With the new year, new laws will take effect. Here’s a brief run down on some of the new laws.
California will ban sit-down restaurants from serving customers plastic straws, unless the customer asks for one. The law doesn’t apply to to-go cups and takeaway drinks.
A city or county government cannot charge a person for the costs of investigation, prosecution, or appeal in a criminal case. Previously, residents were on the hook for thousands of dollars in “prosecution fees” that went to private law firm, on top of the underlying violation fees.
California is guaranteeing net neutrality for its residents. Senate Bill 822 will prevent providers like AT&T and Comcast from blocking, slowing down or increasing fees for websites that require higher bandwidth, like video streams.
Employers are now required to offer a private area—that is not a toilet stall—for employees who wish to breast feed or express milk. Employers are also required to provide break time for employees to express milk.
