11 New California Laws That Take Effect in 2023

The California Legislature enacted hundreds of new rules that will go into effect in the next year, ranging from raising the minimum wage for more people to allowing jaywalking in certain circumstances. The majority of them start on January 1st. These eleven new laws will take effect in California in 2023.

Jaywalking: If a pedestrian is not in urgent danger of being struck while crossing the street, they will no longer get a ticket. According to Assembly Member Phil Ting's (D-San Francisco) bill, "a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger" of colliding with a car or a bike before halting or issuing a citation for jaywalking. [1]

Minimum Wage: The $15 minimum wage in California will be extended to almost all workers, even those for small enterprises. Employees of companies with 25 or less employees are subject to the hourly pay increase. It's the last stage in a seven-year plan to gradually implement a $15 minimum wage across the whole state, which was extended to workers at bigger enterprises in 2022. All in all, the minimum wage will increase by 50 cents to $15.50, including the state's recent inclusion of an inflationary adjustment. With the passage of SB3, sponsored by then-Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, lawmakers authorized pay hikes. Higher base pay is mandated by laws in several Bay Area communities already. [2]

Mental Illness: In order to get people with serious mental illnesses off the streets and into treatment, a new system called Care Court will be put into place by October 2023 in San Francisco and six other California counties. Family, friends, neighbors, probation officers, and others will have a new avenue to recommend persons with psychotic diseases like schizophrenia to treatment under SB1338. According to the statute, courts can force persons to follow treatment regimens and ask counties to help them. By December 2024, all counties must start the program. [1]

Housing: The option to expedite their projects will be available to developers wishing to create homes in sleepy business zones, such as empty parking lots, strip malls, and office parks. As long as about 15% of rental units are designated as affordable, Assembly Member Buffy Wicks' (D-Oakland) AB2011 streamlines zoning and permit approvals for housing in many urban areas. The Wicks bill also permits employers to bring on non-union workers as long as they pay them prevailing wages and provide health benefits. The law becomes operative on July 1. [1]

Abortion: Another new law going into effect in 2023 will allow nurse practitioners to perform first-trimester abortions without a doctor's supervision. One of about a dozen new laws, some of which have already gone into effect, SB1375 by Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, aims to increase access to abortion in the state. [1]

Gunmaker Lawsuits: Companies who produce or market illicit guns in California may be subject to a number of new legal actions. Sen. Robert Hertzberg's (D-Van Nuys, Los Angeles County) SB1327 gives private individuals the right to sue gun makers and dealers in civil court for selling assault weapons or ghost guns, including precursor parts, in California, with a minimum reward of at least $10,000. The bounty-hunter clause in the measure is based on stringent Texas abortion legislation and uses private litigation as its enforcement method. According to a similar piece of legislation, AB1594 by Ting, Californians, the state's attorney general, and local governments will be able to sue gun manufacturers and sellers for any harm their weapons cause if they violate state law. Most of it goes into effect on July 1. [1]

Criminal Records: Many individuals with prior arrests or convictions will be able to hide such incidents from criminal history checks. Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, introduced SB731, which would allow persons to have their criminal records electronically sealed so that the public cannot examine them. Prior offenders are only eligible if they have fulfilled all requirements of their court sentence, including any jail or probation time, and have stayed out of trouble with the law. People who have been convicted of a significant or violent offense, such as murder, kidnapping, rape, or any other crime that necessitates registering as a sex offender, will not be eligible for this choice. The statute becomes operative on July 1, 2023. [1]

COVID Misinformation: Doctors that propagate false information regarding COVID-19, such as concerning the efficacy of vaccinations and unproven therapies for those who contract the disease, will more readily face censure. By categorizing such action as "unprofessional conduct" under state law, Assembly Member Evan Low's (D-Sunnyvale) AB2098 makes it simpler for the Medical Board of California to sanction doctors who propagate false information regarding COVID-19. The medical board is the state body in charge of regulating and disciplining doctors, and it has the authority to revoke a doctor's license or order probation in cases of misconduct. Two anti-vaccine doctors are already suing the government, supported by right-wing activists and the liberal American Civil Liberties Union. [1]

Student-Athletes: The opportunity to profit from the use of their names and pictures will be assured for many college athletes in the state. Sen. Nancy Skinner's (D-Berkeley) SB206 will affect players at public and private colleges in California who earn at least $10 million annually from intercollegiate athletics media rights, which includes the majority of the state's top-tier institutions. The NCAA cannot forbid third parties from compensating athletes for sponsorships and appearances under the 2019 legislation. The bill pushed the NCAA to adopt a temporary rule lifting the national ban on athletes participating in such activity in 2021. [1]

Loitering: Police will no longer be able to detain and issue citations to anyone they believe are prowling the streets looking for sex employment. A 1995 statute that forbade loitering in public areas with the "intent to commit prostitution" is repealed by state senator Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, who introduced SB357. The loitering rule was dubbed a "walking while trans" ban by LGBTQ activists because they said it led to police targeting of transgender and women of color for seemingly benign reasons including how they dress or stand in public. [1]

Fur: Fashionistas won't be able to purchase brand-new chinchilla vests or mink jackets. The sale and production of new fur garments and accessories are prohibited under Assembly Member Laura Friedman's (D-Glendale, Los Angeles County) AB44. The bill was approved in 2019, but lawmakers chose to postpone its enforcement until 2023 in order to allow shops time to liquidate their stock. Retailers may continue to provide used fur clothes and accessories. Faux fur, which is typically created from polymers, will be exempt from the prohibition. Additionally, it excludes cowhides, leather, taxidermied animals, and the entire skin of deer, sheep, and goats. [1]

---

PLEASE SUPPORT MORE INVESTING NEWS & INTERNET SECURITY ARTICLES LIKE THESE!

If you find yourself checking the articles on Yung's Money a few times a week or more, please help support this channel's future by subscribing to one of several informative platforms I write content for below:

1.) Subscribe to my Blog Hosted on Medium

2.) Subscribe to my Substack

3.) Subscribe to my Patreon Channel

---

SOURCES:

[1] California Legislative Information. "https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/." Accessed December 7th, 2022.

[2] CA.gov. "https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/FAQ_MinimumWage.htm." Accessed December 7th, 2022