On Jan. 1, 2025, many new laws will be going into effect in California. They range from a ban on legacy admissions to a ban on octopus farming.
Here is a list of significant bills signed in 2024 and some of the laws going into effect this upcoming year. Click on the bill number to learn more.
Housing
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AB 2347 will extend the amount of time someone has to respond to an eviction notice from five to 10 days.
Crime
SB 1414 raises the penalty for soliciting sex from a minor under 16 to a felony from a misdemeanor.
AB 3209 expands existing laws that bars people found guilty of certain crimes to contact the victim. This law gives a court the power to ban someone convicted of retail theft, vandalism or battery at a retail store from entering the store, its parking lots or other locations.
AB 413 will change parking laws to ban “stopping, standing, or parking of a vehicle within 20 feet of the vehicle approach side of any unmarked or marked crosswalk.” This is commonly known as the “daylighting law.”
Education
AB 1955 will prevent teachers or school administrators from informing anyone, including a parent, of a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity without the student’s permission.
AB 1821 will require school districts to teach about the Spanish colonization of California and the Gold Rush Era and how it affected Native Americans.
AB 1780 will ban universities from considering legacy or donor status when deciding whether to admit an applicant.
AB 1825 is the California Freedom to Read Act and prevents public libraries from removing books.
Workplace
SB 1100 will prevent employers from listing a drivers license as a job qualification unless the employer can prove that driving is a necessity for the job or to commute.
AB 2123 will allow workers to begin receiving paid family leave without having already used two weeks of vacation time.
AB 2499 will allow workers to use paid sick leave if they were a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking, even if a suspect was not arrested, prosecuted or convicted.
SB 399 will prevent employers from requiring that workers attend meetings where the employer discusses their views about religion, politics or union organizing.
SB 611 prevents a landlord from charging a fee if a tenant pays with a check.
Miscellaneous
AB 3162 will ban octopus farming in California.
AB 1815 will add discrimination protections for hairstyles.
SB 1061 will make it so that medical debt cannot be listed on a credit card report.
AB 2017 will prohibit banks and credit unions from charging a fee when someone tries to withdraw or spend money with insufficient funds in their account.
AB 374 will legalize cannabis lounges where customers can buy the drug, then stick around for a meal or a live show.
On March 1, 2025, AB 375 will go into effect. This law will require food delivery services to provide the first name and a photograph of the person delivering their order.
AB 2863 will make it so that a customer must be able to terminate an automatic renewal subscription in the same way that they originally subscribed. The law will apply to contracts starting July 1, 2025.
