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There's some big changes coming.
There's some big changes coming.
Kiss the high school exit exam goodbye
Your high school exit exam is a thing of the past. AB830 officially eliminates the exit exam requirement in order to graduate high school. Another bill had temporarily eliminated the requirement for the graduating classes of 2016-18, and now the change is permanent for all future classes.
lessKiss the high school exit exam goodbye
Your high school exit exam is a thing of the past. AB830 officially eliminates the exit exam requirement in order to graduate high school. Another bill had temporarily
... more
You’re no longer a law-breaker for entering a crosswalk while it’s flashing
Although you probably didn’t realize it, you broke the law every time you entered a crosswalk when the countdown clock was flashing — even if you still had the right of way. You could previously receive a fine of up to $250 for doing so. Now, you’re free to enter the crosswalk at any time, as long as you finish crossing by the time the clock has counted down. Opponents of the rarely enforced law said it unfairly punished pedestrians, although CHP lobbied to keep the law intact.
lessYou’re no longer a law-breaker for entering a crosswalk while it’s flashing
Although you probably didn’t realize it, you broke the law every time you entered a crosswalk when the countdown clock was
... more
You’ll soon be wearing seat belts on some buses
Starting July 1, you’ll have to buckle up on commercial buses like Greyhound and Megabus. Both the driver and passengers are required to wear seat belts for safety; you’ll be fined $20 for the first offense and $50 for any subsequent busts. Tourist and public transit buses are not included in the law, so you won’t have to buckle up on Muni any time soon.
lessYou’ll soon be wearing seat belts on some buses
Starting July 1, you’ll have to buckle up on commercial buses like Greyhound and Megabus. Both the driver and passengers are required to wear seat belts for
... more
It’s no longer a felony to knowingly expose someone to HIV
Despite the uproar it caused, Gov. Brown signed SB239 into law in October, making knowingly exposing a sexual partner to HIV without first disclosing it a misdemeanor. Previously, HIV was the only communicable disease in the state that willful exposure constituted a felony.
“California took a major step toward treating HIV as a public health issue, instead of treating people living with HIV as criminals,” San Francisco’s Scott Wiener said in October. “HIV should be treated like all other serious infectious diseases, and that’s what SB239 does.”
lessIt’s no longer a felony to knowingly expose someone to HIV
Despite the uproar it caused, Gov. Brown signed SB239 into law in October, making knowingly exposing a sexual partner to HIV without first disclosing
... more
Recreational marijuana use is legal for adults 21 and older
The highest-profile law coming into effect in the state is undoubtedly marijuana legalization. Weed goes legal on Jan. 1, but don’t expect to run out and purchase it right away. Because retailers need state and local licenses to sell, many dispensaries won’t be open in time for Jan. 1. For everything you need to know about marijuana legalization, visit our
cannabis hub GreenState.
Recreational marijuana use is legal for adults 21 and older
The highest-profile law coming into effect in the state is undoubtedly marijuana legalization. Weed goes legal on Jan. 1, but don’t expect to run out
... more
Hate crime perpetrators temporarily lose gun ownership rights
Thanks to the passage of the Disarm Hate Act, people convicted of a hate crime cannot possess a gun for 10 years. California state law defines a hate crime as interfering with a person’s “free exercise of any constitutional right or privilege because of the other person’s actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.”
lessHate crime perpetrators temporarily lose gun ownership rights
Thanks to the passage of the Disarm Hate Act, people convicted of a hate crime cannot possess a gun for 10 years. California state law defines a hate
... more
Menstrual products are free for low-income students
Middle and high schools in areas where at least 40 percent of students are below the federal poverty line will now stock free pads and tampons in restrooms. It's hoped the law will encourage financially struggling girls to stay in school.
lessMenstrual products are free for low-income students
Middle and high schools in areas where at least 40 percent of students are below the federal poverty line will now stock free pads and tampons in restrooms.
... more
"Ban-the-box" comes to workplaces everywhere
Starting in 2018, job applications will no longer have a check-box indicating the applicant has a criminal record. The hope of legislators is that applicants with more minor crimes like misdemeanors will not be unfairly discriminated against in the hiring process. Of course, employers can still perform routine background checks after an employment offer has been made or if the position legally requires a criminal background check.
less"Ban-the-box" comes to workplaces everywhere
Starting in 2018, job applications will no longer have a check-box indicating the applicant has a criminal record. The hope of legislators is that applicants with
... more
The first year of community college is free
The much-heralded Assembly Bill 19 makes the first year of community college free for first-time, full-time students. But the deal isn’t completely figured out yet; the money has to be set aside in the state budget. The funding for the bill is set to be settled by June.
lessThe first year of community college is free
The much-heralded Assembly Bill 19 makes the first year of community college free for first-time, full-time students. But the deal isn’t completely figured out
... more
Employers can no longer ask about your prior salary
AB168 bars employers from inquiring about an applicant’s salary history or prior benefits, a law meant to prevent employers from using compensation as a determining factor in hiring a qualified applicant. Employers must also provide pay scale information upon request.
lessEmployers can no longer ask about your prior salary
AB168 bars employers from inquiring about an applicant’s salary history or prior benefits, a law meant to prevent employers from using compensation as a
... more
Changes coming to how you can purchase ammunition
There are several changes coming if you purchase ammunition for your weapons in the state of California. If you buy it from a catalog, you’ll no longer be able to ship it directly to your home; ammunition will have to be sent to licensed vendors for pickup. Background checks for ammunition purchases go into effect in 2019.
lessChanges coming to how you can purchase ammunition
There are several changes coming if you purchase ammunition for your weapons in the state of California. If you buy it from a catalog, you’ll no longer be able
... more
Young boat operators now need a license
Part of a provision in a bill that passed in 2014 goes into effect this year. Starting Jan. 1, all boaters 20 years of age and younger will be required to have a California Boater Card. In order to qualify for the card, applicants will need to take a state-approved safety course. Each year after 2018, a new age group will need to have the card. A full timetable is
available here.
Young boat operators now need a license
Part of a provision in a bill that passed in 2014 goes into effect this year. Starting Jan. 1, all boaters 20 years of age and younger will be required to have a
... more
Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
The New Parent Leave Act stipulates that businesses with 20 or more employees are obligated to provide employees with up to 12 weeks of leave. The leave must be taken within a year of the child’s birth, adoption or foster care placement.
lessUp to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
The New Parent Leave Act stipulates that businesses with 20 or more employees are obligated to provide employees with up to 12 weeks of leave. The leave must be taken within
... more
Minimum wage goes up again
Businesses with 26 or more employees will now pay 50 cents more per hour in wages, increasing the minimum wage to $11 per hour. Businesses with fewer than 26 employees will see their minimum wage rise to $10.50 per hour. The change is part of a incremental increase outlined by SB 3 which raises the minimum wage until it hits $15 in 2022.
lessMinimum wage goes up again
Businesses with 26 or more employees will now pay 50 cents more per hour in wages, increasing the minimum wage to $11 per hour. Businesses with fewer than 26 employees will see their
... more
If you have a medical condition, you can “tint” your car windows
AB 1303 allows drivers with a dermatologist’s note to apply a “clear, colorless, and transparent film material” to their car windows to block out ultraviolet rays. But you’d better keep that note handy; if pulled over for a window infraction, you’ll need to show it to the officer.
lessIf you have a medical condition, you can “tint” your car windows
AB 1303 allows drivers with a dermatologist’s note to apply a “clear, colorless, and transparent film material” to their car windows to
... more
California fights President Trump with several “sanctuary state” measures
In response to President Trump’s promises to deport undocumented immigrants, the state of California passed a few laws meant to counteract the president. SB54 prevents law enforcement from asking for someone’s immigration status, and they can’t detain them on a federal government hold unless they’ve committed a certain type of crime.
lessCalifornia fights President Trump with several “sanctuary state” measures
In response to President Trump’s promises to deport undocumented immigrants, the state of California passed a few laws meant to
... more
In addition, AB 450 bars employers from allowing an immigration enforcement raid at the workplace unless there is a court order. To protect children of undocumented workers, one new law prohibits public schools from documenting the immigration status of their students and another allows them to continue attending California schools, even if their parents are deported.
lessIn addition, AB 450 bars employers from allowing an immigration enforcement raid at the workplace unless there is a court order. To protect children of undocumented workers, one new law prohibits public schools
... more
Hotels must post information about human trafficking
Assembly Bill 260 expands an existing law requiring certain businesses to post information about slavery and human trafficking to hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast inns. The poster includes information about what constitutes human trafficking and hotlines to get help for yourself or victims you may see. The full text
can be found here.
Hotels must post information about human trafficking
Assembly Bill 260 expands an existing law requiring certain businesses to post information about slavery and human trafficking to hotels, motels, and bed and
... more
The city’s law requiring 20 percent of space on visual soda ads to be devoted to a health warning was passed in 2015, but has been on hold since as the beverage industry fights back.
The city’s law requiring 20 percent of space on visual soda ads to be devoted to a health warning was passed in 2015, but has been on hold since as the beverage industry fights back.
Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle
In fight over SF law requiring soda health warning, city gets new hearing
A federal appeals court granted San Francisco a new hearing Monday in its defense of a first-in-the-nation law that would require health warnings in display ads posted in the city for sodas and other sugary drinks.
The warnings, which would take up at least 20 percent of the advertisement space, would say that drinking such beverages “contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.”
Passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2015, it was scheduled to take effect in July 2016 but was put on hold by federal courts,
then barred last September by a panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a suit by the beverage industry. The panel said the warnings were one-sided, implying that soda was more dangerous than other high-calorie products, and would violate advertisers’ freedom of speech.
But on Monday, the full appeals court said a majority of its judges had voted to grant the city’s request for a new hearing before an 11-judge panel. The hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The ordinance is part of an effort by local governments in the Bay Area to discourage soda consumption. In 2014, Berkeley voters approved a penny-per-ounce tax on sugared drinks, the first such measure in the nation, and voters in San Francisco, Oakland and Albany followed suit in November 2016.
The advertising ordinance said the warning language would specify that it came from the city, not the advertiser. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco ruled in 2016 that the warning was “factual and accurate” but agreed to delay enforcement while the industry appealed.
In September’s ruling, the three-judge panel said advertisers have a free-speech right to refuse to convey warnings about their products unless the warnings are clearly factual. San Francisco’s language singles out sugary drinks and misleadingly suggests that they pose health hazards regardless of the user’s overall diet or lifestyle, the panel said.
Judge Sandra Ikuta, writing for the panel, noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found that added sugars “can be part of a healthy diet when not consumed in excess amounts.” She said San Francisco was not merely advising the public against “overconsumption” of sugared beverages or saying they “may contribute” to certain illnesses, but instead was issuing an unqualified and thus inaccurate warning.
Ikuta also said the 20 percent ad space allotted to the warning would leave advertisers “little room to communicate their intended message.”
The American Beverage Association, which is leading the legal challenge, said Monday that the panel “correctly decided, based on settled First Amendment law, that the San Francisco ordinance likely violated the rights of the industry. We are confident that upon review the full Ninth Circuit will agree with that decision.”
City Attorney Dennis Herrera said the ordinance was on “solid legal ground” and was “an important step forward for consumer protection.” State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, who sponsored the ordinance as a city supervisor, said he was encouraged by the court’s decision to grant a new hearing.
“These drinks are driving up the rates of diabetes and other diseases,” he said in a statement. “Just as we require health warnings on tobacco ads, we should also have health warnings on soda ads.”
Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
