Over 600 new state laws implemented on January 1, 2005

January 05, 2005
Santa Paula News

Convicted drunk drivers will have the DUI on their records longer and face harsher penalties for repeat offenses, .50-caliber BMG rifles are banned, and school bus drivers are forbidden to use cell phones for non-emergency calls while driving - just a few of the new California laws that took effect January 1.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesConvicted drunk drivers will have the DUI on their records longer and face harsher penalties for repeat offenses, .50-caliber BMG rifles are banned, and school bus drivers are forbidden to use cell phones for non-emergency calls while driving - just a few of the new California laws that took effect January 1.Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed 959 bills and vetoed 311 between taking office in November 2003 and the September 30, 2004 deadline to sign bills passed in the last legislative session. Most of those bills took effect January 1 unless they had urgency clauses, were signed in 2003, or contain other exceptions that circumvented New Year implementation.Most of the laws this year either involve the regulation of personal rights or enhanced fees, the latter the Legislature’s way of avoiding taxes. Some laws will strain local law enforcement agencies that are not receiving more state funding.Increased fees for higher education will see students paying 14 percent to 44 percent more in college fees, while a hike in the surcharge levied by air quality management districts on motor vehicle registrations went from $4 to $6, with an 75 percent increase in the tire fee.Starting July 1 premiums will be higher for families participating in the Healthy Families program, which provides health insurance to children in families living just above the federal poverty level.The seven-year cutoff for a previous drunk driving conviction was extended to 10 years, meaning stiffer penalties for repeat offenders.
Schools will have more freedom in setting kindergarten programs for more than four hours a day by not having to seek state permission for expanded hours.Troops from California who are stationed overseas can now marry by proxy, and voters who are temporarily out of state can vote by fax.The Megan’s Law database, which lists information on registered sex offenders such as names, photographs and addresses, is available on the Internet; the law does not take effect until July 1 but the state Attorney General’s Office has implemented the Megan’s Law site already.Children younger than 14 will be prohibited from using a tanning salon without a doctor’s prescription.Prosecutors will have to notify the victim – or the victim’s next of kin – before a perpetrator who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and was then committed to the state hospital is placed on outpatient status.The disclosure of personal information about crime victims contained in court files via police reports can be prevented by prosecutors.Pharmacies will be allowed to sell up to 10 sterile syringes if authorized by city or county governments, a move to decrease the spread of disease from needles shared by illegal drug users.



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