No More Plastic Bags, Rubbers for Prisoners and Paid Sick Time: 15 New CA Laws in 2015

Here are 15 of the new laws that are going into effect this year.

By Renee Schiavone (Patch Staff) January 5, 2015 at 11:41am

By Renee Schiavone and Paige Austin:
California lawmakers sure like to pass legislation– they like it so much, there are more than 900 new laws that are taking effect in the golden state this year.
To help you understand just a mere fraction of what’s now law in this land, here are descriptions of 15 of them:

1. SB 270, Plastic Bag Ban: This was one of the most-talked about laws passed in 2014, when California became the first state in the nation to ban the use of single-use plastic bags at places like grocery and drug stores. This starts going into effect in July.
2. AB 60, Driver’s Licences for Immigrants: Under this law, which went into effect with the new year, the DMV is required to issue a driver license to to any applicant “...who can prove identity and California residency, and meet all other licensing requirements, such as passing the driver license knowledge and behind-the-wheel driving exams.” Long lines are expected at the already-infamously packed DMV in the coming weeks.
3. SB 967, ‘Yes Means Yes’: The so-called “Affirmative Consent” bill, is intended to eliminate college date rapes by forcing all colleges and universities in California, including community colleges, to adopt protocols for complaints. As the law reads, both parties must give spoken consent for sex; silence is not considered consent and any sex act must be consensual THROUGHOUT the act.
4. AB 1965, Pets at Restaurants: Don’t be surprised if you start spotting more pooches while you’re eating out. This bill was signed into law in Aug., and gives restaurants the option to allow pet dogs in their outdoor seating areas under specified conditions unless a local ordinance determines otherwise.
5. AB 1522, Paid Sick Days: This law affects California workers who didn’t get paid sick leave prior to this year. When it takes effect in July, employees who work more than 30 days in a year can take sick time, up to 3 days a year. There’s also a built-in provision that states employers can’t retaliate against an employee for using their sick time.
6. AB 1014, Gun Violence Restraining Order: Passed in the wake of a terrible tragedy near UCSB, this law allows for the temporary removal of firearms from individuals who are deemed at risk for committing acts of violence.
7. SB 1255, ‘Revenge Porn’: This law expands on current legislation so that images such as naked ‘selfies’ can’t be distributed without consent, and can fall into the revenge porn category for criminal prosecution. Effective Jan. 1, it’s now a crime to send out these images without consent, no matter who took them.
8. AB 966, Condoms for Prisoners: Yes, you read that correct. Prisoners, who aren’t technically supposed to engage in sexual relations, will all soon have access to condoms. The lawmaker who spearheaded this bill says the goal is to reduce HIV infections in state prison and that “...AB 966 requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to develop a five-year plan to distribute condoms in all state prisons.”
9. SB 838, Audrie’s Law: This law was named after a Bay Area teenager who hanged herself after she was sexually assaulted by three boys at a party, who took photos of the incident and distributed them at school. SB 838 means stricter punishments for juveniles convicted of a sex crime-- and it also means that their trials can be open to the public. What’s more, juveniles convicted of rape, sodomy or oral copulation may no longer have the option of paying a fine or completing community service or a treatment program to get their charges dismissed.
10. AB 1147, Massage Therapy Reform Act: Yet another new law having to do with sexual relations, this one focuses on putting an end to “happy endings.” AB 1147 is supposed to make it more difficult for massage parlors to operate as fronts for prostitution while raising standards for legitimate operators, according to the SoCal lawmaker who authored it.
11. Senate Bill 396, Proposition 187: This law erases from state law books language from Prop. 187, the 20-year-old law that deprived undocumented immigrants of public services such as schooling and medical care that was later ruled unconstitutional.
12. Senate Bill 926, Sexual Abuse: This law extends the statute of limitations to give sex-abuse victims more time to pursue justice. Instead of their 28th birthday, victims will now have until their 40th birthday to pursue criminal charges against their abusers.
13. Assembly Bill 215, Bad Teachers: Inspired by Los Angeles Unified School District sex abuse cases, t his law makes it easier for districts to fire teachers for “egregious misconduct.”
14. Assembly Bill 2293, Ridesharing: This Law attempts to level the playing field for taxi drivers by freeing insurance companies from having to cover the commercial activities of ridesharing drivers such as Uber drivers under personal insurance policies.
15. Assembly Bill 2127,Youth Football Concussions: This law limits full-contact football practices to twice a week for high schools and middle schools.