1. The sales and use tax rate in California will be decreasing by one percent from 8.25 to 7.25.
2. Carbon monoxide detectors to be required in all single family homes with an attached garage or fossil-fuel source. The previous law only required detectors in newly constructed homes.
3. All students entering 7th through 12th grades must have proof of an adolescent whooping cough booster shot before starting school. The law goes into effect as of the 2011-2012 school year.
4. Stickers issued to owners of hybrid vehicles that allowed them to be driven in carpool lanes, will expire on July 1. Electric- and natural-gas-powered vehicles displaying white stickers may continue to drive in HOV lanes until Jan. 1, 2015.
5. Local jurisdictions are not allowed to enact or enforce any traffic ordinances that are currently covered in the California Vehicle Code. This law was enacted to ensure that all traffic violations are reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
6. If you attend traffic school it no longer means a violation is completely removed from your driving record. Now courts will keep records of tickets after completing traffic school. The records will continue to be withheld from the Department of Motor Vehicles databases, preventing points on drivers’ records and higher insurance rates. The provision is to ensure that courts will have accurate accounts of individuals’ traffic history.
7. The California Food Handler Card law requires all food handlers to enroll in a state-approved food safety course and pass an assessment. Food handlers are legally defined as any person involved in the preparation, storage or service of food in a food facility. The law covers nearly all restaurant positions including management, all kitchen staff, wait staff, and support staff such as people who clear tables. The law also applies to hot and cold beverage service, so bartenders and coffee shop employees will also have to obtain the card.
8. Grocery store employees, operators of temporary food booths and vendors at certified farmers’ markets are not required to have a food handler card. Cafeteria workers at schools and health care facilities are also exempt.
9.Local jurisdictions are not allowed to enact or enforce any traffic ordinances that are currently covered in the California Vehicle Code.
