A number of new laws that will tighten control of the firearms business, establish a new state holiday, and seal criminal records come into force in California on July 1. Here is a quick summary of the legislation that takes effect on Saturday:
Civil Actions Vs. Firearms Manufacturers
The weapon business Responsibility Act (AB 1594), which establishes a new code of ethics for the firearms business, makes it simpler for Californians to sue weapon merchants in civil court.
Firearm retailers will be obliged to set up and execute policies that ban the sale of firearms to traffickers, individuals barred from possessing firearms by state or federal law, and individuals who the retailer has a good faith belief pose a risk to themselves or others.
A year ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law that forbids the production, sale, importation, or offer for sale of any firearms deemed to be “abnormally dangerous.”
Victims of gun violence, government employees, and the Attorney General are all eligible to pursue civil actions against members of the firearm business for transgressions of the code of conduct.
The tweet below confirms the news:
New 2023 laws include a state holiday, gun control, housing and criminal records. https://t.co/ANFK5zKepY
— The Sacramento Bee (@sacbee_news) June 28, 2023
Old Criminal Records Being Sealed
Almost all convictions on a person’s criminal record will be able to be permanently sealed under SB 731 if they have completed all required prison sentences and have been free of convictions for at least four years.
Currently, there are eight million Californians with a record of an arrest or conviction. Old convictions will be automatically sealed for an estimated 225,000 people on July 1. More than one million people will be qualified to ask a judge for a seal.
Supporters of the measure believe that it will aid those with criminal histories in finding new employment. Convictions for sex offenses will not be able to be sealed.
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Other New Laws in California
- Construction of affordable multifamily housing buildings on land zoned for commercial, retail, or parking use is streamlined under AB 2011, the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022, and SB 6, the Middle-Class Housing Act of 2022. The legislation strengthens wage laws with construction contractors as well as health benefits rules.
- The new law that designates June 19—also known as Juneteenth—as a state holiday in California, AB 1655, is two weeks overdue. Although Juneteenth was officially named a federal holiday for the first time this year, California state offices and courts were reportedly open on that day.
- Under AB 1667, teachers cannot be asked to repay overpayments found in audit reports by CalSTRS, the state teachers’ pension. In the past, payments paid to retired teachers had to be repaid when audits revealed that they had been calculated incorrectly.
- The goal of SB 301 is to stop the internet sale of stolen products. “High-volume third-party” merchants will have to supply data starting July 1 including contact details and bank account numbers.
- A restraining order pertaining to domestic abuse or gun control may be requested or petitioned online in California under AB 2960.
- California law AB 2043 mandates the licensing, education, and registration of bounty hunters. A family whose kid was slain in Palm Springs in 2021 by a man operating illegally as a bounty hunter was the driving force behind the new law.
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