California adopts new laws on July 1. Here's what to know
Starting July 1, a new round of laws will impact Californians across the state.
The laws vary in objective, including ensuring access to healthcare for expectant families in rural areas and prohibiting cell phone use for students at school.
Here are some of the new laws that will affect the most Californians:
Streaming service ads have to quiet down
A bill supported by many parents of restless infants, Senate Bill 576 limits the volume of advertisements that are played on streaming services. Now, ads will have to remain at the same or lower volume as the show or movie the user is watching.
The bill affects streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and more. A similar law was already implemented at the federal level for regular TV broadcasters in 2010, well before streaming services we use today hit the mainstream.
Widespread cell phone ban at public schools
Cell phone bans have been enacted at several school districts across the state, including in Los Angeles, and now, they'll be used statewide. Assembly Bill 3216 requires all school districts to enforce rules prohibiting student use of phones while under supervision.
Policies must be updated every five years. Exceptions are made for emergency situations and activities allowed by teachers or instructors.
Gender-neutral restrooms required at public schools
All public schools in California must provide access to at least one gender-neutral restroom that's inclusive of all students. SB 760 requires clear signage indicating the restroom's inclusiveness.
More clarity on food expiration dates
Under AB 660, manufacturers for food products will use standardized language for expiration dates on packaging.
They include "use by/use or freeze by" for items that could pose a safety risk for consumption after a certain date, and "best if used by/best if frozen by" for items that decrease in quality after a certain date.
Prominent display of food allergens at restaurant chains
Restaurant chains with 20 or more locations must clearly display the use of the "Big 9" major food allergens in menu items, with SB 68.
The nine allergens include:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish, including, but not limited to, bass, flounder, and cod
- Crustacean shellfish, including, but not limited to, crab, lobster, and shrimp
- Tree nuts, including, but not limited to, almonds, pecans, and walnuts
- Wheat
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Sesame
New regulations for autonomous vehicles
Driverless vehicles can now be cited by police for traffic and vehicle code violations, with the vehicles' manufacturers being responsible for payment.
AB 1777 also ensures that all autonomous vehicles include an emergency phone line inside for passengers to use during times of need.
More housing to be built near transit centers
In an effort to cut down housing costs for California residents, SB 79 rezones areas within a half mile of many train stations and rapid bus stops across the state.
The measure applies to a handful of counties designated as an "urban transit county" in California, including Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
A ban on many easily modifiable handguns
AB 1127 limits licensed gun dealers from selling many semiautomatic handguns deemed to be too easy to modify into a "machine gun-convertible pistol."
Specifically, the bill says "any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that can be readily converted by hand or with common household tools into a machine gun" will be banned for sale. It does not apply to weapons already purchased legally, or to private sales.
A list of handguns removed from California's list of authorized handguns for legal sale can be found here.
Specialized labor and delivery hospital services for rural areas
After determining that prenatal care and delivery services are not evenly distributed across the state, lawmakers passed AB 669 to create a 10-year pilot program that allows up to five critical rural hospitals to "establish standby perinatal services."
The first two hospitals selected for the program will be nonprofits in Humboldt and Plumas counties. The program's goal is to lessen drive times for families seeking prenatal, delivery and postnatal care.