New California laws for 2024

Governor Gavin Newsom this year signed landmark legislation to support the reproductive rights of Californians, increase affordable housing, hold Big Oil accountable, and protect the safety, health, and well-being of all Californians.

“California is more than just a state of dreamers, we’re a state of doers," said Newsom. "Thanks to the Legislature’s strong partnership in 2023, the state is leading by example to create opportunity, and advance and protect the rights of all Californians.”

Here is a quick look at a few bills that will take effect on January 1, 2024:

FIGHTING FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

What you need to know: As the country continues to reel after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, California is building on its nation-leading efforts to safeguard reproductive freedom for all Californians.

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan’s AB 352 requires companies that manage electronic health records to protect all Californians’ and visitors’ electronic medical records related to abortion, gender-affirming care, pregnancy loss, and other sensitive services. This closes a major loophole in privacy protections for people traveling to California for abortion and gender-affirming care.

Senator Skinner’s SB 345 protects providers and people from enforcement action in California of other states’ laws that criminalize or limit reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare services.

ADDRESSING THE OPIOID CRISIS

What you need to know: To combat the opioid crisis, California is expanding lifesaving treatment to communities in need. Assemblymember Haney’s AB 663 allows for more mobile pharmacies to be created in communities across the state and enables them to dispense treatment medications for opioid use disorder.

WORKERS’ RIGHTS

What you need to know: To help ensure Californians can take the time they need to care for themselves and their families, Governor Newsom signed Senator Gonzalez’s SB 616, which expands the number of sick days available to workers from 3 to 5.

INCREASING VOTER ACCESS

What you need to know: California has some of the strongest voting laws in the nation and continues working to make elections more accessible for all. Assemblymember Pellerin’s AB 545 allows voters with a disability to complete a regular ballot outside of any polling place—known as curbside voting—and removes the requirement for a voter to declare under oath that they are unable to mark their ballot in order to receive assistance doing so.

TAKING ON BIG OIL

What you need to know: The Governor is committed to making big oil more accountable for fleecing Californians at the pump. Senator Skinner’s SBX1-2 grants the California Energy Commission new authority to penalize refineries and set a maximum gross gasoline refining margin if necessary to help combat price gouging. It also creates a new independent state watchdog to investigate market or price manipulation.

INCREASING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

What you need to know: The state is increasing the amount of affordable housing available for Californians. Legislation signed this year aims to speed up the process to secure permits and meet housing goals.

Senator Wiener’s SB 423 extends and expands existing law, requiring local governments that are failing to meet state housing planning goals to streamline affordable housing projects. This will increase affordable housing throughout the state in uncooperative cities.

Senator Wiener’s SB 4, known as the “Yes in God’s Backyard” bill, allows housing to be developed on property owned by religious or independent higher education institutions. These groups are given this authority “by right,” which requires no discretionary local governance intervention.

ADDRESSING THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

What you need to know: Addressing our nation’s behavioral health crisis, the Governor signed legislation to improve healthcare delivery systems and make these services more accessible. These efforts will help tens of thousands of Californians and fill critical needs across the state, from homeless Californians with severe behavioral health issues to kids suffering from depression and everyone in between. Together, these reforms will be proposed to the voters for approval on the March 2024 ballot as Proposition 1.

Senator Eggman’s SB 326 reforms the Mental Health Services Act—making better use of Mental Health Services Act funding to address today’s needs and increasing accountability to the public.

Assemblymember Irwin’s AB 531 would issue $6.38 billion in bonds to fund 11,150 new behavioral health beds and housing as well as 26,700 outpatient treatment slots.

PUBLIC SAFETY

What you need to know: In September, Governor Newsom signed Senator Grove’s SB 14 to steepen penalties for human trafficking of minors in California. The law designates human trafficking of a minor for purposes of a commercial sex act as a serious felony.

STREAMLINING THE UC TRANSFER PROCESS

What you should know: AB 1291 by Assemblymember McCarty establishes the University of California (UC) Associate Degree for Transfer Pilot Program, beginning with UCLA, to prioritize admission of a student who earns an associate degree for transfer (ADT) from selected community colleges and to redirect a student who meets those requirements but is denied admission to the applicable campus and offer admission to at least one other campus. Expanding ADTs to the UC system allows qualified community college transfer students to fulfill the requirements of an ADT and meet the requirements for participating UC and CSU campuses, streamlining the transfer process and saving students money by being able to earn two degrees in four years.

TRAFFIC LAWS

Speed Camera Pilot Program – AB 645 (Friedman) - Establishes a five-year pilot program to give local transportation authorities in San Jose, Oakland, Los Angeles, Glendale, Long Beach and San Francisco the authority to install a limited number of speed cameras on local streets where there are safety concerns. The cameras will automatically take a picture of a speeding car’s license plate and deliver a notice of violation to the registered owner through the mail. The law is intended to reduce speeding, traffic collisions, serious injuries and fatalities.

Improved Visibility at Crosswalks and Intersections – AB 413 (Lee) - Prohibits a person from parking a vehicle within 20 feet of either side of any marked or unmarked crosswalk, or within 15 feet of any crosswalk where a curb extension is present. Permits local governments to allow parking for bicycles or motorized scooters within 20 feet of a crosswalk. The law is intended to increase visibility for all road users to see oncoming traffic by removing parked cars near crosswalks and intersections, a safety measure known as “daylighting.”

Crackdown on Catalytic Converter Theft – SB 55 (Umberg); AB 641 (Fong); AB 1519 (Bains) - These new laws are intended to help combat the theft of catalytic converters and keep Californians and their cars safer. SB 55 prohibits motor vehicle dealers from selling a vehicle equipped with a catalytic converter unless the converter has been permanently marked with the vehicle’s identification number (VIN), with some exceptions. AB 641 makes it a misdemeanor for a person to possess nine or more used catalytic converters that have been cut from a vehicle, with some exceptions. AB 1519 makes it a misdemeanor to remove or alter any VIN or other unique marking that has been added to a catalytic converter, and it also makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly possess three catalytic converters that have a VIN or other unique marking removed or altered.

Assembly Bill No. 436 (Alvarez) - California will end its statewide ban on cruising, when drivers show off classic, typically customized lowrider cars, by leisurely riding on city streets. The new law follows the lifting of cruising limits in cities including San Jose, Sacramento and Modesto.

Assembly Bill 2773 - Notification by Peace Officers during stops. The purpose of AB 2773 is to require a peace officer making a traffic or pedestrian stop to state the reason for the stop before asking investigatory questions unless the officer reasonably believes that withholding the reason for the stop is necessary to protect life or property from imminent threat. Additionally, the bill adds information regarding this requirement to the DMV Driver’s Handbook, and requires local law enforcement agencies to report additional stop information to the DOJ.

Assembly Bill 1606 - New Alternatives for Renewing your license. This new law authorizes the DMV Director to establish a program to evaluate the traffic safety and other effects of renewing driver’s licenses by virtual or other remote processes. This is in addition to current online renewal options offered to most drivers under 70 years old. The program would allow drivers 70 and older to complete certain driver’s license renewal requirements, such as vision and knowledge tests, by virtual or remote means. Drivers 80 and older would still be required to renew in person at the DMV. The law is intended to provide older drivers with renewal alternatives to visiting a DMV office, while overall increasing customer convenience and reducing the number of visits to DMV offices.