Californians are about to see a new wave of laws go into effect on Tuesday, July 1st, with implications for consumer protections, worker and wage changes, health and education updates, and public safety and justice reforms. From the new policy on subscription cancellations to student mental health resources, here’s a quick breakdown of some of the biggest laws to know about before July.
Consumer Protections
1. Subscription cancellations
📃 TL;DR – Helps consumers cancel subscriptions
AB 2863 – Businesses must obtain a consumer’s explicit consent to renew a paid subscription when the free trial or contract ends. Cancellation options should be as available as sign-up options, and the business must send annual reminders with pricing and cancellation details.
2. Short-term rental fees
📃 TL;DR – Short-term rental platforms like Airbnb must disclose all rental fees upfront
AB 2202 – Airbnb and similar short-term rental sites must disclose all cleaning fees, rental fees, penalties, and expected cleaning tasks before booking. Short-term rentals that don’t comply could face up to a $10,000 fine per violation.
Worker and Wage Changes
3. Domestic worker protections
📃 TL;DR – Household domestic service workers receive workplace protections
SB 1350 – Under this law, California’s Occupational Safety and Health Act (Cal-OSHA) extends the definition of “employment” to household domestic service workers, so that workers in fields like nannying or house-cleaning will receive workplace protections.
4. Minimum wage increases
📃 TL;DR – Many Californian cities increase minimum wage
CA Labor Law – Numerous cities around California will see the minimum wage increase on July 1. The statewide minimum wage was increased to $16.50 per hour on January 1, 2025, but local governments have committed to the following minimum wages.
- Sonoma County: $23.15
- Emeryville: $19.90
- San Francisco: $19.18
- Berkeley: $19.18
- Milpitas: $18.20
- Fremont: $17.75
- Alameda: $17.46
Health and Education
5. Fertility treatment coverage
📃 TL;DR – Requires most health insurance plans to cover fertility treatment
SB 729 – Health insurance plans will now be required to cover fertility treatments, including IVF, infertility diagnoses, and treatments. Religious employers are exempt.
6. Student mental health
📃 TL;DR – Student ID cards must include the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number
SB 1063 – Student ID cards for grades 7-12 at public and private schools must include the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. School IDs may also have a QR code with links to mental health resources.
Public Safety and Justice
7. Crackdown on sale of stolen goods (SB 1144)
📃 TL;DR – Policy against the sale of stolen goods on online marketplaces
SB-1144 – Online sellers such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace must collect information on high-volume third-party sellers and implement a policy against the sale of stolen goods on their site. They must also provide a process to report sales of stolen goods and notify law enforcement if they find a third-party seller advertising or selling stolen goods.
8. CARE Act court updates
📃 TL;DR – Courts must provide ongoing notice to CARE Act petitioners
SB 42 – The CARE Act provides court-ordered mental health services to adults with severe mental health disorders at the petition of family members and first responders. California courts must now keep CARE Act petitioners informed of case updates.