6 new California laws going into effect Oct. 1, 2025
A number of new laws are set to take effect in California on Oct.1, 2025. The laws cover the use of AI in hiring practices, taxing cannabis and more.
Click through the gallery below to see the state laws you need to know.
The California Civil Rights Council approved regulations taking effect on Oct. 1, 2025, that clarify that employers cannot use artificial intelligence (AI) and automated-decision systems (ADSs) to make hiring or employment decisions that discriminate against job applicants or employees based on their national origin, sex, pregnancy, marital status, disability or age. According to the council, these automated-decision systems can exacerbate existing biases and contribute to discriminatory outcomes, including hiring tools that reject women applicants by mimicking the existing features of a company’s male-dominated workforce or a job advertisement delivery system that reinforces gender and racial stereotypes such as directing cashier ads to women and taxi jobs to Black workers. (djiledesign / Getty Images)
Assembly Bill 489 prohibits artificial intelligence systems from impersonating licensed healthcare professionals, either directly though video calls or online chats or by using terms and conversational tones that imply a patient may be interacting with a human provider. (Lacheev / Getty Images)
A law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Sept. 22 temporarily rolls back the cannabis excise tax to 15% until 2028, suspending an increase to 19% levied earlier this year. The law is meant to help dispensaries that proponents say are operating under slim margins due to being bogged down by years of overregulation. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli,File)
Senate Bill 129, which implements several labor‑related rules tied to the 2025–26 budget, allows certain state employees who hold high-level managerial positions, known as Career Executive Assignment, to be eligible for Nonindustrial Disability Insurance for a disability period beginning on or after July 1, 2025. (shironosov / Getty Images)
Senate Bill 129 also allows for construction contracts for the Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project awarded in 2025 to be exempt from stricter lead regulations that went into effect statewide on Jan. 1. The exemption was granted to prevent project delays, as the seismic retrofit involves removing a large quantity of existing lead-based paint on the bridge. (Kenishirotie / Getty Images)
Senate Bill 129 also requires a $584 million supplemental payment from the state’s General Fund to the Public Employees’ Retirement Fund to help address the state’s unfunded pension liabilities. (Ridofranz / Getty Images)
1 of 6
The California Civil Rights Council approved regulations taking effect on Oct. 1, 2025, that clarify that employers cannot use artificial intelligence (AI) and automated-decision systems (ADSs) to make hiring or employment decisions that discriminate against job applicants or employees based on their national origin, sex, pregnancy, marital status, disability or age. According to the council, these automated-decision systems can exacerbate existing biases and contribute to discriminatory outcomes, including hiring tools that reject women applicants by mimicking the existing features of a company’s male-dominated workforce or a job advertisement delivery system that reinforces gender and racial stereotypes such as directing cashier ads to women and taxi jobs to Black workers. (djiledesign / Getty Images)
The California Civil Rights Council approved regulations taking effect on Oct. 1, 2025, that clarify that employers cannot use artificial intelligence (AI) and automated-decision systems (ADSs) to make hiring or employment decisions that discriminate against job applicants or employees based on their national origin, sex, pregnancy, marital status, disability or age.
According to the council, these automated-decision systems can exacerbate existing biases and contribute to discriminatory outcomes, including hiring tools that reject women applicants by mimicking the existing features of a company’s male-dominated workforce or a job advertisement delivery system that reinforces gender and racial stereotypes such as directing cashier ads to women and taxi jobs to Black workers.
—
Assembly Bill 489 prohibits artificial intelligence systems from impersonating licensed healthcare professionals, either directly though video calls or online chats or by using terms and conversational tones that imply a patient may be interacting with a human provider.
—
A law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Sept. 22 temporarily rolls back the cannabis excise tax to 15% until 2028, suspending an increase to 19% levied earlier this year. The law is meant to help dispensaries that proponents say are operating under slim margins due to being bogged down by years of overregulation.
—
Senate Bill 129, which implements several labor‑related rules tied to the 2025–26 budget, allows certain state employees who hold high-level managerial positions, known as Career Executive Assignment, to be eligible for Nonindustrial Disability Insurance for a disability period beginning on or after July 1, 2025.
—
Senate Bill 129 also allows for construction contracts for the Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project awarded in 2025 to be exempt from stricter lead regulations that went into effect statewide on Jan. 1. The exemption was granted to prevent project delays, as the seismic retrofit involves removing a large quantity of existing lead-based paint on the bridge.
Senate Bill 129 also requires a $584 million supplemental payment from the state’s General Fund to the Public Employees’ Retirement Fund to help address the state’s unfunded pension liabilities.
Related Posts:
George Clooney: ‘We’re going to get through it, but a lot of damage is going to be done’ Entertainment George Clooney covers the latest issue of Esquire, all to promote his latest movie, Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly. Clooney plays a movie star who wonders if he really showed up for the people in his life. I’ve seen some horrible reviews of the film, but Clooney has enough money and…
Virginia Attorney General race may show proof of the Charlie Kirk effect News WASHINGTON — In a better world, Democrats would be running at full speed away from Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee in the Virginia attorney general race. As the National Review reported Oct. 3, in 2022, Jones, a former lawmaker, actually fantasized about killing Todd Gilbert, the then-Republican Speaker of Virginia’s…
Word Game: Oct. 7, 2025 News TODAY’S WORD — HOMOPHONE (HOM-uh-fone: One of two or more words pronounced alike but different in meaning.) Average mark 13 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 18 or more words in HOMOPHONE? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — WAYWARDLY: ward wary waylay wayward wryly award…
National Taco Day 2025: Bay Area deals Tuesday, Oct. 7 News As you might expect, National Taco Day is always on a Tuesday, the first Tuesday in October to be exact. This year it falls on Oct. 7, meaning restaurant chains will be offering discounts today or this week. The following offers were announced on social media, websites or in news…
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.