While January 1st has traditinally meant the promise of a new year, increasingly its become a time where Americans worry over what they're going to do to comply with all the new laws. At the federal level, the EPA is set to begin regulating carbon emissions in 2011, which won't exactly help the depressed job market.
In some places the problem is worse than others. California is enacting a whopping 725 new state laws, including:
- AB 715 makes a change to the California Green Building Standards code. The change will require new California buildings to be energy efficient.
- SB 1449 makes the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana an infraction with a penalty of a $100 fine.
- AB 12 allows foster youth to acquire state services until the age of 21.
- SB 1399 allows California to medically parole state prison inmates with physical incapacitating conditions and ultimately shifts some of the cost of care to the federal government.
- AB 97 bans the use of trans-fats in food facilities.
Heck, a good many of you reading this morning probably woke up, broke a few laws and didn't even realize it. Happy New Year!
UPDATE: Oh, I should have mentioned another fun new law that starts today. If you have rental property, I hope you like filling out IRS forms.
