Variety of new state laws due to go into effect Jan. 1
As Californians, welcome 2021, a host of new laws goes into effect in the new year and some of the new laws will assist residents impacted by future wildfires and disasters.
California suffered one of the worst wildfire seasons on record this year. A new law, Senate Bill 872, that goes into effect on July 1 removes barriers for future wildfire survivors to get critical insurance benefits and streamlines wildfire recovery processes for homeowners who suffer wildfire losses.
The new law will require an advance payment for no less than four months of Additional Living Expenses, and no longer require an itemized inventory form for content claims. In addition, as of July 1 the law will expand Additional Living Expenses benefits for policyholders whose homes are rendered uninhabitable due to wildfire damage to essential infrastructure.
Assembly Bill 2756 will provide additional insurance for disaster survivors to rebuild, and requires more transparency when a new policy is sold that does not cover losses from wildfire.
Under Assembly Bill 685 California employers public and private who receive notice of a possible COVID-19 outbreak will be required to provide written notice to all
employees and employers of subcontractors who shared a worksite with the potentially infected person.
The minimum wage continues to increase as specified in a law passed in 2016, from $12 to $13 an hour for companies with 25 or fewer employees; it will increase to $14 an hour for companies with 26 or more employees. The ultimate goal is a minimum wage of $15 for all workers by 2023
Beginning on Jan. 1, the California Family Rights Act will apply to private employers of five or more employees. The law provides for 12 weeks of job-protected leave for employees to care for themselves or their family members with a severe health condition or to bond with a new child.
Eligible employees must have worked for their employers for at least one year,