Of the more than 2,600 bills introduced in 2023 in the state legislature – the most in a decade – Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed 156 and signed 890. Last year, Newsom vetoed 169 bills, about 14%, while signing 997.

These new laws change the rules in crime, healthcare, housing, schools, workplaces, and on the streets even addressing cultural issues, like lifting the previous ban on “lowriding.” Some of the new legislation hits taxpayers in their pocketbooks.

Here are some of the new state laws signed by Newsom, most of which took effect Jan. 1:

– California’s minimum wage increases to $16 per hour for all employers.

– AB 1228: Starting April 1, fast-food workers earning minimum wage will get an hourly wage increase of $4 from $16 to $20 an hour. The increase will impact about 500,000 fast-food workers statewide.

– SB 525: Raises the pay for hundreds of thousands of California healthcare workers to a $25 minimum wage. It means medical technicians, nursing assistants, custodians, and other support staff will see a gradual wage hike.

– SB 14: The new law designates human trafficking of minors for commercial gain as a “serious felony,” resulting in harsher prison sentences and inclusion in California’s “Three Strikes” law.

– SB 848, reproductive loss leave, requires private employers with five or more employees to provide up to five days of reproductive loss leave for qualifying events. Those include failed adoption, failed surrogacy, miscarriage, stillbirth, or unsuccessful assisted reproduction. The five days don’t have to be consecutive.

– AB 1084, gender-neutral toys, requires some California retailers to offer a gender-neutral section for children regardless of whether they have been traditionally marketed for either girls or boys.

– AB 2282, expands the definition of hate symbols to include any symbols or marks with “the intent to terrorize another person,” such as Nazi symbols and nooses. The bill also addresses the need to address hate crimes with symbols against certain minority groups.

– SB 700, off-duty cannabis use and drug test results modify existing law to make it unlawful for an employer to request information from an applicant relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis, or to use prior criminal history of cannabis use.

– AB 587, social media transparency, requires social media companies to publicly post their content moderation policies and semiannually report data on their enforcement of the policies to the attorney general. The law will only apply to companies that generated more than $100 million in gross revenues during the preceding calendar year.

– AB 701 will impose harsher penalties for people trafficking large amounts of fentanyl, which is classified along with controlled substances including cocaine and heroin. As of Jan. 1, those convicted of dealing a kilo or more of fentanyl will face stiffer penalties and sentencing enhancement for dealers.

– SB 616, extended paid sick leave, will allow California workers an additional two days of paid sick leave per year. The new law expands the definition of sick leave to include caring for a sick family member. The new law also offers paid time off for employees who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assaults, and stalking.

– SB 476, food handler cards, requires employers to pay their workers for all costs associated with obtaining a food handler cards. Previously, all training and testing for the state-mandated certification had been the employee’s responsibility.

– SB 2, concealed carry: This law strengthens the state’s restrictions on who can carry a firearm in public. It restricts people under 21 from getting a concealed carry permit and also requires all permit holders to have more training, including on how to handle safely, store, and transport firearms. 

–SB 43, conservatorship expansion: The new law expands the standards for deeming a person “gravely disabled” to include people whose mental illness or drug addiction inhibits their ability to keep themselves safe.

– AB 436, cruising ban: This bill lifts the restrictions on lowrider cruising statewide. It also rescinds the ability of cities and towns to impose their cruising bans, which many had in place until recently. The resolution encourages cities to repeal their bans and recognizes that cruising holds cultural significance for many communities.

– AB 28, gun tax: This law adds an 11% state tax on firearms and ammo sold in the state starting in July 2024, making California the only state in the U.S. to have such a tax. This tax is on top of existing federal taxes. Depending on the gun type, the federal tax is either 10% or 11%. Revenue from the tax, estimated by state officials to be about $160 million a year, will help fund violence prevention programs.