New Laws Affecting Medical Patients, Ammunition Kick In July 1
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Several new laws go into effect Monday, affecting everyone from medical patients to hunters.
A 6-cent gas tax on top of the existing taxes that accompany every gallon of gas sold in California will affect the most people and their wallets, but several other laws kick in on July 1 that will also have wide-ranging effects.
California will become the first state to require doctors to notify patients if they are put on probation for serious misconduct, including sexual misconduct with a patient, drug abuse, and inappropriate prescribing that results in patient harm. The measure was backed by athletes who had been abused by USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
Another health-related law that kicks in Monday will require hospitals to have a written homeless patient discharge planning policy and to log homeless patients that are discharged and the destinations where they are released, in an effort to stop patient dumping.
New rules for buying ammunition had gun owners stocking up before July 1. The new law, which was passed overwhelmingly by voters in 2016, requires background checks for purchasing ammunition. Lawmakers say the new law will keep ammunition from getting into the wrong hands.
Background check won't be the only new ammunition law that goes into effect Monday. California will complete its statewide ban on all lead ammunition for hunting on July 1 to reduce the toxic fragments from lead bullets or shot that poison critically endangered California condors and other scavengers. Lead ammunition can still be used for target shooting.
Law enforcement agencies will now have 45 days to release body cam footage recorded during an incident causing death or serious injury. The law was proposed in response to recent high profile shootings of suspects by police officers, and proponents hope it will rebuild trust with communities.
And, ahead of the 2020 election, it will now be illegal in California for anyone to use a social media bot with a fake identity to buy or influence votes. The new law requires bots to be clearly identified to prevent the spread of inflammatory or false information.