CALIFORNIA, USA — California Governor Gavin Newsom signed several new bills into law that will take effect in 2024.
Some of those new laws include an increase in the minimum wage for workers in California and fast food workers, extended paid sick leave and employment protections for cannabis users. Here's a look at others:
Senate Bill 616 | Extended paid sick leave
Beginning January 1, 2024, workers in California will receive an additional two days of paid sick days for the year. Senate Bill 616, authored by State Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) increases the number of days that employers are required to pay eligible employees from three days of paid sick leave per year to five days. The new law also expands the definition of sick leave to include caring for a sick family member. The new law also includes paid time off for employees who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assaults, and stalking. According to Governor Gavin Newsom, the two-day increase is equivalent to a month's worth of groceries and will help boost workers' productivity and morale.
Senate Bill 848 | Reproductive loss leave
Under SB 848, private employers with five or more employees and all public employers have to provide up to five days of reproductive loss leave for qualifying events including: failed adoption, failed surrogacy, miscarriage, stillbirth or unsuccessful assisted reproduction. The five days don’t have to be consecutive. The full text of the law is here..
Assembly Bill 701 | Fentanyl
California will impose harsher punishments for people convicted of trafficking large amounts of fentanyl. AB 701 classifies fentanyl on the same list of controlled substances that include heroin, cocaine and other drugs, which carry stiffer penalties and sentencing enhancements for dealers. When the law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, an individual convicted of dealing a kilo or more of fentanyl will face much stricter sentencing. The law, authored by Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua, aims at prosecuting drug traffickers and high-scale dealers to the same degree as heroin and cocaine drug dealers.
Senate Bill 14 | Child sex trafficking
On January 1, 2024, individuals who are arrested and tried on charges of sex trafficking of minors for monetary gain will receive harsher penalties than before. Senate Bill 14, authored by State Senator Shannon Grove (D-Merced) and State Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced), designates human trafficking of minors for commercial gain to as a "serious felony," which will result in harsher prison sentences and inclusion in California's "Three Strikes" law. The new law was unanimously supported in the Assembly and the Senate and garnered support from local, national, and international anti-human trafficking organizations.
RELATED: 2024 New California Laws | California's crack down on child trafficking and those who profit from it
Assembly Bill 360 | Excited delirium
Any California coroner or medical examiner can no longer use the term 'excited delirium' as a cause of death. AB 360 also outlaws law enforcement from using the term in an incident report.
Assembly Bill 663 | Mobile pharmacies
Californians battling opioid addiction will be able to obtain vital medications through mobile pharmacies starting Jan. 1. AB 663 allows pharmacies to create mobile access to medicines like buprenorphin which is used to treat opioid addiction. Patients seeking the medication will also have access to enroll in treatment and recovery services for drug addiction. The law removes barriers to administering controlled substances used for drug addiction and creates mobile access to medication across California.
Assembly Bill No. 1228 | Fast-food workers
Beginning in April 2024, fast-food workers who earn minimum wage in California will see their hourly wages jump from just over $16 an hour to $20 an hour. The minimum wage increase is part of Assembly Bill 1228 and will impact approximately 500,000 fast-food workers statewide. Written by Assemblymember Chirs Holden (D-Pasadena) the pay increase is only a portion of the bill, which will also hold corporate fast-food chains responsible for working conditions at restaurants that are owned by individual franchisees. The bill was challenged by the nation's largest fast-food chains which said the pay increase would drive up food prices.
California's minimum wage
California’s minimum wage will increase to $16 per hour for all employers.
Assembly Bill 1346 | Gas Powered Equipment
Under AB 1346, retailers are prohibited from selling gas-powered outdoor equipment. That includes certain chainsaws, hedge trimmers and edgers, lawn mowers and leaf blowers. It does not include air compressors, portable generators and pressure washers.
Assembly Bill 2188, Senate Bill 700 | Employment protections for cannabis users
Workers in California who use marijuana have additional protections starting in 2024. Cannabis use while on the clock is still restricted, but it's now illegal for an employer to not hire or terminate an employee for using cannabis products outside of work.
Senate Bill 673 | Ebony Alert
California will become the first state to create an alert notification system to address missing Black children and young Black women between the ages of 12 and 25. SB 673 allows law enforcement agencies to request an Ebony Alert be activated by the California Highway Patrol.
Assembly Bill 2282 | Hate symbols
Criminal penalties for three hate symbols are now equalized: Nazi swastika, noose and desecrated crosses. AB 2282 also increases the locations where they are banned to include K-12 schools, colleges, cemeteries, places of worship, places of employment, private property, public parks, public spaces, and public facilities.
Assembly Bill 436 | Cruising
AB 436 ends the decades-long ban on cruising in California.
Assembly Bill 1084 | Gender neutral toy aisles
Under AB 1084, major retailers or any company with 500 or more employees, would be required to have a gender-neutral display for children’s toys in their store and clearly labeled as such. This law would only apply to retailers that operate inside the state of California. Companies that fail to maintain a gender-neutral toy aisle would face a civil penalty of $250 for the first time and $500 for each subsequent penalty. The new law goes into effect January 1, 2024.
Assembly Bill 1287 | Density Bonus
Religious institutions and nonprofit colleges in California will be allowed to turn their parking lots and other properties into low-income housing under a new law aimed at combating the ongoing homeless crisis. AB 1287 rezones land owned by nonprofit colleges and religious institutions, such as churches, mosques, and synagogues, to allow for affordable housing. Starting in 2024, they can bypass most local permitting and environmental review rules that can be costly and lengthy
Assembly Bill 618 | Campsite reservations
This new law was meant to increase access to California's public parks and beaches by promoting responsible reservation practices, according to Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. It changes the online camping registration system to stave off no-shows and cancellations. Previously there were no penalties for reserving a spot that later went unused. Under this law, anyone who cancels their reservation more than a week before it starts gets a credit for another reservation to be used in the next five years while those who don't show up after the first day will completely lose the rest of their reservation. It also puts into place reminder emails about the booking to encourage an early cancellation, if needed, and caps the number of days a person can stay at the same campsite.
Senate Bill 43 | Conservatorship Expansion
The first major change to California's conservatorship laws in more than 50 years updates the definition for those eligible for conservatorship. It now includes people who are unable to provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care, in addition to food, clothing, or shelter, due to either severe substance use disorder or serious mental health illnesses. Supporters say the new law also provides more transparency into data and equity on mental health conservatorships.
Watch Related: New California laws going into effect in 2023 (Jan 1, 2023)