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    • Special reports

    New Laws 2022

    Jan. 5, 2022

    New Laws

    Attorneys review some of the important new laws passed during the California Legislature's 2021 legislative session.

    In This Issue:

    BUSINESS

    CIVIL

    COVID PANDEMIC

    CRIMINAL

    EDUCATION

    ELECTIONS

    GOVERNMENT

    ENERGY and UTILITIES

    HEALTH and SAFETY

    FAMILY and PROBATE

    HEALTHCARE

    PUBLIC RESOURCES

    HOUSING

    INSURANCE

    JUDICIARY and ATTORNEYS

    JUVENILE

    LABOR

    MILITARY

    NATIVE AMERICAN

    TAX

    TRANSPORTATION

    WELFARE

    Criminal, Labor/Employment

    AB 1003: California’s new wage theft law

    Assembly Bill 1003 seeks to punish employers for intentionally stealing employees’ wages.

    Consumer Law

    AB 1084: California mandates gender-neutral retail departments

    Under the new law, retail department stores that sell childcare items or toys must maintain a gender-neutral section or area, to be labeled at the discretion of the retailer, that contains a “reasonable selection” of items and toys, regardless of whether such items and toys have been traditionally marketed for girls or boys.

    Environmental & Energy, Health Care & Hospital Law

    AB 1200: New PFAS law and its imminent impact on the food industry

    California has a new PFAS law that affects all businesses involved in the sale of food packaging and cookware, including restaurants. All California restaurants must come into compliance with the food packaging by January 1, 2023 and the cookware requirements by January 1, 2024.

    Environmental & Energy

    AB 1346: Potential ban on gas-powered small off-road engines in the hands of regulator

    Assembly Bill 1346 will require CARB to develop regulations to prohibit engine exhaust and emissions from small off-road engines, such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, portable generators, and other equipment using small gasoline engines for power, by July 1, 2022.

    Health Care & Hospital Law

    AB 347, SB 535 & AB 342: Laws improve delivery of health care

    Last year, the California Legislature took aim at three utilization management strategies employed by health plans and insurers to contain health care costs.

    Environmental & Energy

    AB 525: Laying the foundation for California’s offshore wind industry

    Through Assembly Bill 525, California joined the flurry of activity in the offshore wind industry in 2021 led by the Biden administration.

    Labor/Employment

    AB 654: Clarification of employers’ notification, reporting requirements after COVID-19 exposure in the workplace

    Assembly Bill 654, which became effective October 5, 2021, makes notable revisions to an employer’s COVID-19 exposure notification and reporting requirements.

    Corporate

    AB 663: Corporate law amendments address emergency powers and technological advances

    Assembly Bill 663 amends the Corporations Code to provide additional flexibility for corporations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Labor/Employment

    AB 701: New transparency obligations for warehouse distribution center quotas

    The first of its kind, Assembly Bill 701 requires certain California warehouse distribution employers to disclose their productivity metrics to employees.

    Environmental & Energy

    SB 1, AB 72: Sea level rise legislation is, well, on the rise

    These two bills paint a very fair picture of where this issue is today, and where it is heading.

    Criminal, Government

    SB 16: Expands public access to peace officer personnel records

    Under growing demand for accountability of law enforcement agencies, California enacted Senate Bill 1421 in 2019, making several types of previously confidential peace officer personnel records publicly accessible. The Legislature continued this trend this year in SB 16, which took effect January 1, 2022.

    Covid Court Ops, Law Practice

    SB 241: Addressing the court backlog create by COVID-19

    This new law is aimed at ensuring a minimum level of justice and functionality in the civil courts by reducing a severe backlog due to COVID-19 closures.

    Labor/Employment

    SB 331: The Silenced No More Act

    Under Senate Bill 331, California has effectively banned nondisclosure agreements in employment discrimination settlements.

    Law Practice, Torts/Personal Injury

    SB 447: Brings California in line with national norm on pre-death pain and suffering damages

    After decades as an outlier, California is set to join the vast majority of states in recognizing a right of recovery for pre-death pain and suffering damages.

    Labor/Employment, Law Practice

    SB 807: New document-retention requirements for employers

    Senate Bill 807 expanded civil rights enforcement protections under the Fair Employment and Housing Act by changing procedural rules, tolling the statutes of limitations period for certain civil rights claims, and increasing record retention requirements.

    Land Use, Real Estate/Development

    SB 9 & 10: Did California say goodbye to the single-family home?

    Senate Bill 9 allows certain single-family-zoned properties to be split and two units to be built on each new lot. Senate Bill 10 allows a jurisdiction to rezone any property for up to 10 residential units without California Environmental Quality Act review.
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