New Year, New Laws

SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) authored eight new laws that will take effect in 2026. 

“This year was a tough one for California -- from the LA fires to the incessant attacks from President Trump on our immigrant communities, our economy, and our values -- but we can and must continue to deliver results for our constituents. From lowering Californians’ utility bills to continuing to improve public safety to protecting the rights of our workers, I am excited to see these new laws take effect in 2026,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman. “I am proud of our continued success to strengthen California’s election system, ensuring it remains accessible, secure, and now faster. With the 2026 midterm elections ahead, our ability to provide fast and accurate results to Californians further safeguards our elections from those who continue to spread conspiracies and undermine our democracy. As we enter the new year, I look forward to continuing our success in creating commonsense policies to improve the everyday lives of my constituents and all Californians.”

Unless otherwise stated, all laws go into effect on January 1, 2026:

Strengthening Our Election Systems

Assembly Bill 5 increases transparency in our vote counting process by requiring elections officials to count the vast majority of ballots on or before the 13th day following an election. By setting achievable standards and metrics, this new law will preserve California’s nation-leading voting rights while speeding up the count.

Assembly Bill 827 provides a greater opportunity for voters to fix signature deficiencies and have their vote counted. In the November 2024 election, nearly 85,000 vote-by-mail ballots were rejected for either a missing or non-matching signature on the envelope. AB 827 will move the deadline to notify voters of signature issues, ensuring voters have sufficient time to fix deficiencies.

Advancing Public Safety

Assembly Bill 382 is a response to a tragic traffic accident at Castlemont Elementary School in 2022 that killed an eight-year-old student. This law improves safety in school zones by lowering the speed limit to 20 miles per hour. This requirement goes into effect January 1, 2031, to provide local jurisdictions with additional time to implement.

Assembly Bill 1078 ensures California’s nation-leading firearm laws continue to save lives by establishing reasonable purchasing limits and updating California’s concealed carry weapons laws to align with recent Supreme Court guidance. Certain provisions of this bill will not go into effect until April 1, 2026.

Protecting Consumers

Assembly Bill 519 cracks down on bad actors circumventing California's ban on puppy mills by claiming to be local breeders, when in reality they are buying abused and neglected puppies from cruel out-of-state breeding operations and selling them to unsuspecting pet parents. In response to an award-winning investigation by the Los Angeles Times, this new law will reduce consumer fraud and animal abuse in pet sales.

Assembly Bill 1167, the California Ratepayer Protection Act, puts an end to the use of ratepayer funds for political lobbying, after investigations into monopoly utilities revealed that these corporations were forcing customers to cover millions of dollars in inappropriate expenses. By strengthening enforcement against investor-owned utilities (IOUs) that illegally use ratepayer funds, this new law will save residents money on their utility bills.

Assembly Bill 1374 requires that the total estimated charges of a rental car be disclosed as soon as consumers select dates, rental location, and vehicle type, ensuring that the upfront price is the real price customers pay.

Protecting the Rights of Workers

Assembly Bill 538 clarifies the process for the public to request and receive payroll records for public works projects. In doing so, this maintains transparency of taxpayer dollars and ensures that employees are being paid what they are rightfully owed in compliance with existing prevailing wage laws.

Assembly Bill 1340 provides more than 800,000 rideshare drivers in California with the opportunity to unionize, empowering them to have a say in the industry for which they are taking the risk, getting on the road, and working long hours.

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Contact: BermanPress@asm.ca.gov