These new laws just went into effect in California
New year, new rules.
Hundreds of new laws went into effect in California on January 1, including many passed by lawmakers this fall. And, as I wrote earlier this week, California’s minimum wage was raised 50 cents statewide to $16 an hour.
Here are some of the more notable new state laws:
Protections for cannabis users
Starting Monday, California employers can no longer ban off-the-clock cannabis use for most employees. Assembly Bill 2188 prohibits companies from firing or otherwise punishing employees for their marijuana use “off the job and outside the workplace.”
It is also now illegal for most employers in the state to discriminate against employees who test positive on drug screens for “non-psychoactive” traces of marijuana, which the measure says “does not indicate impairment, but only the fact that a individual has used cannabis in the past few years’. to soften.”
The law’s protections do not apply to certain categories of workers, including those who work in construction or for the federal government; they can still be legally punished for marijuana use outside of work.
Another new law Senate Bill 700prohibits California employers from requesting information from job applicants about their cannabis use.
Gender neutral toy sections
Under AB 1084, which was passed by the state legislature in 2021, major stores that sell toys must now maintain a gender-neutral children’s section. The state can fine stores that don’t comply with the rules up to $250 for a first violation and $500 for each subsequent violation.
More absenteeism due to illness
Employers in California must now SB 616, giving each employee at least five days, or 40 hours, of sick leave per year. The old minimum was three days. New York, Oregon and several other states already require employers to offer at least 40 hours of sick leave per year.
Easier refunds through Airbnb
SB 644 requires hotels, travel booking companies and short-term rental services such as Airbnb to allow reservations to be “canceled without penalty” within 24 hours of booking confirmation. The rule only applies to reservations made 72 hours or more before scheduled check-in.
Longer prison sentences for fentanyl crimes
Under AB 701people convicted of trafficking or attempting to traffic more than one kilogram of fentanyl can now be sentenced to more prison terms than previously allowed. More than 6,000 Californians died of fentanyl overdoses in 2022.
Where we travel to
Today’s tip comes from Laura Davidson:
“I love visiting South Lake and riding the 395 along this beautiful eastern part of our state, all the way from Lancaster to Bishop. From the clouds to the land: it is a beautiful ride.”
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We will share more in future editions of the newsletter.
Tell us
What are you looking forward to in 2024? Milestone birthdays, traveling to new places, taking up a new hobby?
Tell us your expectations for the new year at CAtoday@nytimes.com. Please include your full name and the city where you live.
And before you go: good news
A group called Atheists United has for decades fostered a community for atheists in Los Angeles and Southern California, a kind of congregation for people outside the confines of religious institutions.
Led by Executive Director, Evan Clark, Atheists United recently began hosting walking tours, called Atheist Adventures, to some of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring state and national parks on the West Coast. The trips are designed for group members to talk about their beliefs and have a non-religious spiritual experience in nature.
On a recent trip to Utah’s Zion National Park, 20 members of the group were joined by reporter Deborah Netburn of The Los Angeles Times, who recorded the journey as well as the values and core questions that animate the group and its members.
Referring to her three-year-old son, Dani Hsia, a group member who attended the Zion outing, said, “I want him to feel all these things – to feel humbled and awed and connected.”
“These types of events are important to me because they shape how I talk to him and help him understand how to be a good person,” she said.