Starting with healthcare, two new laws are directly related to COVID-19. Beginning in April, hospitals must maintain at least a three-month stockpile of personal protective equipment for workers or face a fine of up to $25,000 per violation.
Healthcare providers must report any known sexual orientation or gender identity data in COVID-19 patients and other diseases. The idea is to help the scientific community better understand the impacts on the state’s LGBTQ population.
Turning to criminal justice, a defendant cannot get the death penalty if health experts find evidence of an intellectual disability that began during early years of brain development.
Women in jail or prison who are pregnant or think they might be pregnant must have access to a pregnancy test and other pregnancy related services.
On the law enforcement side are a couple new laws related to 911.
California emergency call centers must be able to accept text messages to 911, giving callers another option if they are unable to speak.
New fines can also be charged to anyone who makes a 911 calls to threaten or harass someone based on race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Punishment includes up to a year in county jail.
Any first responder who takes photos of dead people for any reason other than an official investigation can be charged with a misdemeanor. The law was created after L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies were criticized for sharing photos from the helicopter crash that killed Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
California’s minimum wage is also going up to $14 an hour for large companies and $13 in workplaces with 25 or fewer employees.
In an effort to diversity in leadership — publicly held corporations that are primarily based in California must now have at least one person on their board of directors from an underrepresented community.
When it comes to protecting children, if a good Samaritan has to break a window to rescue a child 6-years-old or younger left in a car, the person can’t be held liable for any damage to the car or truck.
Youth football leagues cannot hold more than two full-contact practices a week in an effort to reduce brain injuries. Each must be less than half an hour. A medical professional must be present at games and an independent person must attend all practices with the authority to remove players if they show signs of injury.