New Laws 2017

New Laws

AB 2819: Eviction record privacy

Designed to protect the privacy, reputation and credit scores of innocent tenants who are involved in eviction lawsuits, also known as unlawful detainer proceedings. By Philip M. Hernandez

AB 2153: Battery recycling program

California enacted the Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Act of 2016 to fund the response costs associated with remediating lead-acid battery sites. By Todd O. Maiden, Phillip H. Babich and Gagandeep B. Kaur

AB 2501: Update to Density Bonus Law

Makes a number of changes to the State Density Bonus Law. By David Blackwell and Tim Hutter

New Laws

SB 1413: Teacher Housing Act of 2016

Will permit school districts to build affordable housing on school district properties in order to alleviate the growing number of teachers who are being priced out of affordable housing in California. By Andrea Myers

Perspective

AB 1978: Janitorial contractor registry

Strengthens protections against workplace sexual harassment and assault and requiring all janitorial contractors to register with the state. By Jennifer Reisch

AB 2159: Immigrationstatus in civil actions

Amends Evidence Code Section 351.2 to preclude admission or discovery of evidence regarding a person's immigration status in a civil action for personal injury or wrongful death.

Perspective

SB 1262: Ground water management

In effect, implements the landmark groundwater management legislation that took effect Jan. 1, 2015, known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. By Wesley A. Miliband

Perspective

SB 1383: New law regulates short-lived pollutants

Requires the California Air Resources Board to approve and implement the comprehensive Short-Lived Climate Pollutants strategy. By Shannon S. Broome

Perspective

SB 32: Greenhouse gas goals extended

Continues California on a path to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. By Robert Hines

Perspective

SB 247: Crash inspires charter bus safety regulations

Requires all California charter bus drivers to give written or oral safety instructions before each trip, just like what flight attendants do for plane passengers. By Geoff Wells

New Laws

SB 269: Disability access lawsuits

Creates a rebuttable presumption that certain technical violations of the ADA do not entitle an individual to statutory damages. By Jack Schaedel

Perspective

SB 482: Reining in overprescription

Creates the statewide Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) database. By Craig M. Peters

SB 465: Berkeley collapse leads to law

The bill is the first step to creating more stringent regulations for contractors in order to protect the public from negligent construction work. By Nicole Taubman and Eustace de Saint Phalle

SB 1001: Employment eligibility documents

By Jennifer Brody and Sabrina M. Ly

New Laws

AB 1688: Patients can try drugs still in clinical trials

The bill — also known as the "Right to Try" law — was enacted last year with overwhelming bipartisan support. By Michael Headley

2017 New Laws

PDF of all new laws

Perspective

AB 1289: Rules for ride-share services

As of Jan. 1, transportation network companies such as Uber that do business in California will have to conduct federal and state criminal background checks on their drivers. By Gina M. Roccanova

New Laws

AB 1592: Driverless car regulations

Assembly Bill 1592 authorizes a pilot project in Contra Costa County. By Hilary Rowen

New Laws

AB 1066: Overtime for farmworkers

The Overtime for Agricultural Workers Act of 2016 phases in full coverage of California's stringent overtime requirements for the state's agricultural workers. By Felicia R. Reid

Perspective

AB 2337: Domestic violence sick leave

Requires employers to provide notice to employees of their right to take protected time off for domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. By Scott Liner

AB 2296: Electronic signatures

California's finally codified an employee's ability to electronically sign FEHA complaints with this bill. By David Harris and Yvette Davis

AB 2249: State park trademarks

Amends the California Public Resources Codeto prohibit state park concessionaires from obtaining trademark rights in the names they use for venues. By Rod S. Berman and Jessica Bromall Sparkman

AB 1843: Criminal history check rules

Expands the list of criminal history records that California employers are prohibited from using in employment decisions. By Karen Corman and Ryne Posey

AB 1671: Secret recordings banned

Adds criminal and civil penalties for those who secretly record or distribute conversations with health care providers. By Dean Cheley

Administrative/Regulatory, Entertainment & Sports, Labor/Employment

AB 1687: Actors' ages are off limits

The law's purpose is "to ensure that information obtained on an Internet Web site regarding an individual's age will not be used in furtherance of employment or age discrimination."

Perspective

SB 1063: Ethnicity, race and fair pay

Amends the Labor Code to prohibit California employers from paying any of its employees at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work. By Doug Farmer

Perspective

SB 1167: Working in the heat indoors

Protections against heat-related injury and illness will expand to indoor workspaces starting in 2019. By Margaret Grover

New Laws

SB 1241: Choice of law in contracts

This bill has the stated purpose of protecting California employees by disallowing forum selection or choice of law provisions which would require an employee to litigate outside California or forego any "substantive" right under California law. By Graham Cridland

New Laws

SB 1603: Equal pay laws strengthened

Expands upon the changes that the 2015 Fair Pay Act made to existing equal pay laws. By Wendy Lazerson

SB 1130: False advertising lawsuits

Gives county counsel the same power as other public prosecutors to request substantiation of advertising claims and pursue remedial measures before suing businesses under California's False Advertising Law. By Steve Atlee and Holly Farless

AB 2868: Energy storage acceleration

Directs the California Public Utilities Commission to encourage the state's three largest electrical utilities to "accelerate widespread deployment of distributed energy storage systems." By Joseph M. Karp and Louise Dyble

AB 11: Revised paid sick leave definition

Revises the definition of an "employee" under the act, as of July 1, 2016. By Julie Capell and Danielle Gerson

SB 1255: 'Living separate and apart'

Allows a couple to be considered "living separate and apart" while still living under the same roof, for the purposes of establishing a date of separation as a precursor to divorce.

SB 1436: More local agency transparency

Guarantees the public's right to attend and participate in a local agency's legislative body meetings. By Gage C. Dungy and Alysha Stein-Manes