Jan 2, 2011

There oughta be a law? In California there are 725 new ones!

Californians welcomed 725 new laws yesterday whether they knew it or not.

Below is a list of just a few of the new laws that took effect while Californinans celebrated the New year:

AB 119 - prevents insurance companies from charging different rates for men and women for identical coverage.

AB 782 - prevents landlords from evicting tenants who are victims of domestic or sexual abuse or stalking.

AB 1844 - will increase penalties, parole provisions and oversight of sex offenders, including a "one-strike, life-without-parole penalty" for some.

AB 1871 - allows people to lease out their cars when they are not being used—alleviating the need to purchase additional insurance.

AB 537 - will make food stamps an acceptable form of payment at farmers markets through an EB process.

SB 1411- makes it a misdemeanor to maliciously impersonate someone via a social media outlet or through e-mails.

SB 1317 - allows the state to slap parents with a $2,000 fine if their K-8 child misses more than 10 percent of the school year without a valid excuse. It also allows the state to punish parents with up to a year in prison for the misdemeanor.

AB 715 - makes a change to the California Green Building Standards code. The change will require new California buildings to be energy efficient.

AB 1449 - makes the possession of one ounce of marijuana an infraction with a penalty of a $100 fine.

AB 12 - allows foster youth to acquire state services until the age of 21.

AB 1399 - allows California to medically parole state prison inmates with physical incapacitating conditions and ultimately shifts some of the cost of care to the federal government.

AB 97 - bans the use of trans-fats in food facilities.

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