New state laws for 2017

Here are some of the new laws that went into effect Jan.1 in California.
• No more Instagram updates behind the wheel
It’s already illegal to hold a phone and talk or text while driving. motorists now cannot hold their phone for any reason. Hands-free functions will still be allowed.
• A minimum-wage bump
California’s minimum wage rises to $10.50 an hour, up from $10. Yearly increases under the new law will bring the wage to $15 an hour by 2022. All told, 29 states and the District of Columbia now have minimum wages above the federal base of $7.25 per hour.
• Tougher sentencing after the Stanford case
Anger over the six-month jail sentence for Mr. Turner, the Stanford swimmer who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman, led the state to make a sexual-assault conviction ineligible for probation. Other measures removed a statute of limitations on rape, and broadened the legal definition of the word to include “all forms of nonconsensual sexual assault.”
• Stricter gun control
New measures were passed in the wake of the San Bernardino massacre, then voters approved more on the Nov. 8 ballot. Among them: the expansion of an assault weapons ban, first-in-the-nation background checks on ammunition purchases, and a ban on magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
• Easing of documentation rules for immigrant workers
It is now unlawful for an employer to request more or different immigration documents than required by law, or to refuse documents that “on their face reasonably appear to be genuine.”
• Juvenile records off limits for employers
 Potential employers cannot ask an applicant about information concerning past involvement in juvenile court, including adjudication or court disposition..
• Mandatory prison terms for sex crimes.
Probation-only sentences are banned for persons convicted of sex crimes.
• Good Samaritan rules for pet rescues
Bystanders allowed to break into a parked car without civil liability to rescue an animal at risk of overheating.
• Showers for homeless college students
Community colleges are required to offer shower access to homeless students.
• Close your late uncle’s Facebook page
Creates process to access and manage a deceased person’s “digital assets” and electronic communications.
• Concussion protections for younger athletes
Youth sports leagues have to have a concussion protocol like those in high school sportsl: a return-to-play policy to make sure that kids who get a concussion see a licensed medical professional, and to make sure that coaches and league administrators are trained to recognize signs of a concussion.
• Wine with your hair coloring
Salons and barber shops are now allowed to serve complimentary alcohol. The measure legalizes a practice already commonplace at many salons.
Other notable measures:
— Terminally ill patients are allowed to try experimental drugs.
— Law enforcement officers are forbidden from charging minors with prostitution.
— Single-toilet bathrooms must be gender-neutral in many places.
— The use of “Redskins” as a school mascot is banned.