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California’s new laws you should know about

A woman in an apron cooks tortillas on a large griddle in a kitchen. Several people are in the background, and containers are nearby.
A new law requires that those who make corn masa flour — a key ingredient in tortillas — include folic acid in their formulation starting in 2026. | Source: Liz Hafalia/SF Chronicle/Getty Images

In classic fashion, California is ringing in 2025 with a slate of new laws that are both ambitious and eccentric.

Here’s a quick dive into some of the most intriguing mandates hitting the books.

Limiting legacy admissions 

Legacy admissions, in which universities give preference to applicants who have a familial relationship with alumni, have long been criticized as an unfair practice that codifies nepotism. In response, California lawmakers passed AB 1780, which bans any colleges that accept state funding from the practice starting Sept. 1. All private universities must submit an annual report to disclose compliance with the law, and the state’s Department of Justice will publicly name scofflaws. 

Making car thieves easier to prosecute

A police officer in uniform, with a San Francisco Police patch, inspects the interior of a car with a shattered window, small glass fragments visible.
A new law makes it a crime for a person to possess property acquired in a car break-in. | Source: Benjamin Fanjoy for The Standard

SB 905 eliminates what is known as the “locked door loophole” in auto theft cases. Previously, prosecutors were required to prove that a vehicle was locked and was forcibly entered without permission. That often meant victims coming to court to testify, which added to the burden of prosecution. The law also makes it a crime for a person to possess property acquired through a car break-in. 

A step closer to Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes

AB 1775 allows cannabis consumption lounges to sell non-cannabis food and non-alcoholic drinks. It also allows dispensaries to hold live concerts and performances. However, it’s up to cities to implement and regulate their cannabis cafes. In San Francisco, the drafting of new health and planning guidelines is likely to take months. 

New protections for influencer kids

Children who work in traditional entertainment industries have legal protections meant to limit predatory practices, with mixed results. However, many members of the growing cohort of child social media influencers operate in a legal gray area. Two laws going into effect in 2025, AB 1880 and SB 764, are meant to protect these minors by extending legal protections to a newly created category of content creators and requiring guardians to set aside at least 15% of the kids’ gross earnings in a trust account. 

Changing the formulation for tortillas

AB 1830 requires that those who make corn masa flour — a key ingredient in tortillas, tamales, and pupusas —  include folic acid in their formulation starting in 2026. The folic acid is meant to defend against preterm birth defects. Some snack food makers and small manufacturers would be exempt from the law. 

Finally, California has a state slug

Legislators frequently introduce laws to create state symbols. This year, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved the designation of a state crustacean (the Dungeness crab) and state seashell (the black abalone). But perhaps the most squishy of the new icons is the banana slug — the mascot of UC Santa Cruz — which has been enshrined as the official state slug, the first in the country.

And if all that felt a little sluggish, this handful of new laws represents just a tiny percentage of the nearly 5,000 bills introduced by legislators during this session, including more than 2,000 that state lawmakers sent to Newsom for his signature or veto. 

The sheer number has led legislative leaders to limit the number of bills lawmakers can introduce in a session: from 50 to 35 in the Assembly and from 40 to 35 in the Senate.

“Everyone in this room has good and important ideas  … but we all know that our time and energy here are limited,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said during a recent swearing-in ceremony for new members.

Kevin Truong can be reached at kevin@sfstandard.com