California lawmakers introduced 4,821 bills in 2024. Most of these were tossed out or otherwise rejected during the months-long legislative process. Just 1,206 made it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, with 1,017 getting signed into law.
Here are a few of the more notable Assembly Bills (AB) and Senate Bills (SB) that take effect this year—not least of which are 10 laws targeting retail theft.
Among other things, these laws increase penalties for repeat offenders, allowing felony charges for certain crimes.
Retail theft
AB 1779 Prosecutors can consolidate crimes from multiple jurisdictions into one case.
AB 1802 Permanently allows felony charges for organized retail theft. Indefinitely extends the CHP’s Property Crimes Task Force.
AB 2943 Targets serial retail theft for crimes committed within 90 days of each other.
AB 3209 Allows restraining orders against theft suspects.
SB 905 Allows prosecution of auto burglary whether the vehicle was locked or not.
SB 982 Laws targeting organized retail theft are now permanent.
SB 1416 Increases penalties for selling, exchanging or returning stolen property.
Food delivery services
Sb1490 Requires food delivery services such as DoorDash and GrubHub to specify the fees they charge to both customers and restaurants.
Menstrual products for incarcerated people
AB 1810 Requires jails and prisons to provide menstrual products to female inmates, without them having to first request the items.
Workers rights
SB 988 The Freelance Worker Protection Act requires employers to pay freelance workers within the time outlined in their contract, and within 30 days if there is no contract.
Housing
AB 2347 This law changes the time tenants have to respond to eviction notices from five days to 10.
SB 1395 Allows for streamlined zoning and faster building for single-room housing for unhoused people, and lets developers bypass environmental review for the projects.
Reckless Driving and Sideshows
AB 1978 Allows police to seize vehicles used in a road show without arresting the suspect.
AB 2186 People who race in a parking facility can be arrested and their vehicle impounded for 30 days
AB 2807 Defines a “sideshow” and a “street takeover” as the same type of event.
AB 3085 Allows police to impound vehicles used in a sideshow without a warrant.
Electric Bicycle Safety
AB 1774 Prohibits modifying an electric bicycle’s speed capability and from selling a product or device that can modify the speed capability.
Miscellaneous
AB 2645 (Lackey) Electronic toll collection systems can share license plate data with law enforcement during emergency alerts.
ABX2-1 Requires oil refiners to maintain a minimum inventory of fuel to avoid supply shortages that create higher gasoline prices.
AB1955 Prohibits schools from disclosing a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents without their consent.
SB 399 Employers cannot force their employees to attend meetings during which the employer’s political or religious views are expressed.
SB 1100 People looking for a job will no longer be required to have a driver’s license, unless one is needed for the job.
AB 1775 Allows Amsterdam-style cannabis-smoking lounges, and allows cannabis businesses to sell food and drink and to offer entertainment.
AI laws
SB-942 California AI Transparency Act Requires companies that create Artificial Intelligence systems to also provide a tool to detect AI.
SB 926 Makes it a crime to use AI to create intimate images of another person without their consent.
SB 981 Requires social media companies to offer a way to report “deepfake” intimate images created by AI.
