The Brief

Starting on Jan. 1, hundreds of new state laws will go into effect, some with the potential to shape the everyday lives of Californians. They’re meant to tackle the state’s housing affordability crisis, establish guardrails on the use of artificial intelligence and protect the sharing of personal information for those who could face federal immigration enforcement.

Most new laws won’t all bring change overnight. But some could stoke continued controversy and legal challenges. For example, if you live near public transit, one new state law will give developers the freedom to build taller, denser housing, overriding local zoning rules and potentially transforming some single-family neighborhoods. Some cities and counties remain vehemently opposed and are considering legal action.

If you’re a renter, your landlord starting Jan. 1 will be required to provide a working stove and refrigerator and keep them in working order, a nod to efforts to ease the state’s severe affordability challenges. And if you work in law enforcement or the health care field, new state laws will regulate what you can and can’t do with AI on the job.

Here’s a small sample of the many new California laws that will go into effect Jan. 1:

More housing near transit

California lawmakers approved a significant and controversial new housing law this year, Senate Bill 79. It allows for building denser, taller housing near major transit stations even in areas where local rules ban that level of development. The law will pave the way for apartment buildings as tall as 75 feet close to metro, light rail, and some bus stations. Democratic lawmakers were divided over the measure. Some argued it was necessary to speed housing development and alleviate the state’s housing shortage while others warned it would change neighborhoods of single-family homes and impact property values. Developers will officially get the green light to break ground on projects that fall under the new law starting in 2026.

— Laura Fitzgerald

Requiring stoves and fridges in rentals

While it’s quite common for rental units to include a stove and a fridge, it hasn’t been the law. Beginning Jan. 1, Assembly Bill 628 adds refrigerators and stoves to the state’s definition of a “habitable” home. This means landlords must provide them, keep them in working order and handle repairs or replacement. The rule applies to new or renewed leases. Tenants may voluntarily bring their own fridge, but they aren’t required to. The law makes exceptions for supportive housing and shared living buildings with communal kitchens. Supporters say the change is designed to improve affordability for low-income renters.

Arturo Rodriguez of the California Democratic Renters Council says this protects many renters in larger cities, where stoves and refrigerators are not included in a unit, which is more common.

“When landlords offload basic costs onto renters, it’s really destabilizing families,” said Rodriguez.

Several landlord and real-estate groups, such as the California Apartment Association and the California Association of Realtors, opposed the bill. They say new costs and installation could complicate expenses for property owners.

— Tony Rodriguez

Rideshare drivers can unionize and will have lower insurance requirements

In this Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, file photo, a driver displaying Lyft and Uber stickers on his front windshield drops off a customer in downtown Los Angeles.

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California’s 800,000 rideshare drivers will get the right to unionize in 2026. In turn, rideshare companies will also have drastically lower insurance costs. That’s under two new laws Governor Gavin Newsom signed after brokering a deal between labor and major rideshare companies, including Uber and Lyft. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which sponsored Assembly Bill 1340 to expand collective bargaining rights to gig drivers, has already reached out to drivers ahead of the law’s implementation. Senate Bill 371 will slash insurance requirements for rideshare companies for underinsured drivers from $1 million to $300,000 per incident.

— Laura Fitzgerald

Getting election results faster

Staffers at Los Angeles County Recorder/County Clerk's headquarters sort ballots in this file photo from 2008, for the California presidential primary.

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Californians could see faster election results in 2026. That’s under a new law that will require election officials to count the vast majority of ballots by 13 days after election day, with exceptions for some ballots that require additional verification. There are no current requirements for counting benchmarks, just a deadline for officials to send final election results to the Secretary of State within 31 days after election day. That rule will still apply.

The new law comes as the state has seen a rise in close contests where results can take weeks. Proponents, including some election experts, say speeding up ballot counting will bolster trust in the state’s election process. “We're at the point where people are losing faith in the political process and the elections process because they hear these claims from some political leaders casting doubt on the reliability of our results, and that's a real problem,” said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation.

— Laura Fitzgerald

Ban on AI Chatbots misrepresenting themselves as medical professionals

Starting Jan. 1, Assembly Bill 489 will make it illegal for AI Chatbots to misrepresent themselves as doctors, therapists or other licensed clinicians when people go to them for advice. This has been an emerging problem with the artificial intelligence technology available online.

The California Medical Association helped sponsor the bill. Lobbyist Stuart Thomspon told CapRadio that oftentimes vulnerable people seeking mental health advice are not aware the chatbot they are speaking to is not being monitored by a real person.

“ A lot of these chatbots will imply, or not even imply, directly state, that the patient who's interacting with them is actually interacting with a licensed mental health professional,” Thompson said. “When in fact all the content generated is purely AI.”

Assemblymember Mia Bonta is the law’s author. She said it provides safeguards for young people and elders who may have trouble discerning who they are speaking with.

 ”The world is our oyster when it comes to AI and the advancements that are being made with agentic AI,” she said, referring to artificial intelligence systems that act with autonomy. “It's very important that we are providing enough of the human in the loop to be able to ensure that those experiences end up being positive and ensure that consumers are protected.”

A spokesperson for Bonta said developers of these AI systems may be held to the same consequences as humans who impersonate medical professionals – up to a $10,000 fine and/or up to a year in prison.

— Riley Palmer

Renewed Cap-and-Trade

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California lawmakers passed legislation to renew the state’s cap-and-trade program — now officially calling it “cap-and-invest” — through 2045, with some amendments. The California Air Resources Board will begin rulemaking in the new year to figure out how to integrate the changes.

One change to the program allows CARB the chance to limit the distribution of free allowances. These allowances are meant to help address leakage risk, which refers to the risk that a company may decide to take its operations outside of California to avoid certain state restrictions. But critics have long said the leakage risk associated with the program is overblown, and these allowances allow companies to continue polluting.

CARB will soon announce the results of a revised assessment of the program’s leakage risk, which could guide their decisions to possibly limit free allowances after 2031.

— Manola Secaira

Protecting street vendors' personal data

Senate Bill 635 aims to protect street vendors in California from having their sensitive personal data shared with the federal government as the Trump administration continues to crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

Beginning Jan. 1, state and local governments will be prohibited from voluntarily providing street vendors’ identifying information to federal immigration authorities. The law also bars local agencies from collecting information on immigration status or criminal history, or from requiring fingerprints or LiveScan background checks as part of the street vendor permitting process.

Under the new law, local authorities that collected this prohibited information prior to the law’s effective date must destroy those records by March 1.

“Street vendors are a cornerstone of our communities and contribute significantly to California’s vibrant culture and economy,” said Democratic Senator María Elena Durazo, the bill’s author. “SB 635 ensures that these hardworking entrepreneurs can operate their businesses without fear that their personal information will be turned over to immigration authorities.”

Opposition to the bill was limited during the legislative process, with critics primarily raising questions about language surrounding food safety enforcement and administrative costs rather than immigration policy.

— Chris Felts

Disclosing AI use in police reports

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A new law going into effect Jan. 1 will require California law enforcement officers to disclose when they use AI to help write official reports.

Under the new law, agencies will need to provide a statement when the technology is used in a report as well as a signature from the officer involved in it.

Democratic State Senator Jesse Arreguín of Berkeley is the law’s author. Arreguín told a Senate committee earlier this year that its purpose is to promote transparency and safeguards for the new technology.

“Prosecutors, defense attorneys and courts rely heavily on police reports to determine criminal outcomes,” he said. “It's critically important that additional uses to generate a report is accurate to prevent someone’s livelihood from being wrongly impacted.”

The bill’s supporters included many criminal justice groups. Meanwhile, a few law enforcement agencies in Southern California opposed it.

Sgt. Amar Ghandi is a spokesperson for the Sacramento Sheriff's office. He said the agency does not use AI yet for helping with reports, but it isn’t out of the question in the future.

“The technology is evolving daily, at exponential, light speed,” Gandhi said. “It could come to us, but as of right now we don’t use it because again it is imperfect. There are still some things that need to be worked on and issues we have with it.”

— Riley Palmer

Establishing a framework for reparations

Senate Bill 518 is a new California law that would establish the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery.

The law was created by a 2023 task force that issued an 1,100-page document with recommendations for reparations for the descendants of enslaved people.

The law requires the bureau to create a Genealogy Division and to verify an individual's status as a descendant of slaves.

Democratic Assemblymember Corey Jackson co-authored the bill and said in July that it’s the first step in a long effort to implement reparations.

“We are not only creating a place to certify eligibility and provide education, but also laying the groundwork for future programs that can deliver remedies and opportunities for descendants.”

— Keyshawn Davis

Legal counsel for immigrant youth

Starting Jan. 1, immigrant youth going through immigration court in California will have access to legal counsel when facing deportation. That’s because of a new law, Assembly Bill 1261, requiring the state to pay for youth legal counsel if the federal government fails to do so. The law could cost taxpayers as much as $77 million.

— Gerardo Zavala

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena may be a centenarian, but it’s holding up pretty well as it continues to host events on its way to a starring role in the LA28 Olympics.

But before it can host the soccer final, it needs fixes, especially to the infrastructure serving the bathrooms and drinking fountains. Fears of a toilet backup while in the world’s spotlight led Rep. Laura Friedman to seek federal funds for upgrades. On Thursday she announced she secured just over $1 million.

“Two years from now, athletes around the world are going to compete for gold right where we are standing. This is not the time to find out whether or not these pipes are up to the task,” Friedman said.

The planned work, she added, will lead to improved water flow capacity and water drainage, eliminating the risk of backups and emergency maintenance.

The funds came from the House of Representatives Interior and Environment subcommittee. The fixes, an official said, will be completed by the LA28 Olympics.

The funds, however, are a drop in the bucket when it comes to what’s needed to make needed improvements to the Pasadena venue.

Officials, including (left to right) Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino, Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Pasadena Tim Sell, Congresswoman Laura Friedman, and Rose Bowl Stadium CEO Jens Weiden announced infrastructure funding for the 103-year old Rose Bowl.

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“Over the  next 20 years there's about $200 million that we need to put in and that's everything from updating light fixtures to updating gas, water, wastewater lines, etc.,” said Dedan Brozino,  president of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the Rose Bowl stadium's preservation and enhancement.

Getting venues ready will be expensive

The money is a much-needed win at a time when elected officials in city, county, state and federal offices have been struggling to find the funds to get L.A.-area venues ready for the global Olympic stage in two years.

The entrance to a men's bathroom at the Rose Bowl.

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A $360 million proposal to spruce up asphalt in parking lots around Exposition Park won’t be done in time for the Olympics, as originally planned. Meanwhile, just up the street, there’s concern that a $2.6 billion expansion of the L.A. Convention Center, which is hosting Olympic wrestling, fencing and judo in 2028 won’t be ready for the Olympics.

Additionally, to save money, LA28 organizers moved Olympic diving to the Rose Bowl complex last year because it has two Olympic-sized pools, while the Exposition Park complex doesn't and would need expensive upgrades.

Topline:

About the chick: The chick hatched March 14. The zoo opened its Cape vulture enclosure in February 2025 after years of planning to encourage the birds to roost and nest, welcoming a new breeding pair that year. When it grows to be an adult, it’ll have a wingspan of 8 1/2 feet.

About the enclosure: The L.A. Zoo said it spent years developing the vulture habitat, which was designed to mimic the vultures’ natural environment in South Africa. Dominick Dorsa II, the zoo’s director of animal care, said in a statement the successful hatching is “a testament to the design and construction” of the habitat.

How to see the chick: You can’t for the time being. Zoo officials are keeping it away from visitors until the chick matures, though you can still see adult Cape vultures at the zoo’s enclosure.

Though visitors will have to wait until the chick matures to see it in the enclosure, you can still take in the impressive eight and a half foot wingspan of the adult Cape vultures.

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What zoo officials are saying: “Welcoming a Cape vulture chick is a thrilling moment for our team and a beacon of hope for African vultures,” the L.A. Zoo’s curator of birds Rose Legato said in a statement. “Vultures are one of nature's most misunderstood marvels, and I cannot wait for our guests to eventually watch this chick grow and learn just how vital they are to our ecosystems.”

About the species: Cape vultures are listed as a vulnerable species due to human activities and encroachment. According to the L.A. Zoo, African vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than vultures native to the Americas, like the California condors that just hatched last year at the L.A. Zoo.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

What should have been a celebration for formerly incarcerated youth completing a reentry program at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) last week instead ended with seven students and two staff members detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses. 

Now, nearly a week later, BHAC staff and city officials are demanding answers from the LAPD, with some accusing officers of racial profiling. 

According to the LAPD, officers observed a large group gathered on the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Mott Street around 4:16 p.m. on March 26. Authorities then requested backup for what they described as “a large group surrounding officers,” LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im said. 

The group, classified by police as an “aggressive gang group,” consisted of seven 18-year-old students from the BHAC’s Bridge Academy Movement (BAM) program and two BHAC staff members.

The BAM program pays formerly incarcerated youth to complete 200-250 hours in media and visual arts training to prepare them for creative careers. That day, students were set to showcase their work at the BAM program graduation for families and community members. 

Rene Weber, a teaching artist at the BHAC, had been with the students setting up for the ceremony minutes before the incident occurred. 

According to Weber, the students had gone to coffee across the street at Milpa Kitchen as they often did, when staff were alerted that they were being detained. 

Weber said he arrived to find students and a staff member pressed against the wall in handcuffs. 

Video from the scene, taken by a staff member at the BHAC, shows multiple officers surrounding the group. At one point, an officer orders a person to “get on the wall” and displays a stun gun.  

“No, none of that, these are kids right here,” the staff member replies.

Another staff member, Teotl Veliz, recorded a large police response.  

“I counted 12 cop cars, that’s at least 25 cops, and they had a helicopter,” Veliz said. “It was just so comedic, tragically comedic, that it was on their graduation day too.”

Officers established a perimeter with yellow tape along the side of Ashley’s Beauty Salon as local business owners and witnesses gathered around the students. 

“I was just incredibly disappointed in LAPD… because it became so apparent to everybody, all at the same time, that it was racial profiling and nothing else,” Veliz said.

Weber said officers gave shifting explanations for the stop at the scene, including blocking the sidewalk and possible underage vaping. After Weber told the officers that all of the students were 18, they said they would investigate whether the group had any gang affiliation. 

Police have not responded to questions about what led officers to believe that the group was gang-affiliated. 

Weber recalled pleading with the officers to let the group go and explaining to them that they worked across the street. Community members and local business owners also stepped in to vouch for the students. 

“Our job is to help them gain a new perspective on life,” Weber said. “They’re coming out of juvenile detention and they’re turning their lives around. We can do our part in keeping them off the streets and keeping them doing better but what does it mean if they’re going to be profiled and treated exactly the same way?” 

In total, seven 18-year-old students and two staff members were detained. BHAC staff said one student and one staff member were taken to Hollenbeck Community Police Station and released less than two hours later after advocacy from community members and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.

The incident ultimately resulted in an infraction for smoking a cannabis e-vape on a public sidewalk, according to a photo of the infraction shared with the Beat. LAPD did not provide details about the people taken to Hollenbeck Station or the infraction. 

The graduation ceremony was cancelled that night and is expected to be rescheduled in April. 

“Graduation should be a moment of pride and possibility — not fear,” Jurado said in a statement. “I’m seeking answers about what occurred, and this underscores the need for stronger relationships between law enforcement and community organizations so moments like these are protected, not disrupted.”

Carmelita Ramirez‑Sanchez, the conservatory’s executive director, said she was grateful to the community and Jurado for advocating for the students’ release. Jurado met her at Hollenbeck Station within 20 minutes of being alerted to the incident, she said. 

“They had store owners, señoras, barbers, that ran out and were trying to explain to the police who our kids were,” Ramirez‑Sanchez said. 

Still, she said the incident tarnished what should have been a joyous celebration.

“I imagine that what this does is derail this entire idea that you can be an active participant in your own restorative growth,” she said.