Californians will have more than 800 new laws taking effect after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed hundreds of bills in September, with his last actions coming hours before the midnight deadline on Sept. 30.
The last law signed, Assembly Bill 179, allows the state to save more money during surplus years to better prepare for economic downturns.
“Building on the balanced budget we passed in June that eliminated our deficit—without raising taxes on hardworking Californians and without deep program cuts—this legislation ensures that we continue to live within our means, just as families across the state do,” Newsom said in a Sept. 30 news release. “By creating a holding account for projected surpluses, we’re taking a conservative, prudent approach to budgeting.”
Discussions in the state Legislature to address laws that limit how much money the state can put back in reserves began in earnest last year when a significant budget deficit started to materialize. The state is navigating a shortfall this year of approximately $73 billion, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The governor also vetoed around 180 bills, citing the state’s budget difficulties as the rationale for many of his decisions in veto letters.
“It is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications that are not included in the budget,” Newsom said in veto letters.
Bills signed into law include hundreds of new regulations regarding a variety of issues, from public safety to housing, artificial intelligence, and education, among other topics.
Elections
The governor approved on Sept. 29 Senate Bill 1174, introduced by Sen. Dave Min, which prohibits local governments from enacting laws that require voter identification.
The bill targeted Huntington Beach after the city’s voters approved a measure in March that requires election officials to check identification at polling sites.
He also signed a number of bills earlier in September that affect elections by regulating deepfakes—including audio, images, and videos created with artificial intelligence—that could confuse voters in the months before and after an election.
Education
Assembly Bill 1871, authored by Assemblyman Juan Alanis and signed by the governor on Sept. 28, requires public schools to offer social science courses for grades seven to 12 that include the study of personal financial literacy, starting in 2025.
“California has done a disservice to students who turn 18 without adequate knowledge of concepts like debt, loans, down payments, interest, and more,” Alanis said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. “It is long overdue that we provide our youth with the resources they deserve.”
Public Safety
People caught soliciting minors 16 and under for sex will face stricter penalties after Senate Bill 1414, authored by Sen. Shannon Grove, was signed into law.
“Today marks an incredible victory for California children,” Grove said in a Sept. 26 news release from Newsom’s office. “Criminals have been far ahead of us when it comes to child sex trafficking, we must have a strong approach to eradicate this brutal crime and ensure no child is reduced to a commodity,”
Coroners are now authorized by Alanis’s Assembly Bill 1859 to test for xylazine—a tranquilizer medicine that is being mixed with fentanyl in some street drugs—during autopsies and instructed to report any positive results to the state’s Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program.
The narcotic is used for veterinary purposes to sedate large animals and is known on the street as “tranq.” Different from the opioids it is often mixed with, xylazine overdoses cannot be reversed with naloxone or other anti-opioid medications.
“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” Anne Milgram, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, said in a public safety alert.
Sen. Ben Allen’s Senate Bill 285 makes inmates convicted of a sexually violent offense and sentenced to death or life in prison ineligible for sentencing review.
Assembly Bill 2215, introduced by Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, allows law enforcement officers to release arrested individuals to public health or social service organizations without bringing the subject before a judge.
Newsom also signed a package of public safety bills in August that address organized retail theft, auto break-ins, and burglaries, among other crimes.
Health Care
Senate Bill 1043, introduced by Sen. Shannon Grove, orders the state’s Department of Social Services to publish data about the use of seclusion or restraints used in child treatment facilities.
“Children and teens—especially those in the care of the foster system—should never be subjected to improper use of restraints or isolation while they are meant to be receiving treatment,” Newsom said in a Sept. 26 statement. “I am proud to sign legislation today to help protect our youth against such harmful tactics, and I’m grateful to Paris Hilton for using her voice to ensure that no child suffers like she did.”
The bill was backed by Hilton, who spoke to the legislature when the bill was heard by lawmakers and told her story as a “survivor of the ‘troubled teen industry.’”
California state Sen. Shannon Grove (2nd L) speaks at a press conference for Senate Bill 1043 with Paris Hilton and fellow senators Aisha Wahab (L) and Janet Nguyen (R) on April 15 at the Capitol. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times
“California is taking a major step toward protecting vulnerable youth by making these facilities more transparent,” she said in a statement. “This law will bring much-needed oversight, and I’m proud to have partnered with Senator Shannon Grove and the legislature to help make this change a reality.”
Social Justice
Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer’s Assembly Bill 3089 issued a formal apology from the state of California to those impacted by slavery.
“This is a monumental achievement. Healing can only begin with an apology,” Jones-Sawyer said in a Sept. 26 news release from the governor’s office. “The State of California acknowledges its past actions and is taking this bold step to correct them.”
Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer presents his slavery apology bill, AB 3089, to the Assembly's Appropriations Committee on May 1, 2024. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times
In September, Newsom signed 10 bills prioritized by the Legislative Black Caucus, to increase access to literature in prison and address maternal health disparities, among other issues. He also signed another two proposals earlier this year.
Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson, chair of the caucus, said in a statement the bills “lay a meaningful foundation to address the historic injustices faced by Black Californians.”
Drinking Water
Assembly Bill 2454, authored by Assemblyman Alex Lee, requires landlords to test well water and give renters the results.
Under the new law, if the well water is contaminated, owners must provide renters with clean drinking water free of charge.
“Everyone should have the human right to safe drinking water,” Lee said in a Sept. 24 release from the governor’s office. “We have to ensure that free domestic well testing programs are reaching the people who need them most.”
Vetoes
The governor rejected slightly less than 16 percent of the bills sent to his desk this year, including one that would have ordered schools to offer free condoms.
While budget concerns accounted for more than one-third of those vetoed, Newsom also sent back some bills he felt were redundant or unnecessary and others he believed undermined current efforts or were infeasible, among other reasons.
Benefits for Illegal Immigrants
Newsom vetoed three bills that sought to provide benefits for illegal immigrants, including one that would have made them eligible for up to $150,000 in housing down payment assistance and another to allow universities to hire illegal immigrant students.
A proposal to create a version of unemployment benefits for illegal immigrants, Senate Bill 227, was one of the bills vetoed due to the budget deficit, according to the governor’s veto message.
“California has taken important steps to advance inclusion and equity for undocumented workers and mixed-status families who contribute significantly to California’s economy and local communities,” Newsom said.
“However, this bill sets impractical timelines, has operational issues, and requires funding that was not included in the budget.”
Voter Registration
Senate Bill 299, introduced by Assemblywoman Monique Limón, would have required the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to automatically register voters, even those who opted out of registering.
“While the goal of streamlining voter registration is commendable, this bill raises several concerns,” Newsom said in his veto letter. “It would place the DMV in the role of determining voter eligibility, a function more suitable for elections officials. Additionally, the proposed system would capture those who have already declined to register, a decision that should be respected as a matter of personal prerogative.”
Autonomous Vehicles
A proposal to ban the operation of heavy-duty autonomous vehicles that weigh more than 10,000 pounds without a human operator, Majority Leader Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry’s Assembly Bill 2286, was also vetoed after a similar bill received the same treatment from the governor last year.
He said California is missing opportunities for testing the new technologies, pointing to 35 other states and Washington D.C. that allow such product development.
“While I cannot sign this legislation in its current form, my Administration stands ready to work with the legislature and stakeholders toward progress on this issue,” Newsom said in his veto message.
Amendments suggested by the governor were rejected by the author, according to the letter.
Speeding Drivers
A bill that started as a governing device to prevent speeding and evolved into a warning system in vehicles that would alert drivers if they drove ten miles an hour above posted speed limits, Senate Bill 961, was also vetoed.
“While I appreciate the intent to improve traffic safety, this bill presents several challenges,” Newsom said in his veto letter.
He said conflicting state and federal standards would prove difficult to enforce and could undermine federal efforts.
Consumer Privacy
Newsom also rejected a measure that sought to prohibit the sale or disclosure of minors’ personal information without consent from a guardian for pre-teen children, Assembly Bill 1949.
The governor said the bill would create challenges for businesses to distinguish between adults and minors.
“I am concerned that making such a significant change ... would have unanticipated and potentially adverse effects on how businesses and consumers interact with each other, with unclear effects on children ’s privacy,” Newsom said in his veto letter.
AI Industry
A controversial measure to regulate artificial intelligence models to protect public safety, Senate Bill 1047, was vetoed Sept. 29 because it was overly broad and too stringent, according to a news release from the governor.
“I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology,” Newsom said.
He noted a need to act but said other safety protocols could be implemented to establish guardrails and “severe consequences” for noncompliance which would benefit industry and humanity.
“Let me be clear—I agree with the author—we cannot afford to wait for a major catastrophe to occur before taking action to protect the public,” Newsom said in his veto letter. “Given the stakes—protecting against actual threats without unnecessarily thwarting the promise of this technology to advance the public good—we must get this right.”
Travis Gillmore
Author
Travis Gillmore is an avid reader and journalism connoisseur based in California covering finance, politics, the State Capitol, and breaking news for The Epoch Times.
