Repost from UT… Some of them are kinda interesting…
The state sales tax increases by a quarter-cent starting Jan 1, under Proposition 30 passed by voters in November.
• Individuals and businesses earning more than $250,000 ($500,000 per couple) will be calculating higher taxes. Proposition 30 raises personal income tax rates retroactively to the 2012 tax year.
• Do-it-yourselfers and contractors alike will pay a 1 percent surcharge on most wood products sold in the state. The same law eliminated many regulatory fees on California timber companies. Assembly Bill 1492.
• San Diego County vehicle owners will see a special car registration surcharge rise slightly, to $2 from $1, to help combat vehicle thefts. AB 1404.
• Fees for specialized veterans license plates will increase — by $20 for the initial plate, $10 for renewal and $38 for personalized plates. Proceeds will go directly to county programs that serve veterans. AB 1550.
• Boat registration fees will increase up to $10 to help pay for battling invasive species, such as the quagga mussel that threaten to clog vital water delivery pipes. AB 2443.
• Birth and death certificate fees will increase by $5. Bill passed in 2011, but effective this year. AB 1053.
• Newly hired public employees will have to work longer before getting full pension benefits and contribute more to the retirement accounts. There are some exceptions for charter cities, including San Diego, because those have their own retirement systems. AB 340.
• Drivers may use “hands free” voice-operated technology to talk and text while behind the wheel. AB 1536.
• Cities can install red light cameras only at intersections proven to be unsafe, drivers can more easily challenge tickets, and warning signs must be posted at least 200 feet away. SB 1303.
• Drivers can park at broken parking meters for the time allotted for the space, such as two-hours, without the fear of a ticket. SB 1388.
• No- and low-emission cars with “Clean Air Vehicle” stickers can use without charge carpool lanes that are converted to high-occupancy toll lanes. AB 2405.
• Cars offered at “buy here, pay here” sales lots must include a 30-day or 1,000-mile warranty, cannot be disabled with remote technology without advance warning to the buyer and must display the “fair market value” of the vehicle. AB 1447 and AB 1534.
• The CHP will enact “silver alerts” on highway signs for missing senior citizens who may be in danger because of health concerns or other reasons. It will be modeled after Amber Alerts for missing children. SB 1047.
• Motorists suspected of driving under the influence will no longer have the option of choosing a urine test. With a few rare exceptions, blood tests will be mandatory. AB 2020.
• Californians can apply for one of three vintage license plates that replicate historic designs instead of today’s standard-issue white. Vintage plates will cost $40 extra per year, whether personalized or not, and will not be produced unless 7,500 applications are submitted by 2015. AB 1658.
• Driverless cars are given a green light for testing purposes only as long as a qualified person is in the vehicle. SB 1298.
• Smartphones can be used to show proof of insurance. AB 1708.
• Passengers in recreational off-highway vehicles must sit in a seat installed by the manufacturer. Effective July 1. AB 1266.
• Florists who use local names and local phone numbers in advertisements for call-in sales must include a physical address to warn consumers if they are not located in the area. AB 1581.
Crime
• A victim of spousal abuse will no longer have to pay support to the attacker after a divorce. The bill was in response to the plight of a Carlsbad stockbroker Crystal Harris. AB 1522.
• Computer technicians must report to police suspected child abuse or child pornography found on equipment they are repairing. The bill was sponsored by the San Diego-based California Keeping Innocence Digitally Safe Coalition. AB 1817.
• Qualcomm, Petco and other professional sports facilities must post contact numbers to call or text to report acts of violence at games. AB 2464.
• A court can require an electronic monitoring device for someone accused of domestic violence. The law is in response to the death of Kathleen Scharbarth, a Carlsbad mother thought to have been murdered by an ex-boyfriend who later killed himself in a Vista jail. AB 2467.
• Juveniles sentenced to life without the possibility of parole could, in certain circumstances petition a court for a more lenient sentence. SB 9.
• Those who are experiencing a drug overdose, or helping someone else cope with one, can seek medical care without fear of arrest. AB 472.
• It will be a crime to knowingly distribute, sell or install an air bag that had been previously deployed. AB 1854.
• To deter metal thieves, recyclers cannot possess a manhole cover or fire hydrant unless have proof it was not stolen. SB 1045.
• Cash payments for less than $20 worth of scrap copper are prohibited. AB 1508.
Military
• Protesters at military funerals will have to keep their distance — 300 feet away — from one hour before to one hour after the ceremony. Also applies to celebrity funerals and others. SB 661.
• Veterans who successfully complete court-ordered counseling for specified crimes, such as drug abuse, can petition to have their convictions erased, making it easier to find a job. AB 342.
• Veterans will be exempt for one year from paying higher nonresident community college fees. AB 2478.
• Wounded veterans can receive reduced-price hunting and fishing licenses. SB 1287, SB 1288.
• Providers selling annuity-related products to elderly veterans will be subject to stricter conditions. SB 1170.
ANIMAL RIGHTS
• Hunters cannot use hounds to stalk bears or bobcats. SB 1221.
• Landlords cannot force renters to have their cats declawed or dogs devocalized. SB 1229.
• Abused animals will no longer be automatically returned to owners. SB 1500.
• Grace period for retailers to sell existing stock of shark fins ends July 1. Bill passed in 2011. AB 853.
Immigration
• Undocumented immigrants who have started the process of obtaining legal residency and meet other criteria can apply for Cal Grants and other public aid to go to college. The law, part of the California DREAM Act, was passed in 2011, but is effective this year. AB 131.
• Undocumented immigrants who qualify for a new federal work permit will be eligible for a driver’s license once DMV has the program in place. AB 2189.
Health
• Health professionals must notify women if a mammogram reveals dense breast tissue, which can cloud the reliability of the test in detecting breast cancer. Effective April 1. SB 1538.
• Newborns must be screened to detect critical congenital heart disease — a measure passed in response to the near-death of Vista toddler Caleb Peltier. Effective July 1. AB 1731.
• Registered nurses will be allowed to dispense contraceptives, rather than requiring women to wait to see a doctor. AB 2348.
• Bottles and cups made for children under 3 may not contain Bisphenol A, a common chemical used in plastic containers. Effective July 1. Law passed in 2011. AB 1319.
Education
• All California State University campuses must designate a liaison to work with students and campus police to keep protests from spiraling out of control, which was the case in the pepper-spraying incident at UC Davis. AB 1955.
• In response to the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, coaches must report to authorities if someone is suspected of molesting children. SB 1264.
• Publishers of college textbooks must provide professors and other buyers of differences between the old version and new publications to determine whether it’s worth the extra price given the high cost of books to students. SB 1539.
• Private, for-profit universities must make available data regarding graduates’ job status, accreditation, and loan default rates. AB 2296.
• Using “burn pages” to post bullying remarks against fellow students on social websites will be punishable under state and school anti-bullying provisions. AB 1732.
Miscellaneous
• The types of plastic bags stores must accept for recycling is expanded to include bread bags, dry cleaning covers and shrink wrap used by grocers. SB 1219.
• Clergy, such as priests, pastors and rabbis, may refuse to perform marriages if the union goes against their religious tenets. The law is mostly peremptory with the expectation that California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage could eventually be overturned. SB 1140.
• So-called “gay conversion therapies” are banned under law, but legal challenges have put it on hold. SB 1172.
• Unloaded long guns can no longer be openly displayed. Exceptions include on private property and if the weapon is in a car rack. A ban on the open carry of hand guns is already in place. AB 1527.
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