Harsher penalties for serial shoplifters. A framework for Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes. New safeguards against artificial intelligence deepfakes.
The California Legislature passed hundreds of bills in 2024, many of which go into effect on Jan. 1 and touch nearly every aspect of life in the Golden State.
Here’s a look at some of the most prominent laws taking hold New Year’s Day.
A crack down on shoplifting
The state passed a series of laws targeting retail crime and property theft, including shoplifting, car break-ins and smash-and-grab robberies.
The legislation increases penalties for repeat offenders, creates additional ways to prosecute crimes as felonies and allows the police to arrest people suspected of retail theft with probable cause, even if officers did not witness the crime.
One significant change allows prosecutors to add up the value of property stolen from multiple victims, making it easier to reach the $950 threshold necessary to charge a suspect with a felony.
The changes come as California voters have shifted to the right on crime. While overall crime rates in California are among the lowest ever recorded, certain crimes, such as vehicle thefts and shoplifting, have risen in recent years.
In November, voters passed Proposition 36, a ballot measure that imposed harsher penalties for shoplifting and drug possession. That went into effect in mid-December.
A pathway for Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes
Marijuana dispensaries in California are now allowed to sell food and nonalcoholic beverages and host live events, paving the way for Amsterdam-like cannabis cafes.
Marijuana businesses in the state, home to the nation’s largest number of cannabis consumers, rallied for the law.
A separate law lets local governments create “entertainment zones,” where restaurants and bars can sell alcoholic drinks to go, and outdoor drinking will be permitted.
Protections against sexually explicit deepfakes
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several A.I.-related protections. One bill makes it illegal to create and distribute lifelike depictions of real people in images that cause serious emotional distress, targeting A.I.-generated deepfakes that are sexually explicit. Another bill requires social media platforms to provide users with a way to report sexually explicit deepfakes of themselves.
Mr. Newsom did however veto a sweeping A.I. safety bill that was aimed at limiting the growth of the technology, directing legislators to revise it in the next session.
A ban on ‘forced outing’ of L.G.B.T.Q. youths by schools
School districts can no longer require teachers or staff members to disclose a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents.
The legislation, the first of its kind in the country, responds to policies in some school districts that required employees to notify parents if a student began using different pronouns or identified as a gender not reflected in school records.
“Teachers can still talk to parents,” Mr. Newsom said at a news conference in December. “What they can’t do under the law is fire a teacher for not being a snitch. I just don’t think teachers should be gender police.”
Several school districts have sued the state over the legislation, and the case is pending in federal court.
Reparations measures for Black residents
Multiple laws modeled after recommendations from the state’s Reparations Task Force are taking effect, including a measure that broadens protections against discrimination based on hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locs and twists that protect hair from damage and are often worn by Black people.
Another such law requires companies to give advance notice to employees and county officials before closing a grocery store or a pharmacy. That measure is aimed at preventing neighborhoods from losing their main source of food or prescriptions, which disproportionately affects areas that are predominantly Black.
Of the 14 reparations bills prioritized by the California Legislative Black Caucus, six were signed into law. Some failed to pass the Legislature, and two were vetoed by Mr. Newsom. The package did not include the direct cash payments recommended by the task force.
A measure blocking medical debt from affecting credit scores
Health providers and debt collectors are now prohibited from reporting most medical debt to credit agencies, preventing it from having a negative impact on credit reports. These reports, which are the basis for credit scores, can affect a person’s ability to secure a loan, mortgage or even a job.
Millions of Californians have unpaid medical bills, including more than half of low-income residents, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
Restrictions on toxic chemicals in cosmetics and clothing
Several laws that ban certain toxic chemicals from clothing and cosmetics take effect on Jan. 1.
One bill targets 24 chemicals in cosmetics, including mercury and formaldehyde. Other bills ban the sale of cosmetic products, clothing and outdoor gear containing PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” a group of thousands of chemicals that persist in the environment and accumulate in the body.
Exposure to PFAS has been linked to severe health risks, though experts are still researching to fully understand their effects. These chemicals are widespread in the blood of Americans and difficult to get rid of, as they can be found in items ranging from pizza boxes to dental floss.
The Legislature passed the laws before 2024 but gave companies additional time to comply.
Safeguards for money made by child content creators
Two pieces of legislation enhance financial protections for child content creators, including child influencers and minors featured on YouTube, Instagram and other online platforms that generate revenue.
One bill extends the state’s Coogan Law, which protects child performers, to minors employed as content creators on online platforms. Employers will be required to deposit at least 15 percent of their earnings into a trust account.
The other measure mandates compensation for minors featured in online content that makes money, requiring parents or guardians to set aside a portion of their earnings in a trust account.
A proactive ban on octopus farming
California is banning octopus farming and the sale of farmed octopuses, citing concerns about animal welfare and environmental impacts. Although currently there are no large-scale octopus farming operations in the state, the legislation aims to prevent them from opening in the future.
The law describes octopuses as “highly intelligent, curious, problem-solving animals” that are “conscious, sentient beings.”
California is the second state to prohibit octopus farming and the first to ban the sale of farmed octopuses.
The post California Laws That Go Into Effect on Jan. 1 appeared first on New York Times.
