92503 News : Several California state laws go into effect this Thursday, January 1st

Taken from pe. com:

Law and order

AB 259: Makes it a misdemeanor to provide salvia divinorum, a hallucinogenic plant, to any person 18 or younger.

AB 919: Creates new “cyber-bullying” penalties.

AB 1976: Increases the punishment for making non-emergency calls to 911.

AB 2098: Makes it a misdemeanor to slaughter, buy or sell so-called downer cows for human consumption.

SB 1407: Raises fees on court filings and parking tickets to pay for a $5 billion courthouse bond.

Transportation and Housing

AB 180: Requires foreclosure consultants to register with the state Department of Justice

AB 1954: Authorizes high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 15 in Riverside County.

AB 1971: Allows the use of studded tires year-round. (Some new tires have retractable studs.)

SB 28: Bans texting while driving.

SB 1316: Gives the Riverside County Transportation Commission permission to build high-occupancy toll lanes in the median of Highway 91 between the Orange County line and I-15.

SB 1567: Lets people put GPS devices on their windshields.

SB 1720: Creates penalties for trafficking in phony “Clean Air” stickers for cars.

And more

AB 102 (2007): Makes it easier for men to take their partner’s last name when they marry or enter into a domestic partnership.

AB 1108 (2007): Prohibits the sale of products containing phthalates for children three or younger

AB 1347 (2007): Sets new standards for the treatment of animals in pet stores.

AB 1778: Targets the theft of cans and other recyclables by imposing new rules on recycling centers.

SB 107: Sets standards for wave-pool operators and requires life jackets for young children.

SB 691: Requires junk dealers to collect fingerprints and other identification from people selling scrap metal.

SB 1595: Updates regulations on clearing vegetation around houses to reduce the fire threat.

Still to come

AB 97: Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, restaurants cannot serve food made with oil or margarine containing artificial trans fats. Beginning Jan. 1, 2011, restaurants cannot serve any food made with artificial trans fats.

AB 3025: Beginning Jan. 1, 2012, prohibits the sale of plastic foam “peanut” packing material.

SB 375: By September 2010, gives each region of the state a target to reduce heat-trapping gasses and requires the regions to adopt growth plans to achieve these targets.

SB 1420: Beginning in July 2009, restaurants will be required to disclose nutritional information in a brochure. Beginning in January 2011, nutritional information must be on the menu.