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SAN FRANCISCO - New year, new laws.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several new bills into law over the past year, many of them addressing issues that continue to impact Californians such as consumer protections, labor and workplace rights, and education.
Take a look at some of the new laws that will impact your life in the new year.
New California Laws in 2026: Business & Consumer
These bills directly impact transactions and living conditions for businesses and consumers.
AB 671: Accelerated Restaurant Building Plan Approval
AB 671 creates a voluntary, expedited path for permitting small, independent restaurants seeking to retrofit existing spaces — allowing licensed architects and engineers to self-certify simple plans while maintaining all required inspections and safety checks.
SB 766: Combating Auto Retail Scams
Consumers who buy or lease a new or used car from a California dealer will now have a first-in-the-nation right to return a used car for a refund within three days of purchase and improved pricing transparency. The bill also requires dealers to disclose the full costs up front and it prohibits dealers from charging for add-ons that have no benefits to the buyer, such as free oil changes for electric vehicles.
AB 592: Expanding Outdoor Dining Flexibility
AB 592 enables open-kitchen restaurants to fully leverage California’s exceptional climate by permitting windows, folding doors, or non-fixed storefronts — giving restaurant owners greater flexibility in providing outside premises.
AB 592: Expanded Outdoor Dining Options
The bill enables open-kitchen restaurants to utilize California’s climate by permitting windows, folding doors, or non-fixed storefronts, giving restaurant owners greater flexibility in providing outdoor premises.
AB 578: Food Delivery Platforms: Customer Service
This law prohibits food delivery platforms from using tips or gratuity to offset the base pay of the delivery driver and requires clear itemized pay breakdowns.
AB 628: Required Appliances in Rental Apartments
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, apartments are required to come equipped with a refrigerator and stove, as well as basic appliances that many reasonable renters expect would also be required.
SB 1053: Single-Use Carryout Bag Ban
Beginning January 1, 2026, stores will only be allowed to distribute recycled paper bags to customers at the point of sale. This change follows the state's 2014 ban on single-use plastic bags.
Stores may charge a minimum of 10 cents per paper bag.
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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: California banning plastic bags at grocery stores
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will ban plastic bags at California grocery stores.
According to Cal Recycle, the stores that sell bags must keep the money and use it to cover: cost of providing the bags, compliance with the bag ban, and educational materials or an educational campaign. Stores cannot require customers to purchase a bag.
SB 709: Self-Service Storage Facilities: Rental Agreement Disclosures
This law amends California's Self-Storage Facility Act, which established procedures governing the operation of self-service storage facilities, including specifying remedies for facility owners when occupants are delinquent in paying rent or other charges. This law requires that rental agreements initially entered into on or after Jan. 1, 2026, disclose certain items, including whether the rental fee is discounted or promotional, whether the rental fee is subject to change, and the maximum rental fee that the owner could charge during the first 12 months following the date of the rental agreement.
New California Laws in 2026: Health
This category addresses health-related concerns.
SB 40: Reducing Drug Costs
The new law caps the cost-sharing for insulin at $35 for a 30-day supply for most Californians with state-regulated health plans. The bill also prohibits step therapy (requiring patients to try other drugs first) as a prerequisite for insulin coverage and eliminates deductibles on insulin prescriptions for many plans.
CalRX Program
Californians will be able to buy low-cost, state-branded insulin beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The CalRX – California's program to develop and sell its own prescription medications – pens have a suggested retail price of no more than $55 for a pack of five 3-mL pens, coming out to about $11 a pen.
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RELATED COVERAGE: California to sell low-cost insulin
Californians will be able to buy five packs of insulin pens for a maximum of $55 per pack, or $11 per pen, starting Jan. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.
SB 43: Expanding Involuntary Behavioral Health Treatment
Previous state law allowed civil detainment in cases of suspected mental health conditions when people are determined to be: a danger to self, a danger to others, or "gravely disabled" because they cannot secure food, shelter or clothing.
Under the new law, "grave disability" is redefined to not only include those unable to secure food, shelter and clothing, but also those who cannot keep themselves safe or secure necessary medical care. Additionally, grave disability may be determined to be a result of mental illness or substance-use disorder as a standalone condition.
New California Laws in 2026: Education
This category addresses legislation concerning education.
AB 715: Cracking Down on Hate, Antisemitism in Schools
The bill establishes a new Office of Civil Rights in an effort to quell antisemitism in schools.
Additionally, an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator will be appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and confirmed by the state Senate, tasked with tracking and reporting antisemitism in California schools, as well as training and advising local educational agencies on how to address antisemitism.
It also requires districts to investigate and take corrective action when discriminatory content is used in classrooms or professional development.
SB 98: Notification and Protection for Educational Institutions
The bill requires schools and higher education institutions to send community notifications when immigration enforcement is on campus, and prohibits immigration enforcement from entering certain areas without a judicial warrant or court order.
AB 49: Protecting Immigrant Children
This bill prohibits schools from allowing immigration enforcement officers on campus without a warrant.
The bill would require school officials and employees to request valid identification of any officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement seeking to enter a nonpublic area of a school campus.
The bill would also prohibit a local educational agency and its personnel from disclosing or providing, in writing, verbally, or in any other manner, the education records of or any information about a pupil or a pupil’s family and household without the pupil’s parents’ or guardians’ written consent, a school employee, or a teacher to an officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement without a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena, or court order directing the local educational agency or its personnel to do so.
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SUGGESTED COVERAGE: LA students walk out in protest of Trump's immigration policies
Several hundred students from area high schools have staged a walkout to protest federal immigration policies.
AB 3216: School Phone Policies
All public K-12 schools must implement policies limiting or prohibiting student phone use by July 1, 2026.
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SUGGESTED COVERAGE: Cell phone ban in effect as LA Unified schools
Student phone use during school hours are now restricted.
SB 640: Statewide CSU Direct Admission Program
Qualified high school graduates will automatically be admitted to a California State University campus for the 2026-2027 school year without having to apply.
Under the program, eligible students will automatically receive letters notifying them they have been directly admitted to CSU campuses based on their academic records. The program expands a pilot announced last year limited to high school students in Riverside County.
AB 1264: Ultra-Processed Foods Banned from School Lunches
This bill bans the most "harmful" ultra-processed foods from school lunches by 2035. This makes California the first state in the nation to ban certain foods from public schools.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: California to decide on bill to ban ultra-processed foods in school
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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: CA lawmakers one step away from banning ultra-processed foods from schools
California lawmakers just passed a first in the nation bill to phase out ultra processed foods from school lunches with overwhelming bipartisan support. Now, AB 1264 is on Governor Newsom's desk for his signature, the final step before this becomes law.
New California Laws in 2026: Crime & Public Safety
This category covers issues related to crime and public safety, immigration enforcement, police conduct, and civil claims.
SB 303: Bias Mitigation Training Does Not Constitute Discrimination
This bill criminalizes threats of mass violence made against workplaces, as well as schools, houses of worship, and medical facilities. Additionally, the law amends the California Fair Employment and Housing, which requires employers to prevent workplace discrimination and harassment.
SB 805: ‘No Vigilantes Act’
This bill would, on and after January 1, 2026, require a law enforcement officer operating in California that is not uniformed to visibly display identification that includes their agency and either a name or badge number to the public when performing their enforcement duties, except as specified. The bill would make a violation of these provisions a misdemeanor. The bill would define personnel of a law enforcement agency as any peace officer under California law and any federal law enforcement officer.
SUGGESTED COVERAGE: California bans most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operations
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SUGGESTED COVERAGE: Trump administration pushing back on ICE mask ban
Acting US Attorney Bilal Essayli dismissed Gavin Newsom's law to ban ICE agents from covering their faces, calling the California Governor's efforts "silly."
SB 627: ‘No Secret Police Act’
The bill prohibits federal and local law enforcement officers from wearing face masks while conducting their duties. The bill would require any law enforcement agency operating in California to, by July 1, 2026, maintain and publicly post a written policy limiting the use of facial coverings, as specified.
SB 81: Protecting Immigrant Patients' Rights
The bill prohibits immigration enforcement agents from entering nonpublic areas of a facility without a valid judicial warrant or court order. It also protects patient information by barring the disclosure of a person’s current ory past immigration status or place of birth for purposes related to immigration enforcement.
AB 250: Statute of Limitations Extended for Sexual Assault Claims
The bill establishes a two-year window, from Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027, to revive civil claims for sexual assault, even if the statute of limitations has expired.
New California Laws in 2026: Work & Labor
This category includes laws focused on wages, hours, record-keeping, and general employee rights and protections.
AB 692: Certain ‘Stay or Pay' Contracts Unlawful
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, it will be unlawful to include terms that impose penalties or fees, or require employees to pay debts, authorize debt collection, if the employment relationship ends. The law also allows for private rights of action, including minimum damages of $5,000 per worker, injunctive relief, and attorneys’ fees and costs.
SB 809: Construction Trucking Employer Amnesty Program and Expenses
The bill requires employers to reimburse employees for use, upkeep, and depreciation of a truck, tractor, trailer, or other commercial vehicle that the employee owned and used for work.
AB 406: Crime Victim Legislation
Expanded reasons for use of paid, unpaid leave. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, employees can use paid sick leave, and certain unpaid leave, if the employee or a covered family member are victims of certain crimes and need to attend related judicial proceedings. Covered proceedings include bail or release determinations and plea or sentencing hearings.
SB 693: Extension of CBA Meal Period Exemptions to Water Corporations
Existing law generally prohibits an employer from employing an employee for a work period of more than 5 hours per day without providing the employee with a meal period of not less than 30 minutes. It also creates exceptions to this prohibition for employees in specified occupations, including employees of an electrical corporation, a gas corporation, or a local publicly owned electric utility covered by a valid collective bargaining agreement meeting certain conditions. Also under the current law, the Labor Commissioner is charged with enforcement of these provisions.
This bill would also create an exception from the above-described prohibition for employees of a water corporation, as defined.
AB 751: Extension Of Rest Period Exemption at Petroleum Facilities
This bill makes California’s exemption for rest period requirements for safety-sensitive employees at petroleum facilities and refineries permanent, removing the previous expiration date of Jan. 1, 2026. This law means these specific employees are no longer required to be fully relieved of all duties during their breaks. The bill extends this exemption indefinitely to comparable roles at other refineries that process alternative feedstocks.
SB 477: FEHA Enforcement Procedures
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the law expands the circumstances for tolling the statute of limitations in California for individuals to file a civil lawsuit under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act when the individual appeals a decision from, or gets into an agreement with, the California Civil Rights Department.
SB 355: Notice Requirement for Judgment Debtor Employees
The bill requires within 60 days of a final judgment against an employer requiring payment to an employee or to the state, the employer to provide documentation to the state Labor Commissioner that the judgment is fully satisfied, a certain bond has been posted, or the employee has entered into an agreement for the judgment to be paid in installments and is in compliance with that agreement. The bill also introduces new whistleblower protection for AI safety.
SB 513: Personnel Records To Include Education or Training Records
This bill requires employers to include the following in education or training records: the name of the employee, the name of the training provider, the duration and date of the training, the core competencies or skills in the training, and the resulting certification or qualification.
AB 963: Recordkeeping Requirements for California Public Works Projects
The bill requires an owner or developer undertaking any work to make specified records available upon request to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, to multi-employer Taft-Hartley trust funds and to join labor-management committees as specified. Under the bill, if the owner or developer fails to comply with the request from the division, they would be subject to penalties.
SB 617: Warn Notice
SB 617 expands information employers are required to include under the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, employers are mandated to state whether they plan to coordinate services for affected employees through the local workforce development board, another entity, or not at all. Employers must provide the LDWB’s contact information and a description of its services in the notice, regardless of their choice.
SB 294: Workplace ‘Know Your Rights’ Act
Starting Feb. 1, 2026, employers are mandated to post a state agency poster and provide a stand-alone written notice to each employee addressing independent contractor misclassification protections, heat illness prevention, workers’ compensation, paid sick days, protections against unfair immigration-related practices, and more. The bill requires employers to notify an employee’s emergency contact in the event the employee is arrested or detained while at work.
New California Laws in 2026: Pay Equity & Wages
This category addresses closing pay gaps, enforcing wage judgments, and regulating gratuities.
SB 464: Employee Pay Data Reporting Expanded
This bill enhances existing pay reporting requirements to address wage disparities and introduces strict changes for private employers including stricter penalties and reporting on new job categories. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, penalties will become mandatory upon CRD request. For 2026, reports are due by May 12. The bill also requires employers store demographic data separately from personnel records.
AB 774: Judgment Liens and Wage Garnishment
The bill requires employers to provide additional information to levying officers in their returns under the Wage Garnishment Law and clarifies officers’ service procedures.
SB 648: Labor Commissioner to Enforce Gratuity Law Violations
This authorizes the Labor Commissioner to investigate and issue citations or file civil lawsuits for gratuities taken or withheld in violation of the California Labor Code.
New California Laws in 2026: Minimum wage increase
The statewide minimum wage increases to $16.90 per hour for all employees.
The hourly rate has been increasing every year since 2023. State law requires the finance department to adjust the minimum wage each year, along the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners.
Keep in mind that some sectors have higher minimum wages, including some fast food and health care workers. Some cities and counties have also set higher minimum wages.
SB 642: Payment of Wages
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, SB 642 revises California’s Equal Pay Act. Under this bill, there will be revisions to the definition of pay scale, sex, wages, and wage rates. There is also new guidance on what constitutes a cause of action for violations of the California Equal Pay Act.
SB 261: Penalties for Unpaid Wage Adjustments
The bill mandates that the Labor Commissioner’s Office post to its website any unsatisfied awards against employers. The bill imposes a penalty equal to three times the award if the award remains unsatisfied after 180 days.
New California Laws in 2026: Employee organizing
These laws focus on the ability of workers in specific sectors to organize and assert labor rights.
AB 288: Expansion of PERB to Private Sector Workers
The bill authorizes California’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to enforce provisions of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in the private sector when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) declines or is unable to act.
AB 1514: Independent Contract Exemptions for Manicurists, Commercial Fishers
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the inoperative data for an exemption for certain commercial fishers be amended.
AB 1340: Transportation Network Company Drivers Labor Relations Act
The bill establishes the Transportation Network Company Drivers Labor Relations Act, granting drivers the right to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities (i.e. unionize) for mutual aid or protection irrespective of their status as independent contractors.
New California Laws in 2026: Health & Safety for Specific Industries
This category addressed specific occupational hazards and workplace safety measures.
AB 858: Extension of Right-to-Rehire Rights for COVID-19 Layoffs
This bill extends the sunset date of the recall and reinstatement rights of employees laid off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic until Jan. 1, 2027. The bill covers certain airport service and hospitality providers, building service providers, hotels, private clubs, and event centers.
SB 20: Worker Protections Related to High-Exposure Trigger Tasks on Artificial Stone
Known as the Silicosis Training, Outreach, and Prevention (STOP) Act, the use of dry cutting methods on artificial stone is unlawful and requires employers to implement effective "wet" methods to suppress dust. It also requires employees to report cases of silicosis to the state and ensures that violations may result in fines or shutdown orders.
New California Laws in 2026: Technology, Data & AI
These laws introduce regulation and transparency requirements for new technologies and data handling.
SB 53: Transparency in Frontier Artifical Intelligence Act
Also known as the Transparency Act, it establishes a new set of requirements for certain "frontier developers" or "artificial intelligence" models. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, SB 53 introduces comprehensive, state-level requirements for development of the "Frontier AI models.
The law also mandates prompt reporting of critical safety incidens involving cyberattacks or loss of model control with catastophic potential.
SB 446: 30-Day Window for Data Breach Notifications
This bill would require that data breach disclosure to be made within 30 calendar days of discovery or notification of the data breach.
New California Laws in 2026: Climate & Environment
This category addresses corporate disclosure requirements related to climate risks.
SB 261: Stern Greenhouse Gases: Climate-Related Financial Risk
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, and biennially thereafter, a covered entity, as defined, is required to prepare a climate-related financial risk report disclosing the entity’s climate-related financial risk and measures adopted to reduce and adapt to that risk.
The bill requires a copy of that report to be posted online for the public. It also requires the state board to contract with a climate reporting organization to biennially prepare a public report with specific information.
New California Laws in 2026: Miscellanous
AB 268: Diwali Recognized as State Holiday
Beginning in 2026, public schools and community colleges will be closed on Diwali, and state employees can choose to take the day off with pay.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: California makes Diwali an official statewide holiday
The Source: This report is based on information compiled directly from the legislative text of the new bills signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom over the past year. The details regarding effective dates, specific mandates (like posting requirements, fine amounts, and record-keeping), and direct policy impacts are drawn from the final versions of the Senate Bills (SB) and Assembly Bills (AB) themselves.