From the practical to the impertinent
By David Marsh
From the sensible to the perplexing, with the turn of the year comes a host of new laws that will govern our lives in 2012. Always the best that partisan politics in Sacramento has to offer, the list of new legislation for 2012 has a bit of something for everyone.
As is usually the case, our legislators in Sacramento have somehow managed to cover the spectrum -- from catering to the wants of their most obscure constituents to pandering to the demands of well-heeled lobbyists for special interest groups. The list is, well…, extensive!
We, at the Valley Voice, have combed
through this litany of legislation to find those most likely to affect
or interest our readers. Here are some new laws to be aware of as you
ring in the New Year.
AB 0144 – no unloaded firearms carried in public places outside
of a vehicle.
AB 0155 – Much to the chagrin of internet giants Amazon and EBay, online retailers that do business in the state will now have to collect state sales taxes.
AB 0353 – requires police at sobriety checkpoints, before impounding the vehicle of an unlicensed driver, to make an effort to identify and allow the registered owner of the vehicle to pick up his/her car.
AB 0486 – prohibits the sale or distribution of synthetic stimulants ('bath salts) or synthetic stimulant derivatives.
SB 0929 – requires that children remain in booster seats until 8 years of age or 4'9'' tall.
AB 1300 – allows local authorities to regulate the location of medical marijuana cooperatives.
SB 0039 – prohibits beer to which caffeine has been added.
AB 0022 – prohibits the use of consumer credit reports by employers when hiring, with a few exceptions (police officer, Department of Justice employees, etc.).
AB 0042 – authorizes the Dept. of Parks and Recreation to enter into agreements with nonprofits to operate state parks.
AB 0080 – moves the California presidential primary, formerly held in February, back to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June.
AB 0152 – provides a tax credit for farmers and growers who contribute to food banks.
SB 0325 – establishes protections for continuation of short line rail service in Central Valley counties.
AB 183 – abolishes self-service checkout line purchases for alcoholic beverages.
AB 0688 – prohibits retailers from selling baby food, infant formula and over-the-counter medications beyond the 'use-by' date.
AB 0194 – gives preference in secondary education enrollment for foster children.
AB 0938 – requires the written public notice of noncompliance with drinking water standards be posted in all languages spoken by the community.
AB 0300 – establishes minimum standards for tattoo artists.
AB 0316 – lowers the threshold for grand theft of copper to $250 and raises both the fine and length of imprisonment.
AB 0426 – allows transit authorities to offer fines and civil penalties in lieu of jail time to fare evaders and those who spit, cuss, smoke, eat or cause disturbances on system vehicles.
AB 0454 – requires notification to a party protected by a restraining order before that order is modified or terminated.
AB 0499 – allows a minor who is 12 years of age to consent to medical care related to a sexually transmitted disease.
AB 0684 – permits community college districts to move to by-district elections without voter approval.
AB 0768 – prevents any city or county from prohibiting the practice of male circumcision.
AB 0844 – allows illegal immigrants at colleges to serve in student government.
AB 0959 – extends, by a month, the time period for Cal Works recipients to submit a late report without having to reapply for benefits.
AB 1122 – establishes the California Voluntary Tattoo Removal Program for juvenile offenders.
AB 1400 – changes the name of the food stamp program to CalFresh.
SB 0221 – increases the small claims court jurisdictional limit from $7,500 to $10,000.
AB 0012 – any person convicted of engaging in, or soliciting an act of prostitution where the person involved in the act is under 18 years of age can have a fine of up to $25,000 added to their sentence.
AB 0141 – makes it a crime for jurors to use electronic or wireless communications to research information related to the trial they are serving as a juror.
AB 0167 – requires elected officials who lie about their military service to forfeit their office.
AB 0199 – encourages social science courses in schools to include the role of Filipinos in the military during World War II.
AB 0210 – requires every group health insurance policy to provide maternity services.
AB 214 – employees of photocopying firms will be required to wear a photo I.D.
AB 0332 – increases the fines for elder abuse.
AB 0376 – prohibits the sale and possession of shark fins within the state, but, in an unusual concession to restaurant owners, allows any restaurant that purchases fins before 1-1-2012 to continue selling them until 1-1-2013.
AB 0415 – a boost to telemedicine as this bill prevents health insurers and health plans for managed care and Medi-Cal from requiring in-person contact
AB 0420 – requires that state prison inmates be counted as residing at their last known address prior to their incarceration when redrawing legislative, congressional and Board of Equalization district boundaries.
AB 0424 – increases the rates that pawnbrokers may charge on transactions.
AB 0433 – a person who has completed a clinical transgender treatment may petition for issuance of a new birth certificate recognizing their new identity.
AB 0461 – requires that write-in ballots be counted if the intent of the voter can be determined regardless of whether the voter followed voting instructions.
AB 0469 – imposes employee safeguards designed to prevent theft of wages by unscrupulous employers.
AB 0475 – allows for the designation of parking stalls exclusively for the recharging of electric vehicles.
AB 0520 – allows a person convicted of alcohol-related reckless driving to apply for a restricted license after 90 days if they meet certain requirements.
AB 0551 – increases the penalty for employers who fail to pay the prevailing wage on public works contracts.
AB 0746 – expands the definition of bullying committed by an electronic act to include posting on an Internet social media site.
AB 0795 – allows colleges to set and enforce campus policies on smoking.
AB 1053 – increases fees for birth and death certificates.
AB 1077 – provides additional protections for Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park.
AB 1117 – makes it an infraction for anyone convicted of animal abuse to possess an animal for five or ten years after the crime.
AB 1319 – prohibits sale of containers designed for children under three if the container uses bisphenol A (BPA).
SB 0026 – establishes penalties for cell phones in prisons; allows electronic blocking of cell phone transmissions in prisons.
SB 0202 – provides that initiatives and referendum measures certified for the ballot will be placed on the ballot only at a November statewide general election.
SB 0291 – raises the bill of those extradited back to the state by an additional $100,000.
SB 0746 – prohibits the use of ultraviolet tanning devices for those under the age of 18.
The above story is the property
of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit
permission in writing from the publisher.