Laws on bullying, recycling, and a vehicle sales database are among the new California Laws that took effect on July 1. “Seth’s Law” combats bullying of gay and lesbian students in public schools by requiring school districts to have a uniform process for dealing with gay bullying complaints. The law mandates that school personnel intervene if they witness gay bullying. The Commercial Recycling Law requires businesses statewide to recycle their waste in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by diverting commercial solid waste from landfills to recycling. The law also aims to help create green jobs by expanding recycling to all multi-family dwellings and commercial businesses statewide. The National Database Check for Vehicle Sales Law, requires all vehicles for sale in California to be checked against the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System database to reveal past vehicle damage, like flooding or severe collisions. Dealers must mark vehicles with bright red warning stickers if they are listed as junk, salvaged or flooded. New vehicle dealers statewide will also transmit information electronically to the DMV for faster delivery of vehicle registration papers and license plates to consumers. Dealers also raise the fee they can charge for titles and registrations from $55 to $80.
