PD Editorial: From methane to medicine, new laws are coming

Gov. Jerry Brown has until midnight to sign or veto bills passed during the final month of the 2015-16 legislative session, and it will probably take a few days to sort out hundreds of new laws added to California’s books.

Many, perhaps most, won’t affect the vast majority of Californians. Inevitably, some bills are written to correct mistakes in hastily drafted laws from previous years, extend deadlines or renew government programs. Some seem absurd. Regulating methane from cows? But the governor already has acted on several significant measures that have been addressed on these pages.

Here’s a rundown on some of those bills:

On Thursday, Brown signed SB 1234, which will fill a big gap in retirement savings for private-sector workers. One in three Americans has no retirement savings, and many employers have dropped retirement plans. California’s Secure Choice Retirement Plan will enroll millions of private-sector workers whose employers don’t offer retirement benefits in a 401(k)-style retirement plan. Workers can opt out, but for most people, that would be a costly mistake.

Brown also signed SB 813, which lifts the statute of limitations for rape and child molestation, crimes where fuzzy memories, fear and intimidation sometimes result in delayed reports. The law, introduced in the wake of sexual abuse allegations against entertainer Bill Cosby, takes effect Jan. 1 and will cover new cases as well as any in which the statute of limitations hadn’t expired prior to the effective date.

A former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration called assurances about the safety of opioid painkillers “one of the biggest mistakes in modern medicine,” resulting far too often in addiction and, worse, fatal overdoses. SB 482, which Brown signed this week, will require physicians and other medical professionals to consult a state Justice Department database to prevent people from “doctor shopping” for multiple opioid prescriptions.

When California legalized doctor-assisted suicide this year, we said it also was time for a “right to try” law, allowing terminally ill patients to use experimental medicines. Brown vetoed such a bill last year, but this year he signed AB 1668, allowing access for patients who haven’t been included in a clinical trial.

Regrettably, Brown vetoed SB 907, which would have restored and extended tax relief for underwater homeowners who managed to get mortgage adjustments. But he left open the possibility of reconsidering the issue as part of state budget deliberations. These are paper gains for homeowners, and they shouldn’t get a tax bite for avoiding foreclosure.

We also take note of a few bills that we haven’t written about previously. Brown signed SB 1046, which will require most people convicted of drunken driving to temporarily install breathalyzers in their vehicles to regain driving privileges. A pilot program founded the ignition interlock devices reduced recidivism.

That law doesn’t take effect until 2019, but beginning Jan. 1, barber shops and hair salons will be allowed to serve complimentary alcoholic beverages. The bill, AB 1322, sets a one-drink-per-customer limit. Let’s hope that’s enough to avoid a collision with the breathalyzer law.

Finally, a gubernatorial veto means you can still light up a cigarette or a cigar at a state beach or a state park (if you must), but youth sports events will be smoke-free starting next year.