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Many new or altered rules are coming to California in the new year. According to Cal Matters, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a staggering 770 new laws in 2021.
Here are some of the most important laws taking effect on January 1, 2022:
- Slower Speed Limits - California cities will have more local control over how speed limits are set
- Middle and High School Start Times - Schools will be required to start class no earlier than 8:00 A.M. and 8:30 A.M.
- Composting - All residents will be required to sort their organic waste
- Menstrual Products In Schools - In the 2022-23 school year, public schools will be required to stock restrooms with free pads or tampons
- Minimum Wage Increase - Businesses with 26 or more employees will be required to pay a $15 minimum wage
- Bacon Making - Requires breeding pigs, egg-laying chickens, and veal calves have enough room to stand and turn around. However, KTLA says the pork industry hasn't made the necessary changes and a coalition of restaurants and grocers are suing in hopes of a two-year delay on the law
- Single-Use Silverware/Condiments - Restaurants will be prohibited from handing out single-use silverware or condiments without a customer specifically asking for them
- "Stealthing" - Non-consensual removal of a condom during sex (stealthing) is now a form of sexual battery
- Ghost Guns - Concerned family members, teachers, coworkers, and employers can ask a judge to seize ghost guns (guns purchased in parts & assembled at home) from someone they think could be a danger to themselves or others
- Rubber Bullets & Tear Gas - Police are prohibited from using rubber bullets or tear gas to disperse crowds at a protest
- Roadkill - A pilot program will allow people to collect and eat roadkill like deer, elk, and wild pigs. People will need to report the find and secure a permit before
To find more laws taking effect in California in 2022, click here.