Life for many California residents is about to change on Monday. That’s when several new state laws take effect. They range from a gun tax and a ban on hidden business fees to updated rules on repairing electronic devices, security deposits, and school suspensions. Here’s a roundup of seven new laws in California and how they work:
AB 12 limits security deposits for renters
Under Assembly Bill 12, renters can no longer be asked for a security deposit that’s more than one month’s rent. According to the California courts, a security deposit is money a landlord holds to cover potential damages, cleaning costs, or unpaid rent if the renter breaks the lease agreement. The new law prevents most landlords from charging renters two to three times the amount of monthly rent as a security deposit.
AB 28: New tax on guns and ammunition
Assembly Bill 28 — also known as the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act — requires manufacturers, vendors, and dealers to pay an 11% tax on firearms and ammunition to fund violence prevention efforts. That’s on top of the 10% to 11% federal tax that sellers of guns and ammo already pay to fund wildlife conservation efforts. It’s one of several new laws focused on gun control, including one restricting the use of concealed weapons and another requiring financial institutions to track firearm sales.
AB 1013: Bars, nightclubs must carry test kits for date rape drugs
About 2,400 bars and nightclubs across California must help customers test for date rape drugs under Assembly Bill 1013. The law requires bars and nightclubs serving alcohol to post signage and offer drug testing kits free of charge or sell them for a “reasonable amount based on the wholesale cost.” AB 1013 is intended to help “protect individuals from being unknowingly drugged or becoming a victim to other crimes that often ensue,” the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control said.
SB 244: Right to Repair Act makes it easier to fix electronics
Senate Bill 244 requires electronic and appliance manufacturers to supply parts, tools, and service literature to both product owners and independent repair shops. The new law, also known as the Right to Repair Act, broadly covers electronic products and appliances, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, cellphones, and various home appliances. However, SB 244 doesn’t cover equipment used in certain industries and limits repairs on video game consoles and alarm systems.
SB 274: Students can’t be suspended for ‘willful defiance’
Beginning Monday, school administrators will no longer be able to suspend students for low-level behavioral issues, also known as “willful defiance.” Willful defiance includes dress code violations, being late to class, talking back to teachers, and refusing to turn off cellphones, according to California education code. Senate Bill 274 bans willful defiance suspensions and expulsions in California high schools through 2029. It also extends an existing ban on willful defiance suspensions in California middle schools.
SB 478: No more hidden fees at restaurants, stores
Senate Bill 478 bans so-called “junk” fees on purchases made across California. The law aims to prohibit drip pricing, where a price shown to consumers is lower than what they actually end up paying for a product or service at the final stage of purchasing. Now that SB 478 is in effect, you’ll know exactly how much you’re paying and what you’re paying for when it comes time to pay your total. The law no longer applies to additional hidden fees related to surcharges at restaurants after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1524 on Saturday, which creates a carve-out for restaurants if those fees are displayed “clearly and conspicuously” on menus. These fees range from additional tips intended to maintain pay parity between the wait staff and the kitchen staff, to city health mandate fees, to corkage fees for diners who bring their own bottles of wine for dinner.
SB 553: Employees get training to prevent workplace violence
Senate Bill 553 aims to improve safety in workplaces in the state. The new law requires employers to develop workplace violence prevention plans, train workers and managers on those safety plans, and keep track of incidents. Workplace violence ranges from “threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide,” the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said. “It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers, and visitors.”
