Whether you’re looking for a new job or apartment, planning a pregnancy or just going grocery shopping, many of the new laws taking effect Thursday will affect people across San Diego County very soon. Here are some of them. Mask ban for federal officers — SB 627 Enacted amid outrage over immigr ation arrests by masked federal agents, this law made California the first state to ban most law enforcement officers from covering their faces while on duty. Its ban takes effect Thursday and also applies to local law enforcement in most circumstances, and the law requires federal law enforcement agencies to issue a mask policy by July 1. The Trump administration has already sued over the law, calling it unconstitutional. Plastic grocery bag ban — SB 2053 A San Diego County lawmaker’s ban on single-use plastic bags at store checkouts will finally take effect this week, more than a year after it was signed into law. The new ban from Sen. Catherine Blakespear bars the sale of plastic bags at checkouts entirely, going beyond an existing state law that allowed stores to offer heavier-duty plastic bags on the theory they’d be reused and recycled. Now, you’ll only be offered recycled paper bags when you go shopping. Fighting antisemitism in schools — AB 715 In an effort to protect Jewish students amid a surge in hate incidents, this new law creates a state Office of Civil Rights to work with school districts to combat discrimination, with a staff to include an antisemitism prevention coordinator appointed by the governor. The legislation drew fierce debate amid concerns about academic freedom from civil-liberties advocates, teachers unions and even some lawmakers who ultimately voted in favor of it. Refrigerators required in rental homes — AB 628 Apartment-hunting or renewing a lease? Rejoice: You no longer need to wonder if the rental you’re considering comes with a fridge. For years, many California landlords — especially in Los Angeles, but also in San Diego — required tenants to provide their own refrigerator, and sometimes stove. Starting Thursday, landlords will have to supply both. What that may do to the market for secondhand fridges sold from one renter to the next isn’t clear. No ‘stay-or-pay’ employment contracts — AB 692 This law sharply limits contracts that require workers to pay back an employer for their on-the-job training if they leave before a set time. Such employment agreements — known as training repayment agreement provision (TRAP) or “stay-or-pay” contracts — are now mostly deemed an unlawful restraint on labor mobility, similar to non-competes. Violators will have to pay workers’ actual damages or $5,000 per worker, whichever is greater. Protecting schoolchildren from immigration enforcement — AB 49 AB 495 The Legislature passed a number of laws last year governing how schools should handle immigration enforcement targeting students or their parents. One bans schools from allowing immigration officers in non-public areas, unless they have a valid judicial warrant, judicial subpoena or court order. A more contentious law expands the list of who can be designated a child’s caregiver when their guardian isn’t available, including because of immigration action. More oversight access to police personnel files — AB 847 This law from a San Diego County lawmaker expands access to confidential police personnel records by granting civilian oversight bodies the authority to review them during misconduct investigations. While state law already grants such panels subpoena power, requests for some files had been routinely denied. The new law’s author, Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins, hopes the effort will be replicated around the country. IVF covered by more health insurance — SB 729 Planning a pregnancy in 2026? A new law that mandates some IVF insurance coverage could make the process easier for families who might otherwise have trouble. Starting Thursday, large group insurers in California will have to cover in vitro fertilization and fertility preservation, and state law will no longer exempt same-sex couples and single people from fertility benefits. The new law was enacted in 2024 after similar attempts failed in Sacramento. Regulating AI in police reports — SB 524 A growing number of law enforcement agencies have begun using AI to write their police reports, raising concerns about transparency and accountability from advocates. To create guardrails around the practice, this new law requires officers to disclose when AI is used and requires agencies to keep first drafts of reports and to maintain an audit trail that identifies who used AI. ...read more read less