NEW LAWS FOR A NEW YEAR
Minimum wage has risen
Finally, 2020 is in the rearview mirror.
Legislation approved and signed in 2020 often takes effect on Jan. 1 (unless there is an urgency clause). Here’s a rundown of some of the new laws that will be on the books in 2021:
Pay increases
Minimum wage workers will see another incremental step moving closer to the goal of $15 hourly wages. Starting Jan. 1, businesses with 26 or more employees will be required to pay employees $14 per hour; businesses with 25 or fewer employees move to $13 per hour.
The bill creating the incremental increases was approved in 2016. And all minimum wage workers in the state are expected to reach $15 per hour by 2023.
Some jurisdictions across the state have higher wages, although none of those places are in Humboldt County.
COVID-19
Assembly Bill 685 mandates employers to notify employees within one day of COVID-19 exposure in the workplace.
“In the age of COVID-19, our essential workers risk their lives and the lives of their loved ones in our fields, hospitals, grocery stores, meatpacking plants, restaurant kitchens and countless other businesses in our state,” said Assemblymember Eloise Reyes (D- San Bernardino), the bill’s author, in a prepared statement. “… By notifying the public and workers of potential exposures as required under AB 685, we allow workers to take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their loved ones while also bolstering the response of public health officials.”
Health care
Under Assembly Bill 2537, hospitals must maintain a threemonth supply of personal protective care by April 1, 2021. The law requires the hospitals to report the inventory to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health if requested.
“The bill would authorize the assessment of a civil penalty of up to $25,000 for each violation to maintain the required stockpile, except in certain circumstances,” the law’s summary states.
Police reform
Assembly Bill 1196 was introduced in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by police. Sponsored by more than 40 lawmakers, including North Coast state Sen. Mike Mcguire (D-healdsburg), it outlaws the use of the chokehold and carotid holds by police officers.
“The world watched as the 200-pound weight of a police officer was leveraged on the neck of George Floyd for over eight minutes,” said Assem
blymember Mike Gipson ( D- Carson) after the bill was introduced in June. “… This dangerous technique compresses the carotid arter y and stops blood flow to render the suspect unconscious. The deadly use of force technique can be performed using any object and can easily go wrong, this time it was a knee.”
Inmate firefighters
Inmate firefighters have an opportunity to continue their firefighting careers under AB 2147 by Reyes. The law provides a spedup expungement process for inmates who helped fight fires in California.
“Signing AB 2147 into law is about giving second chances. To correct is to right a wrong; to rehabilitate is to restore,” said Reyes in a prepared statement earlier this year. “Rehabilitation without strategies to ensure the formerly incarcerated have a career is a pathway to recidivism. We must get serious about providing pathways for those who show the determination and commitment to turn their lives around.”
Highway safety
A ssembly Bi l l 2285 mandates fines for drivers who do not attempt to slow down or change lanes, if possible, when they approach a Caltrans vehicle, tow tr uck, or emergency vehicle with lights blinking.
The law does not require drivers to change lanes, but it is encouraged. Dr ivers a re re - quired to slow dow n. Failure to do so could result in a $ 50 fine from California Highway Patrol.