Californians are welcoming a slew of changes as new laws take effect in the new year. Out of 917 bills passed by the state Legislature in 2025, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 794 into law, according to CalMatters. Of all the laws that go in effect this year, these four may directly impact local students.

Minimum wage increase

California’s minimum wage increased on Jan. 1 from $16.50 to $16.90. The additional 40 cents is part of the state’s annual inflation adjustment, which began after the rate increased to $15 in 2022, according to the Department of Industrial Relations website. All employees must now be paid at least $16.90 an hour, while fast food workers receive a higher rate of $20.

Immigration enforcement regulations

Passed in 2025, Assembly Bill 49 requires warrants for immigration enforcement agents to enter private areas of public schools, while Senate Bill 98 requires schools to notify students, faculty and staff about confirmed immigration presence on campus. SB 627 further expands these protections by prohibiting law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings on the job. This law comes in response to increased immigration raids across the state, most of which involved masked officers, according to CalMatters.

School IDs to include LGBTQ+ suicide hotline number

While student IDs already list the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline under SB 972, AB 727 will require secondary and postsecondary schools to also include The Trevor Project’s suicide hotline number beginning July 1. The Trevor Project is a suicide prevention organization focused on LGBTQ+ youth. More than half of LGBTQ+ youth in California have expressed symptoms of depression in the past year, and 35% said they have seriously considered suicide, according to the organization. The new law aims to “provide critical resources to support LGBTQ+ youth in crisis,” said the bill’s author, Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, D-Los Angeles.

Plastic bag ban

Known as SB 1053, the new law targets loopholes created by SB 270, which banned single-use plastic bags and permitted thicker alternatives that shoppers rarely reused. Under the new bill, shoppers must bring their own bags or pay a 10-cent fee for a paper one. As a result, the HAWK Cares Center no longer provides grocery bags at its market, which provides free food assistance and grab-and-go meals. Students must instead bring their own bags when looking for groceries, according to the program’s Instagram page.