Summary of New California Laws: Effective January 1, 2023
Summary of New California Laws: Effective January 1, 2023
Below are summaries of laws that will be effective post-January 1, 2023. For further details, see California Legislation 2022.
Alerts
AB 1314 established an alert system for indigenous people who have gone missing “under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.”
Animals
SB-856 removes barriers to hunting destructive and invasive wild pigs whose population is increasing in most of California's counties.
AB-44 makes it illegal to sell or make clothing or products out of animal fur in California.
Automobiles
SB-1087 provides that the only individuals who can sell a catalytic converter is an automobile dismantler, repair dealers, or a person with documentation that they are lawful owners.
AB-1740 requires those who recycle catalytic converters to obtain the year, make, and model of the car that the converter comes from and a copy of that car's title.
Criminal
AB-2239 provides a person convicted of misdemeanor child or elder abuse on or after Jan. 1, 2023, is prohibited from possessing a firearm in California. Currently, persons convicted of felonies and certain specified misdemeanors are prohibited from owning guns in the state.
AB-1788 will subject hotels to civil penalties if employees fail to inform police officials of sex trafficking at their establishment.
AB-2294 permits police to keep individuals in custody for misdemeanor or felony retail theft if that person has been arrested or convicted of theft from a store in the past six months and if that person is suspected of being part of an organized retail theft operation
Employment
SB-3 raises the statewide minimum wage on Jan. 1, 2023, from $14 to $15.50 per hour
AB-2223, the Contraceptive Equity Act (SB-523) protects employees from discrimination based on their reproductive health decisions, including using contraceptives and removes requirements for employees to disclose those decisions as a condition of employment.
AB-1949 will make it illegal for an employer to refuse to grant bereavement leave for up to 5 days for an employee upon the death of a family member.
AB-2183 expands protections for California farmworkers by allowing them to vote by mail in union elections rather than forcing them to vote in-person.
SB-960 provides that individuals are no longer required to be citizens or permanent residents of the United States to become police officers in California; they only need to be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
Energy
SB-846 extends the lifespan of the state's last operating nuclear plant at Diablo Canyon by up to five years. The bill also authorizes a loan of $1.4 billion from the state to Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), which operates the power plant, to facilitate the extension. The plant was previously scheduled to stop operating its Unit 1 in 2024 and Unit 2 in 2025.
Health
AB-2223 also protects reproductive freedom by shielding pregnant people from criminal and civil liability in case of a miscarriage, stillbirth, or self-managed abortion.
SB-107 provides that families that come to California seeking medical treatment for transgender children and teens are protected from out-of-state subpoenas or warrants, as well as families that move to the state to avoid consequences for already seeking that treatment elsewhere.
SB-1338, also known as the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Act, allows family members, first responders, and clinicians to ask a judge to order treatment for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Those plans would include medication, housing, and therapy. Those who refuse treatment could be placed in a conservatorship and ordered to comply with the treatment.
Holidays - State
AB-1655 recognizes Juneteenth as a new state holiday on Jun. 19. Additionally, AB-2596 removes the requirement for the governor to declare Lunar New Year as a state holiday annually, and AB-1801 marks Apr. 24 as Genocide Remembrance Day in California.
Real Property
SB-561 requires an audit of all surplus state property to determine what land might be suitable for housing construction.
AB-2097 stops city and county governments across California from implementing a minimum requirement for housing developments to provide parking if those developments are within a half-mile of public transit.
Taxation – Pink Tax
AB-1287 makes it illegal for companies to charge different prices for products based on the gender referring to a practice "pink tax."
Technology
SB-717 creates a system for deploying broadband throughout California to provide improved connectivity for low-income and underserved communities.
Traffic
AB-2147 decriminalizes jaywalking in California.
AB-1909 makes several changes to bicycle and vehicle laws.
Voting
SB-103 ensures the state's presidential electors cast ballots for candidates who win the popular vote and do not instead switch candidates or abstain from voting.
This list is for educational purposes only and any questions about the content should be directed to the Legal Resource Center at cob-lrc@csulb.edu.
