Pets, paychecks, doctors and voting by mail – here’s a list of new laws you should know about, courtesy of East Bay attorney Jean Shrem, Esq. (Shrem Law)
Minimum wage: It’s now $11 for corporations with up to 25 employees; for those with more than 26 employees, it’s $12, and it will reach $15 by 2023.
The last straw: Full-service restaurants (fast-food joints are exempted) are banned from automatically giving patrons a plastic straw, but may do so upon request. This doesn’t apply to non-plastic straws, though.
Women on the board: Public corporations based in California must have at least one woman on the board of directors by the end of 2019 and at least two by 2121 – or three if the corporation has six or more directors.
DUI auto Breathalyzers: Repeat DUI offenders and first-time DUI offenders who got into injury crashes must install an ignition interlock device such as a Breathalyzer in their car.
Doctor disclosure: Physicians including surgeons, podiatrists, acupuncturists and chiropractors must inform patients if they are disciplined for sexual misconduct with a patient or certain other misdeeds prior to a patient visit. Goes into effect July 1.
Rescue pet sales: California pet stores are now banned from selling dogs, cats or rabbits unless they came from animal shelters or nonprofit rescue groups.
Vote-by-mail postage: Elections officials are now required to provide prepaid vote-by-mail ballots, so no more worrying about how many stamps to use.
Sexual harassment: California employers with at least five employees must provide sexual harassment training and education to workers by 2020.
Meals for low-income students: Beginning next academic year, charter schools are required to provide one free or reduced-fee meal daily to low-income students. Public schools are already required to do so.
Privacy protection: Starting in 2020, consumers will be empowered to request that companies delete their personal data. Also, if there is an unauthorized breach of non-encrypted personal information, consumers can sue for up to $750
