January 2012: New California laws
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Children and STDs
AB 499 allows children 12 or older to seek medical care for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases without parental consent, including vaccinations against human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer. (Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, D-San Diego)
Sacramento County Nurse Joy Arce counsels a teenager about sexually transmitted diseases inside Sacramento County's Care-A-Van at the Community Day Reporting School in South Sacramento. File photo. -
Food and drugs
AB 688 prohibits stores from selling baby food, infant formula or over-the-counter drugs after their expiration or "use by" date. (Assemblyman Richard Pan, D-Sacramento)
Marlene Kraft removes containers of powdered Similac infant formula from the shelves of a grocery store. File photo. -
Cadmium in jewelry
SB 929 bans the use of cadmium in children's jewelry. (From a 2010 bill by then-Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, that called for delayed implementation.)
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer charms varied from 82 percent to 91 percent cadmium content. -
Needle exchange
AB 604 allows the state Department of Public Health to allow a two-year needle exchange program in any location where it determines that conditions exist for rapid spread of HIV, viral hepatitis or other dangerous infections. (Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley) -
Open carry
AB 144 outlaws openly carrying unloaded handguns in public, with exceptions for police, parade participants, target shooters and others. (Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge) -
Victims' rights
AB 648 requires a governor to notify local prosecutors about a pending commutation request 10 days before taking action on it. Those district attorneys must then try to notify victims and their family members. (Assemblyman Marty Block, D-San Diego)
Ralph Guerriero, a member of the California Correctional Peace officers Association, collects roses from the symbolic coffins laid out on the west lawn of the Capitol during the 14th annual victims rights march. File photo. -
Car booster seats
SB 929 requires young children to remain in car booster seats until age 8, unless they reach a height of 4 feet 9 inches before then. (Sen. Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa)
Six-year-old Sabrina Washington attempts to fasten the seat belt of her booster seat as her brother Darren Washington waits in the seat beside her after their mother picked them up from Pony Express Elementary School. File photo. -
Cough medications
SB 514 bans the sale of cough, cold or other over-the-counter medicines containing the chemical dextromethorphan to minors without a prescription. (Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto) -
Drunken drivers
AB 1601 allows a 10-year driver's license revocation for three drunken driving convictions within a 10-year period. (From a 2010 bill by Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, that called for delayed implementation) -
Gay history
SB 48 requires social science instruction in public schools to include the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender Americans, as well as people with disabilities. (Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco)
Transgender student Benji Delgadillo, who attends high school in San Juan Capistrano, asked his history teacher to include gay rights in his lessons about the civil rights movement. His teacher, hesitant at first, complied. File photo. -
Epilepsy medication
SB 161 permits school districts to allow non-medical employees who volunteer and receive training to administer medication to epileptic students who suffer a seizure while on campus. (Sen. Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar) -
Military and college tuition
AB 882 ensures that military service members and their dependents do not lose residency status at California colleges if they are sent outside the state. (Assemblymen Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, and Bob Blumenfield, D-Woodland Hills)
Students walk in the courtyard at UC Davis law school. File photo. -
English, math standards
AB 250 creates a process to align school curriculum, instruction and student testing with the common core standards in English and mathematics that were adopted in 2010. (Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica)
Grant High math teacher Kadhir Rajagopal helps his ninth-and 10th-grade Algebra II students with practice problems before they take a quiz. File photo. -
Student athletes
AB 25 requires schools to remove from play a student athlete who sustains a possible concussion, and mandates that the player receive medical clearance before returning to competition. (Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, D-Castro Valley)
John Fitzgerald, a tight end at Rosemont High School who suffered a concussion, is checked out by assistant coach David Batts. As a precaution, Fitzgerald did not compete in his final high school game. File photo. -
Shark fins
AB 376 bans possession, sale or distribution of shark fins in California, with limited exceptions. (Assemblymen Paul Fong, D-Cupertino, and Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael)
Shark fins were selling for $198 per pound at one San Francisco shop in February. File photo. -
Los Angeles stadium
SB 292 provides for an expedited review of environmental challenges to a proposed NFL football stadium and convention center project in downtown Los Angeles. (Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles)
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College scholarships
AB 130 allows undocumented immigrants to apply for privately funded scholarships if they currently meet the criteria for paying resident tuition. Similar legislation for state-funded financial aid will not take effect until 2013. (Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles)
In cap and gown, Maria Luna, 21, a 2010 graduate of California State University, Sacramento, and other spectators look on as the state Senate passes Assembly Bill 130, which seeks to allow some undocumented immigrants to apply for privately funded scholarships. File photo. -
ELECTIONS
June presidential primary
AB 80 moves California's presidential primary election from February to June, consolidating it with the state's direct primary election. (Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino)
November ballot measures
SB 202 restricts ballot initiatives and referendums to the November ballot, when turnout tends to be higher and more advantageous to Democrats. (Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley)
New citizens
AB 84 allows California residents who become new U.S. citizens in the final days before an election to register and cast votes until polls close. (Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino)
Sex offenders
AB 193 prohibits the homes of registered sex offenders from being used as polling places. (Assemblyman Steve Knight, R-Palmdale)
Tenants and political signs
SB 337 bars landlords from prohibiting the posting of small political signs by tenants. (Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego)
Sacramento County election clerk Matt Bailey goes through vote-by-mail ballots. File photo. -
LABOR
Farmworkers
SB 126 gives farmworkers greater protections in labor-organizing disputes, partly by allowing the Agricultural Labor Relations Board to certify a labor organization if it finds gross employer misconduct that prevents a fair union election. (Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento)
Labor agreements
SB 922 prohibits cities and counties from adopting a blanket ban of project labor agreements - which typically benefit union workers - on construction projects. (Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento)
Independent contractors
SB 459 bans employers from "willful misclassification" of workers as independent contractors, setting penalties of up to $15,000 per violation. (Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro)
Private vendors
AB 740 strengthens restrictions on state agencies, forcing them to end business immediately with a private vendor if the State Personnel Board rules that the contract violates state law. (Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Woodland Hills)
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, and United Farm Workers union leader Arturo Rodriguez, raise their hands in front of a group of farmworkers and supporters at the Capitol buildings north steps to culminate a march from Madera to Sacramento to help get Gov. Jerry Brown sign the Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act. File photo. -
Foster care
AB 12 extends transitional foster care benefits to young adults between ages 18 and 21 if they agree to remain in school or find employment. (From a 2010 bill by Assemblyman Jim Beall, D-San Jose, and then-Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles)
A girl who currently lives in foster care gets her hair done by volunteer Jo Leininger during "Diva Day." File photo. -
Smoking and rentals
SB 332 permits landlords to ban smoking in or around their rental units. (Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles) -
Fingerprint requirement
AB 6 eliminates the requirement that food stamp recipients be fingerprinted. (Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, D-Sylmar) -
Homeless youths
AB 1111 bars a court from garnishing wages of a homeless person fined for truancy, loitering, curfew violations or illegal lodging until he or she reaches age 25. (Assembly members Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, and Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles)
Latisha Hunter takes a break from packing and plays with her puppy Sadee as Sacramento police officers evict 150 homeless people from an illegal campground along the American River. File photo. -
Infused alcohol
SB 32 lets bars and restaurants color, flavor or blend spirits or wine for consumption on their premises. (Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco)
A rosemary-infused gin infused alcohol drink named Summer in Scotland served at the Shady Lady. File photo.
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