New California Laws Target Fees Taxes and Safety Measures>

Summary:

California’s New Laws Effective July 1
California has enacted several new laws as of July 1, impacting various sectors from gun control to consumer rights. Here are the key laws:

1. Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act: Imposes an 11% state tax on guns and ammunition to fund school safety and violence prevention programs.
2. Building Homeownership (SB 684): Streamlines housing development by requiring cities and counties to approve certain small-scale housing projects without public hearings or votes, limited to multifamily housing zones.
3. Date-Rape Drug Testing Kits in Bars (AB 1013): Mandates bars with certain alcoholic beverage licenses to offer drug testing kits to patrons, either for sale or free.
4. Eliminating Hidden/Junk Fees (SB 478): Requires businesses to include all required fees or charges in advertised prices, excluding government taxes and shipping costs.
5. Keep Kids in School (SB 274): Bans suspending K-12 students for "willful defiance," expanding a previous law that applied only to grades K-8.
6. Menstrual Products in Schools (AB 230): Expands the requirement for free menstrual products in public school bathrooms to include grades 3-5, in addition to grades 6-12.
7. Right to Repair Act (SB 244): Requires manufacturers to provide tools, parts, and software for electronic device repairs for seven years for devices over $100, and three years for less expensive devices.
8. Security Deposit Cap (AB 12): Limits landlords to a security deposit of no more than one month’s rent to improve housing affordability.
9. Workplace Violence Prevention (SB 553): Requires employers to implement and maintain workplace violence prevention plans, including incident logs and staff training.
   These laws aim to address various social issues, from improving school safety and housing affordability to enhancing consumer rights and workplace safety.