New Year, New Laws

Happy New Year from Custodio & Dubey! As we ring in 2025, we’re not just celebrating a new year but also preparing for significant legal changes that could impact individuals, families, and businesses across California. From groundbreaking transparency requirements for baby food manufacturers to expanded protections for workers, these new laws aim to enhance public safety, consumer rights, and social equity.

In 2023, California passed AB 899 mandating monthly testing of baby food for toxic metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, and inorganic arsenic, with tests conducted in accredited laboratories. Failure to comply can result in a company’s products being banned from the state. And, starting Jan. 1, 2025, that law requires baby food manufacturers to publicly disclose toxic metal levels on their websites, including detailed product information like names, lot numbers, and test results. Labels must also include QR codes that link to this information and FDA guidance on the health effects of heavy metals. This state-imposed transparency holds manufacturers accountable in ways that far exceed the FDA’s current voluntary guidelines. Parents everywhere can use this information to make informed decisions about what they feed their children.

Vineet Dubey from Custodio & Dubey says, “AB 899 marks a significant step forward in the fight for product transparency. While there’s still more work to be done to ensure consumers have the information they need, prioritizing transparency for products aimed at our children is a powerful place to start.

Other changes coming in 2025 include…

Retail and Organized Theft Laws

Easier Prosecution for Car Burglaries: Senate Bill 905 removes the requirement for victims to prove their cars were locked to press burglary charges and simplifies combining instances of stolen property possession into a single crime.

District Attorney Coordination for Retail Theft: Assembly Bill 1779 lets district attorneys prosecute retail theft crimes across multiple counties.

Aggregation of Theft for Felony Threshold: AB2943 enables prosecutors to combine multiple thefts across counties to meet the $950 felony theft threshold and simplifies arrests for theft not witnessed by police.

Retail Store Restraining Orders: AB3209 allows retail stores to seek restraining orders against individuals who steal, vandalize, or assault employees.

Harsher Penalties for Fire-Related Theft: SB242 increases punishments for those who start fires while committing theft.

Increased Penalties for Large-Scale Retail Theft: SB1416 heightens punishments for organized retail theft involving significant amounts of stolen goods.

Penalties for High-Value Property Theft: AB1960 imposes stricter jail sentences for individuals who steal or destroy property valued over $50,000.

Online Marketplace Seller Registration: SB1144 requires more sellers to register their identities with online marketplaces to curb the sale of stolen goods (effective July 1, 2025).

Increased Punishments for Repeat Theft Offenders: Proposition 36 reclassifies thefts by repeat offenders as felonies regardless of the value of stolen goods (effective December 18, 2025).

Employment and Worker Protections

Ban on Driver’s License Job Requirement: SB1100 prohibits employers from requiring valid driver’s licenses unless essential for the job.

Paid Sick Days for Agricultural Workers: SB1105 allows agricultural workers to use paid sick days for preventive care in hazardous conditions like extreme heat or wildfire smoke.

Paid Family Leave Access: AB2123 bans employers from requiring employees to use accrued vacation before accessing Paid Family Leave benefits.

Housing and Urban Development Accessory Dwelling Units Expansion: SB1211 increases the number of ADUs allowed on multifamily properties for quick approval.

Penalties for Housing Law Violations: SB1037 allows the attorney general to fine local governments up to $50,000 per month for violating state housing laws.

New Parking Fines for Daylighting Violations: AB413 prohibits parking within 20 feet of marked or unmarked crosswalks, with fines beginning January 1, 2025.

Other Public Safety

Extended Mental Health Treatment Plans: AB2475 allows for longer planning of continued treatment for individuals with severe mental illness Post-release.

Civil Rights Laws

Intersectionality in Anti-Discrimination Laws: SB1137 adds intersectionality as a recognized factor in California’s anti-discrimination laws, addressing compounded discrimination.

Forced Outing in Schools Ban: AB1955 prohibits policies requiring schools to notify parents if a student requests to use different pronouns, a new name, or identifies as transgender, protecting students’ privacy.

Racial Justice Act Retroactivity: The California Racial Justice Act extends its application retroactively to all felony and juvenile cases as of January 1, 2025, allowing relief for cases influenced by racial bias.

Consumer Protection

Click-to-Cancel Law: AB2863 mandates that subscription services provide customers the ability to cancel through the same method they used to sign up (effective July 1, 2025).

Prohibition on Insufficient Funds Fees: AB2017 bans state-chartered banks from fining customers for attempting to withdraw money when they have insufficient funds.

Environmental and Public Health

Polystyrene Recycling Mandate: Requires a 25% recycling rate for polystyrene by 2025, or the material will face a statewide ban.

Gas Stove Warning Labels: AB2513 mandates that gas stoves sold or manufactured include warnings about health risks from emissions starting January 2025.

Higher Education

Ban on Legacy Admissions: AB1780 prevents colleges receiving state funding from considering alumni or donor connections in admissions decisions, with private colleges also subject to the ban starting September 1, 2025.

Other Notable Laws

Medical Debt on Credit Reports: SB1061 prohibits credit bureaus from including medical debt on credit reports starting January 2025.

Food Delivery Driver Information: AB375 requires third-party food delivery platforms to provide customers with the driver’s name and photo (effective March 1, 2025).