need to approve the suggested changes by July 1, 2024.

Another increase in California’s minimum wage

California’s minimum wage is increasing from $15.50 an hour to $16 an hour. Based on several new laws, certain workers will be paid more. Starting in April, fast food restaurants must pay their employees at least $20 an hour.

Limits on rental deposits on some properties

A new law caps security deposits at one month rent, for some. Landlords with no more than two properties, or four units, can charge two months rent.

Landlords can no longer require a credit report

SB 267 prohibits landlords from requiring a person’s credit history in order to secure rental housing. Landlords are now required to offer applicants the option of providing verifiable alternative evidence of their ability to pay their rent, such as government benefit payments, pay records and bank statements.

Retirement benefits for mixed-martial arts fighters at 50 years of age

Mixed-martial arts fighters with a minimum of 39 rounds fought in California will be eligible for retirement benefits starting at age 50.

California employees can smoke pot, off the job

SB 700 makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, job description or termination based on their off-the-job cannabis use.

Gender neutral toy sections required at department stores

Retail stores with at least 500 employees across California will need to have a gender neutral toy section, with signage. In that section, “a reasonable selection of the items and toys for children that it sells shall be displayed, regardless of whether they have been traditionally marketed for either girls or for boys,” according to Assembly Bill 1084.

Cruising and lowrider vehicle bans outlawed

In support of the cultural significance of cruising, AB 46 does not allow cities and counties to enact their own cruising and lowrider bans.


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HEAVY SIGH. Our legislature is full of numbskulls.


30

Don’t let them off so easily.


0

Wow, I had no idea Mixed Martial Arts Fighters had their own union and lobbyists schmoozing legislators in Sacramento!


32

Time for a proposition that says for each new law passed an outdated old law must be removed from the books, hard to believe we dont have enough laws already in place.


30

I wonder how our local assembly rep voted ?


19

A good set of laws overall. Minimum wage should continue to rise until it is $20 an hour. That seems to be what most places are paying anyway. Rental deposit limits also a good idea. No reason why a landlord should want three times a monthly rate just to move in. I also agree with the idea that you shouldn’t be fired from your job for smoking pot in your off hours. No different than downing a bunch of beer or cocktails when you’re relaxing on the weekend. There are, of course, carve outs for people who make their living driving or operating heavy equipment.


Not sure about the gender neutral toys. Maybe a bit woke for me, although when I was a kid I did play with a doll—a GI Joe doll. Nobody said anything about it in those days.


-80

So you can’t require a credit report if you are renting your place out? It’s like they are continually coming up with these laws to just screw over people that have made responsible decisions, oh I forgot that’s not “equitable”


81

Not about “punishing” responsible people; it’s about not punishing less responsible people that still need a roof over their heads. Better not hear a complaint about the homeless with that attitude above…


-73

I complain a plenty. Move them along until they get their s together and keep moving them along. I complain when they are s’ng in our river beds, discarding their drug tools and trash that washes into our oceans for us to choke on when we surf or swim. Good Samaritan homeless shelter is a great place to start the recovery.


26

Obviously, you are a renter.


-1

Then the landlord will have to profile them in another fashion. Such as looking at the car they drive, or the clothes they wear.


-1

Who’s responsible for the heavy equipment injuries when workers come to the job stoned?


38

Construction and any sort of building related jobs are excluded. A ton of stipulations and details in that prop to be aware of. Stoners need not rejoice their customer service jobs are “saved”.


19

“SB 700 makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, job description or termination based on their off-the-job cannabis use”. So I can drive the school bus again now that I smoke “off-the-job” but it still shows up on my drug test?


30

Fly an airplane? Drive a ferry boat? Police officers? Firefighters? Yeah, really bad plan, Newsom.


32

yes. No different than that of a Judge taking ADHD medication or EMS; which is federally legal Meth. hence, I can and did work under federal funding and state oversight with these in my system, said a person.


-46

Yep; be sure to down a case of beer with that cannabis, and a couple more cans before you clock in as a bus driver.


18

Gotta read SB700 before commenting or criticizing… Tons of minor details and silly stipulations. No one is in any more danger than before. Still free to drink and drive but you can’t smoke pot on the weekends ;)


6

The drug test to which you refer is a federal standard which affects whether or not you are eligible for the required class A license.


0

This is the best they could due all yr. no wonder the state is a laughing stock among people with sense.These people are a total waste of our tax dollars.


59

No, these are just some of them that the author chose to highlight in order to elicit a response such as yours. Mission accomplished!


-46

Well you know of some with more meaning let me know & i’ll check them out , but law requiring gender neutral toy section shouldn’t be the governments job


49

Looks like the legislature passed over 1000 bills last year, I have no idea which ones you’ll find to have more meaning than the 8 listed here. My reply to your post was to point out that those 8 were chosen to rile up readers, which it is reliably doing.


How large stores organize toys has no impact on me or my children. I understand the motivation behind the law. I also understand the eye rolling it will generate. I just don’t think it’s that big of a deal.


-26

People should know about these laws and should most definitely be riled up!


13

I think it’s great to be engaged in what our elected lawmakers are doing and it’s natural to have an emotional response to their actions. My only recommendation is to understand that this article is reporting a small fraction of those actions and is designed to reinforce political discord.


-3

You are correct they passed a lot and that is part of my point that why do we keep getting told what we have to do? As you said how store organizes the toys doesn’t impact you and that’s fine so why not let the people just go in and buy a toy like they used to no big deal but now you require a special sign and place so they are now having their privacy intruded on. Cannabis one senseless as alcohol and other drugs not included. I just feel the country is going down a dark road right now and we better get some lights on soon


12

“why do we keep getting told what we have to do?”


This has been true all of your life, no matter what state you lived in, no matter whom was/is in office.


-10

This is true but it has escalated so why? You have a select few telling everyone what to do. Don’t say you can just vote them out as another of the same is put in.We are becoming a Socialist country and they have always failed eventually


11

I’m not quite sure which “socialist” counties you are referring to here, but perhaps it would be productive to find out exactly what socialism is and then decide if you still feel the same. I think you will find that countries have called themselves “socialist”, such as Russia, are actually totalitarian regimes, which sounds nowhere near as appealing.


The Scandinavian counties are “social democracies” and have been so for quite some time. They have slightly higher taxes, it is true. However, they rank in the very top tier for universal health care, education, social safety net, environmental concerns, etc., whilst the US hovers around 25th in those lists. They are also top-ranking places to do business internationally. Norway, for instance, is usually #1. So, not looking like “failure” any time soon.


They are also ranked tops in happiness and quality of life. You know, things like month-long paid vacations, lack of homelessness, higher overall standards of, well, everything.


One thing I would point out about those countries is that the are a lot more careful about whom they elect to represent them. Much more emphasis on qualifications and lack of monetary influence and less on “sides” of a political food fight.


But if one is more comfortable, they can go with what they have been told and ignore all that. Just sayin’…


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