California will start the year 2022 with new laws that They range from removing the pejorative term “alien” from official California documents, prohibiting garment workers from being paid piece rates, to raising the age for entry to work as a law enforcement officer, and many more that seek to improve law enforcement agencies. working conditions of workers and make the police more responsible.
The AB 1096 removes the use of the word ‘alien’ that has been used by the federal government since 1798 and in California from 1937, to identify people who were not born in the United States. Instead, the word non-citizen or immigrant will be used.
“This important legislation eliminates the word ‘alien’ which is not only an offensive term for a human being, Rather, for too long it has fueled a divisive and hurtful narrative. By changing this term, we are making sure that California laws reflect the values of our state, ”Governor Newsom said when he signed the law.
A very important law is the SB 62 of the Senator of Los Angeles, María Elena Durazo that eliminates the piece rate in the garment industry and holds brands accountable.
“We have won justice for garment workers. For too long, evil manufacturers have exploited garment workers working in unsanitary conditions for as little as $ 5 an hour, ”Senator Durazo said when Governor Newsom signed the law on 27 of September.
“I applaud Governor Newsom for signing this important legislation to safeguard legal wages and decent working conditions for this highly skilled workforce and level the playing field for ethical manufacturers who are doing the right thing. Ethical fashion is the future! ”.
This law will benefit more than 38, 000 garment workers in the state, mostly immigrant women with families, who will eventually be able to earn minimum wage instead of a piece rate.
Durazo also managed to make law, the SB 321 which requires the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal / OSHA) to convene an advisory committee to create and publish health and safety guidelines for the first time. specific occupational safety for the trades industry domestic workers, setting the path to ensure greater protections for California’s essential and growing workforce.
L domestic workers, who are mostly immigrants and women from color, are the only group of workers in the state that have been excluded from the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 .
“The Governor’s signature is an important first step toward full dignity and equity for domestic workers. Today, we honor generations of domestic workers who have suffered injuries and illnesses for too long in the workplace, ”said Kimberly Alvarenga, director of the California Domestic Workers Coalition.
“We will return to make the implementation of these guidelines mandatory and to finally end this unfair exclusion so that immigrant workers throughout the state have the rights and protections they need and deserve to live a dignified life. The fighting continues!”.
Here is a list of the new laws of the 2022 that directly benefit the immigrant community.
The AB 263 from Fresno Assemblyman Joaquín Arámbula: clarifies that private detention centers, including those used to house and detain immigrants in California, must comply with state and local public health orders. It also requires private operators to comply with CalOSHA workplace safety rules and regulations.
The AB 600 of Assemblyman Arámbula clarifies that crimes against people due to their immigration status are considered hate crimes.
The AB 1096 by Hollister Assemblyman Robert Rivas: Ensures that all children housed in state-licensed facilities, including unaccompanied undocumented minors, will be under the jurisdiction of the California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson; and therefore, they will receive all the resources and protections to which they are entitled under state law.
The AB 1140 strengthens the surveillance of unaccompanied children in state-licensed homes, where they are sent after being detained at the border, while they are reunited with a family member, sponsor or are sent to a foster home.
This law is enacted two years after, the non-profit groups that advocate for the rights of the disabled, found that the policies of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) do not adequately evaluate the medical and mental care as well as special education services for children who remain in these facilities.
According to ORR data, since 2014, more of 30, 000 Unaccompanied immigrant children have been released to sponsors in California.
The SB 334 by Los Angeles Senator María Elena Durazo: Requires that private for-profit detention centers operate in California respect basic health and safety standards for detainees and maintain minimum levels of insurance coverage.
The SB 714 of the Salinas Senator Anna Caballero: Amend California’s Election Code to allow would-be citizens, such as Dreamers, to be appointed and elected to a county central committee.
The AB 221 provides emergency food assistance to low-income families, regardless of immigration status, and requires the Department of Social Services to recommend forms to establish permanent food assistance.
Rita Medina, State Deputy Director of Policies and Advocacy of the Coalition for the Rights of the Los Angeles Immigrants (CHIRLA), said that the laws passed and signed this year continue to build the work to be done in California, a pro-immigrant state that rejects hatred, defends rights and the dignity of workers.
He indicated that the new laws reaffirm the commitment to criminal justice in several areas, including police responsibility and makes private prisons and centers responsible for their bad performance.
“By themselves, each of these laws will bring specific changes to workplaces and communities. Together, they push our state forward to address the issues Latino communities face every day. ”
Other new laws that we must know:
The B’s 368 allows restaurants to continue to sell wine and take-out cocktails until 31 from December to 2026.
The AB 1276 establishes that restaurants and services food delivery companies do not deliver plastic cutlery unless the customer requires them.
The AB 1171 define that spousal rape should be treated and punished like any other rape. Those who are convicted of rape of wives or husbands, will go to jail and forced to register as sex offenders.
The AB 414 prohibits law enforcement officials from using techniques that make breathing difficult and cause suffocation.
AB 45 prohibits police officers from using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters, unless otherwise deal with a life-threatening situation.
AB 89 increases the age to qualify to be a police officer of 18 to 23 years; and directs the community college system to develop and implement a police program by June 1, 2023.
SB 2 eliminates certain immunity provisions for police officers who commit serious acts of misconduct and violate people’s civil rights.
The B’s 16 allows to disclose the records of misconduct of police officers in relation to excessive use of force, discriminatory behavior, or do not intervene when they witness brutality police officers or participate in illegal arrests or searches.
The AB 37 states that each registered voter must receive their ballot by mail.
AB 397 indicates that if the Unemployment Department intends to reject an application, it needs to notify the person to that can correct any errors in your application. These changes must n be done on September 1, 2022.
AB 701 requires companies to display their productivity quotas for warehouse employees and allow them to take breaks and go to the bathroom without punishment. It also makes it easier for workers to take legal action if the requirements are not met.
The AB 367 states that from the school year 2021 – 23, all public schools in grades 6 through 12 as well as California community colleges and public universities should have a sufficient supply of free menstrual products in their bathrooms.