California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed hundreds of bills into law this year with most taking effect Jan. 1, 2026. The new rules cover everything from the availability of plastic carryout bags to the declawing of cats.
Click through the gallery below for more information about 21 high-profile California laws going into effect on Jan. 1.
SB 627, the “No Secret Police Act,” bans most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business. Similarly, SB 805, the “No Vigilantes Act,” requires law enforcement personnel display identification that includes their agency and either a name or badge number, or both, when performing “enforcement duties.” (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images North America/TNS)
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File
A pair of Senate bills aim to make prescription medicine more affordable. SB 40 limits the out-of-pocket cost for insulin under large group health plans to $35 for a 30-day supply. Limits for small group plans and individual health plans will take effect in 2027. SB 41 limits the reach of pharmacy benefit managers who act as a go-between for drug makers, pharmacies and consumers by requiring them to get licensed with the state by the end of 2026 and giving them the legal duty to act on their clients’ best interests when it comes to drug costs and recommending pharmacy networks. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
AB 720 allows wineries to host small “estate tasting events” at vineyard sites using only a permit from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Elkhorn Peak Cellars co-owner Elise Nerlove (pictured) said in November that she plans to use the permit to hold small seasonal demonstrations focused on grape farming at her Napa Valley micro-winery. (Evan Roscoe / Beneath the Vines Imaging)
AB 572 enshrines due-process rights for families of people seriously injured or killed by law enforcement. Under the law, police investigators will be required to first inform family members of their loved one’s medical condition, then tell them of their right to have an advocate present before a formal police interview can take place. (Patrick Tehan / Bay Area News Group)
SB 1053 closes a loophole in the state’s previous ban of single-use plastic carryout bags by prohibiting the thicker plastic bags that were previously allowed as “reusable.” Stores will now be required to provide recycled paper bags. (Paul Rogers, Bay Area News Group)
MattGush / Getty Images
AB 715 establishes a new Office of Civil Rights and a first-in-the-nation statewide Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to rein in antisemitism in schools. (MattGush / Getty Images)
AB 1127 prohibits firearms dealers from selling any gun that can be “easily converted by hand or with common household tools” into a fully automatic weapon. Included in the ban are Glock models that can turn into a fully automatic weapon with a 3D printed modifier. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
AB 288 protects private sector employees’ right to join a union and gives the state-run California Public Employee Relations Board the ability to address complaints of labor violations if employees do receive timely support from the National Labor Relations Board. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
SB 243 creates safeguards for interactions with AI chatbots, including requiring developers prevent chatbots from encouraging sexually explicit behavior to minors or promoting self-harm or suicide to users of all ages. Chatbots must also regularly give users disclaimers that the chatbot is not a real human. The bill also gives families the right to pursue legal actions against developers whose AI violated these provisions. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
Two Senate bills advance California’s work to implement reparations for the descendants of enslaved people. SB 518 creates a state office called the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery to determine whether someone is the descendant of a slave, while SB 437 directs California State University to research and develop a methodology for determining an individual’s status as a descendant of an enslaved person. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)
AP Photo/Eric Gay File
AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025, creates a new joint guardianship process that allows parents, should they be deported, to designate a family friend or relative as caregiver to make medical and school decisions for their children. (AP Photo/Eric Gay File)
AB 867 bans cat declawing in California except when a veterinarian deems it medically necessary for the cat’s health. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
A trio of new laws are aimed at regulating the so-called puppy mill industry. AB 506 requires sellers to disclose the pet’s origin and health information and eliminates pet contracts that include non-refundable deposits, which lawmakers say leads to bait-and-switch puppy sales. AB 519 bands third-party brokers from selling cats, puppies, and rabbits bred by others for profit in California. SB 312 requires dog importers to submit health certificates electronically to the California Department of Food & Agriculture within 10 days of shipping the animal. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat file)
AB 1286 requires California’s elected officials and state appointees to publicly disclose any job offers they accept while still in office to combat conflict of interests with employers that might seek favors from them while they’re still in a position of power. (Florence Middleton / CalMatters)
AP Photo/Jenny Kane
AB 628 requires landlords to provide a working stove and refrigerator in all residential rental units, updating legislation that defines the appliances, which previously were sometimes considered amenities, as necessities for a “tenantable dwelling.” (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
EyeEm Mobile GmbH / Getty Images
AB 250, the “Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act,” extends the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits by adult survivors of sexual assault who allege their employer or other private entity or perpetrator tried to cover up the assault. The extension lasts until Dec. 31, 2027. The law does not apply to public agencies like local government or school districts. (EyeEm Mobile GmbH / Getty Images)
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SB 627, the “No Secret Police Act,” bans most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business. Similarly, SB 805, the “No Vigilantes Act,” requires law enforcement personnel display identification that includes their agency and either a name or badge number, or both, when performing “enforcement duties.” (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images North America/TNS)