Labor, Housing, Immigration, and Gun Laws to Take Effect Jan. 1

It’s not just recreational marijuana. Hundreds of new laws are set to take effect in California in January. Here are some of the most important measures.

Housing

Fee to fund affordable housing: California homeowners will pay a new $75 fee on each document of a real estate transaction, such as a mortgage refinance or the redemption of a foreclosed home. The total fee is capped at $225 and does not include home purchases. In 2018, half of the funds (estimated at $200 to $300 million annually) will be used to address homelessness, with the other half going to local governments for the purpose of updating zoning and environmental reviews to streamline housing production.

Rules to boost housing construction: Developments in cities that have not kept up with their benchmarks for approving new housing will be able to bypass certain local reviews. Other measures require cities to replace lost housing units, and punish municipalities if they deny certain projects.

Criminal Justice

No more juvenile fees: Counties are barred from collecting administrative fees from families with kids in the juvenile justice system.

Miranda rights protections for youth: Kids 15 and younger must consult with legal counsel before they choose to waive their right to silence during interrogation.

Reduction of drug sentence enhancements: Eliminates a three-year sentencing enhancement that was previously tacked onto nonviolent drug crimes for repeat offenders.

Preserving rape kits: Prohibits law enforcement agencies from destroying rape kits or other evidence from unsolved sexual assault cases for at least 20 years. If the victim was under 18 at the time of the crime, the evidence must be preserved until the victim’s 40th birthday.

Immigration

‘Sanctuary State’ : Local law enforcement will be limited in its ability to cooperate with federal immigration. Sheriffs can’t hold immigrants past their release date on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and can communicate with ICE only regarding certain criminals.

Local detention of immigrants: Local governments will be blocked from entering into or expanding existing contracts with the federal government to hold immigrant detainees.

Guns

No guns on campus: Bars public or private K-12 schools from allowing visitors to bring a gun into a school zone.

Gun relinquishment procedures: A result of the passage of Proposition 63 in 2016, a system taking effect Jan. 1 establishes a timeline for certain criminals to give up their weapons.

Labor

Expanded job-protected maternity and paternity leave: Companies with 20 to 49 employees must now provide 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave for new parents. Previously the law applied only to companies with 50 or more employees.

Limits use of previous salary information: Prohibits all employers from seeking a salary history for job applicants and requires employers to provide applicants with the position’s pay scale if they ask for it.

Ban the box: Bans most companies from asking about a prospective employee’s criminal history on their initial application. The measure has an exemption for small businesses.

Health

Providing information on prescription drug costs: This bill takes effect in several stages. Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, pharmaceutical companies are required to give advance notice before raising the price of drugs more than 16 percent. Drug companies have filed a lawsuit over the legislation.

Providing free tampons and pads to school students: Middle and high schools with low-income student populations must provide free tampons and menstrual pads in their restrooms.