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With a new year approaching comes new laws that will be going into effect in California. Check out some of the laws taking effect on January 1, 2025.
Artificial Intelligence
- SB 926 Deepfakes - it'll be a crime to create and distribute AI generated sexually explicit images of a real person to make it seem authentic with the purpose of causing that person emotional distress
- AB 1836 Digital Licenses - deceased actors and performers will be protected from having their image, likeness or voice reproduced without authorization by AI.
Entertainment
- SB 969 Entertainment Zones - local governments can create entertainment zones where bars and restaurants can sell alcoholic beverages to customers to drink on public streets and sidewalks.
Online
- SB 764 Child Vloggers - parents/guardians who earn money posting videos online with their children must put aside a percentage of their earnings into a trust for their child.
Housing
- SB 611 Rent Checks - landlords cannot charge tenants a fee if they pay their rent or security deposit by check
- AB 2347 Evictions - doubles current deadline that tenants have to respond to an eviction notice to 10 days
Consumers
- AB 2863 Automatic Renewals - this law goes into effect on July 1st and subscription services must get a clear consent from customer for automatic renewals and must send annual reminders about the automatic renewal or service. Under this law, customers will have an easier time to cancel a subscription either online or by phone.
- AB 2017 & SB 1075 - limits overdraft fees from banks and credit unions.
- SB 2202 Cleaning Fees - this law goes into effect on July 1st where short-term rentals (like Airbnb) must disclose if there will be additional fees or charges added if the customer fails to perform certain cleaning tasks by the end of their stay.
Health
- AB 1817 & AB 2771 Chemicals in Cosmetics - bans use of PFAs in clothing, textiles and cosmetics
- SB 729 Infertility Treatments - this law goes into effect on July 1st and health insurance plans must cover the diagnosis and treatment for infertility like IVF
Crime and Safety
- AB 1960 Smash & Grab Robberies - there will be stiffer penalties for smash-and-grab robberies and if the crime has more than $50k in damages to the property, the court can impose an additional sentence of 1 year.
Employment
- AB 2123 Paid Family Leave - employees will be able to take paid family leave without having to use their vacation time
- SB 988 Freelance Workers - employers who hire freelance workers for professional services over $250 must provide a contract that includes what work they need and payment information. Employers must pay the freelancer within the dates specified in the contract or no later than 30 days after the work was completed
Education
- AB 1780 Legacy Admissions - this law goes into effect in September where it'll bans legacy admission for students applying to private non-profit universities in California (applicants for the Fall 2025 school year won't be affected)
Miscellaneous
- AB 1810 Menstrual Products - state prisons or jails in California must provide incarcerated people with free menstrual products
To see what other laws are going into effect in 2025, click here.