New Year, New Laws

It’s almost time to ring in the new year! As 2023 comes to a close, I want to let you know of about a few state laws I championed that are taking effect on Jan. 1.

At the top of the list is one that will be affecting the families in California by cleaning up the air that children riding school buses are breathing. Assemby Bill-579 requires all new school bus purchases after 2035 to be zero emission. According to the California Air Resources Board, a child who rides the bus to and from school accounts for 33% of that child’s daily exposure to toxic air pollutants. A consistent statewide planning goal to obtain zero-emission buses is critical to improving air quality and student health outcomes, especially in communities already disproportionately impacted by severe air pollution.

Another bill that affects many in my district is AB-449, which requires law enforcement agencies to adopt a hate-crimes policy and follow specific guidelines when responding to incidents. We have seen cases and victims treated differently from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. A hate-crime victim should consistently be treated with respect and dignity no matter if the crime was committed in San Francisco or Oakland.

Differences of opinion on religion, war, or even wearing a mask has spurred debate that has sometimes turned hostile. What does this mean for our diverse communities? We saw a massive spike in hate crimes against the AAPI community. Stop AAPI Hate has collected more than 10,900 reports to its website. Thankfully, while we have seen a decline in AAPI hate crimes and incidents, other communities continue to suffer from hate violence:

• Overall, reported hate crime events in California increased 20.2%, from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022.

• Hate crimes against Black people remain the most prevalent and increased 27.1% from 513 in 2021 to 652 in 2022.

• Reported hate crime events involving a sexual orientation bias increased, rising 29% from 303 in 2021 to 391 in 2022.

It is my hope with the passage of laws such as AB-449 and providing awareness about resources, such as the hate crime reporting hotline and website at the California Civil Rights Department, we can spread the message that hate is not OK and that there is support available for those who need it.

Also starting next year, consumers will get more information about the cookware they are using and purchasing. AB-1200 requires manufacturers to label their cookware if it contains Per- and Polyflouroalkyl chemicals (PFAS). It was passed in 2021, but companies were given until 2024 to comply with the labeling component of the bill.

It has been determined that PFAS is a class of roughly 9,000 man-made chemicals linked to health problems, including cancer, hormone disruption, thyroid disease and vaccine interference. When PFAS come into contact with food, people ingest them. With AB-1200, consumers can make a choice on whether or not they want their food to be in contact with these harmful chemicals.

This coming year will be my last in the Assembly. It has been an absolute honor serving as your assemblymember and I will continue to prioritize making California a better state for everyone until my term is over. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season and a great 2024.

Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the west side of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma and Daly City as well as part of South San Francisco.