[conspire] New laws in 2016

[Tony Godshall]

Thanks for collecting this, Rick!  I had no idea.



On Mon, Jan 4, 2016 at 10:29 PM, Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> wrote:
> Speaking for myself, I'm sometimes taken by surprise by one or more of
> the laws scheduled to take effect with the new year.  Herewith, a
> rundown on some new laws, one or two of which might affect you:
>
> Federal:  USA Freedom Act.  Requires that phone metadata collected by
> the telcos be stored in telco databases rather than spook ones.
> This probably won't totally prevent bulk collection and fishing
> expeditions (it can be gotten by court order, notably from the captive
> FISA court), but is a significant first step.  And you can thank Snowden
> for it.
>
> California:  SB 358, Fair Pay Act.   Lets female employees allege pay
> discrimination based on the wages a company pays male employees who do
> substantially similar work (and vice-versa).  Burden of proof is on the
> employer to prove that one sex's' higher pay is based on factors other
> than just being of that sex.  Also forbids retaliation against employees
> who ask or discuss the wage levels of co-workers.
>
> California:  SB 178, bars law enforcement from simply grabbing your data
> from cellular phones, tablets, laptops, GPS devices, etc. without your
> permission and without a warrant and showing of probable cause.
> Exceptions for law enforcement to use in the event of emergencies and
> other public safety needs.  Prohibits any such data collected by warrant
> from being retained past 90 days with some exceptions.
> https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB178
>
> Federal:  Every Student Succeeds Act, replacing 'No Child Left Behind.
> Saner use of testing, restores local power.  (Change will come slowly,
> as states develop programs.)
>
> California, SB 491, earbuds/headsets.  Drivers of motor vehicles and
> bicyclists may have only _one_ ear covered by (or holding) such a headset.
> (Exceptions for drivers of emergency, construction, and and waste-pickup
> companies.)
>
> California, AB 604, hoverboard safety.  Riders must be 16 or above and
> wear helmets.  Speeds are limited to 15 MPH on sidewalks, paths, and
> trails, 35 MPH elsewhere.  Also requires them to have lights and
> reflectors if used at night.
> https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB604
>
> California, AB 8:  Freeway SigAlert signs will now display 'Yellow
> Alert' advisories following serious hit-and-run accidents to help catch perps.
> https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB8
>
> California:  Likewise, 'Silver Alerts' when missing elderly people
> with cognitive impairment must be found.
>
> California SB 277:  Anti-vaxers lose.  Eliminated the 'personal belief
> exception' for public and private schools to the requirement that almost
> all kindergarten children be vaccinated as required by the Dept. of
> Public Health.  Still exempts homeschoolers and students enrolled in
> independent study programs, and students exempted for valid medical
> reasons.  So, no more measles epidemics.
> https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB277
>
> California AB 208:  Broadens existing law requiring slow vehicles to
> pull over if five or more vehicles need to pass, to clarify that
> bicycles must likewise extend this totally obvious courtesy to others.
>
> California SB 491:  Ups from $750 to $1000 the minimum property damage
> required from a traffic crash before motorists must send an SR-1 form to
> DMV.
>
> California:  AB 10 (2013).  Minimum wage raised to $10/hour.[1]  (Most Bay
> Area cities have local ordinances making it higher than that.)
>
> California:  New statute allows a judge to, upon petition by relatives
> or police officers,  rule that firearms may be taken away ifor 21 days
> from someone shown to pose a threat.
>
> California:  Two bills covering high schools.  One requires schools that
> mandate health courses include the 'yes means yes' standard for consent
> to sex.  The other requires sexual health classes except for students
> whose parents object, that include HIV prevention and inclusiveness of
> different sexual orientations.
>
> California:  Automatically registers for voting any citizen ow`ho obtains
> or renews a driver's licence or ID card, or sends in a change of address -- unless that
> citizen specifically opts out.  (Don't rely on this happening if you
> want to be certain of your voter registration.  In 2006 when I moved a
> few blocks within West Menlo Park, I relied on DMV to inform the San
> Mateo County Registrar of Voters of my new address, as is supposed to
> happen.  Next election, I wasn't registered and was required to vote a
> 'provisional ballot'.)
>
> Newspaper reports about this law point out that it's non-functional
> anyway for the moment until a new statewide voter database goes live,
> not expected until after June 2016 elections.
>
> California:  Civil forfeiture broadened:  Recording copyright
> infringement (video and audio files) and insurance fraud have been added
> to the list of offence permitting law enforcement officials to seize an
> offender's assets.
>
> California:  Farmers markets may host beer tastings.  Yay!
>
> Oh, and in the unlikely event you have a drone, and it's not of genus
> Apis, you'll need to register it with the FAA.
>
>
> [1] Federal mimimum wage is still at its 2009 level of $7.25/hr.  _Only_
> employment covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 gets
> regulated.  Exemptions include businesses without involvement in
> interstate commerce, businesses with gross revenues under $500k, tipped
> employees, 'exempt' executive, administrative, or professional employees
> including low-level working supervisors, laundry and dry cleaning
> establishments, workers below age 20 getting a 'training wage', and a
> bunch of other carve-outs.  Minimum wage for tipped employees has been
> frozen at $2.13/hr since a 1996 political deal spearheaded by Herman
> Cain when he was CEO of the National Restaurant Association.  The
> employer is required to pay the difference if tips don't raise total
> income to $7.25/hr, which is why you get relentless pressure to give
> 21% tips, etc.:  It's because the employer wants to get away with
> starvation wages.
>
>
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-- 
--
Best Regards.
This is unedited.
This message came out of me
via a suboptimal keyboard.