New Laws for California 2025: Part Two

New Laws for California 2025: Part Two

“All legislation starts off as an idea”

By Christina Reed
The Hired Pen

*This is Part Two of New Laws for 2025.
“All legislation starts off as an idea”—California Assembly.ca.gov

California–The legislative process, which precedes all of the new laws for 2025, begins at either the State Assembly or State Senate, as an idea. This notion is found to have worth, and is drafted into a written /body/document, which can be investigated through committees, and then approved through the bicameral / two houses of the legislature. * Correction from previous Part One. The upper house is the Senate, with 40 members; four-year term; 12-year term limit, and the lower house is the Assembly, with 80 members: two-year term; 12-year term limit. The end result, of the approved bill (a vetoed bill does not become law) is to be signed into law, by the current governor of the State of California. Currently, our region’s State Senator, District #4, is Marie Alverado-Gil, and our State Assemblymember, District #8, is David Tangipa.

Some more pertinent new laws to follow: AB (Assembly Bill) and SB (Senate Bill). AB or SB stands for which house the bill came up through; where the legislation went from an idea, to an authored bill, and finally, an idea, which the governor signs into a law. The governor signed more than 1,000 bills into laws this past fall, and most of these new laws took effect on January 1, 2025.

One of the bills signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom this past fall was AB 1821. Introduced by Assemblymember James Ramos (D-San Bernardino), SB 1821 highlights the need for students in California schools to understand the Native Americans’ perspectives about our state’s history during the Spanish colonization, and the Gold Rush periods. California’s tribes must be consulted by the state’s Department of Education with updates to state social studies curriculum.

AB 1825 is called the “California Freedom to Read Act,” authored by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance). AB 1825 prohibits public libraries that receive state monies from excluding books based solely on the race, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disabilities, socioeconomic status or political affiliation of a book’s subject, author, or intended audience.

Another Education bill signed into law this past fall was AB 1955, which prohibits school districts in the state from enacting policies that would force educators to notify parents if students identify as transgender or request to use a different name.

And, SB 639 requires health care professionals who provide care for people 65 and older to take continuing education in geriatrics and dementia care.

There are many more important bills which became laws for 2025. This two-part series highlighted some of the legislation, ideas, which were signed into laws.