The new year brings a raft of new laws for Californians. They’re likely to affect what your neighborhood looks like, how safe you feel, what recourse you have against discrimination — even how you take out your trash.
In 2021 the Legislature’s super-majority of Democrats sent Gov. Gavin Newsom hundreds of bills that he signed into law, including several with major consequences for Californians. Here’s a breakdown of 11 of those new laws taking effect in 2022, most of which lawmakers approved in the last session (a few videos cover more than one new law on the same subject).
Stripping bad cops of their badges
For decades, bad cops could skirt discipline by jumping from one California police force to another.
That’s about to change. Soon, being convicted of offenses like sexual assault and using excessive force will be enough to kick officers out of the profession in California.
Limiting single-family zoning
California has a critical housing shortage: The median home price broke $800,000 in 2021, and some experts say California needs about 3 million new homes for the growing population.
But for decades, strict zoning laws have allowed developers to build mostly single-family homes. With these two new laws, housing construction is going to look different.
Ban on even more secret settlements
Non-disclosure agreements — also called NDAs — are everywhere. They’re used in Hollywood; they’re used in tech. Sometimes, they’re used to settle claims of discrimmination and harassment secretly.
Starting in 2022 that will be illegal in California.