Phone bans, louder-ad limits part of new laws July 1

The refrigerated shelves are seen fully stocked at Woodlands Market in The Boardwalk shopping center. Under a new California law effective today, July 1, food manufacturers must use standardized quality and safety date labels and drop vague ‘sell by’ wording, though eggs, infant formula and malt beverages are exempt. (Ted McDonnell / For The Ark)

Evened-out audio on streaming services, allergen disclosures and smartphone limits on school campuses are among the new laws taking effect today as the second half of 2026 gets underway.

They are part of a number of new laws now in effect that also include bans on selling Glock-style pistols, standardized quality and safety language on food packaging and additional LGBTQ+ resources for students across the state.

Here are some of the state laws that took effect today, July 1, or will take effect later this year. The Phone-Free Schools Act, also known as Assembly Bill 3216, required every school district, charter school and county office of education in California to develop policies limiting student cellphone use by July 1. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 3216 into law in September 2024. AB 660 requires food manufacturers to use standard language for quality or safety. Phrases like “best if used by” or “best if frozen by” speak to a food’s quality, while “use by” or “use or freeze by” indicate whether a food can still be safely eaten. The law also bars manufacturers from placing vague language on packaging, including “sell by” dates. Eggs, infant formula, beer and other malt beverages are exempt.

SB 576 bars streaming services from airing ads louder than the show or movie being watched.

Pay for many of California’s health-care workers climbs again July 1 under SB 525. AB 507 lets property owners convert offices, hotels and other commercial buildings into homes through a streamlined, ministerial process, skipping the discretionary review and environmental study such projects normally require. It applies in all zones except industrial and covers every city in the state. California residents changing their name, gender and sex identifier will have more protection during the legal process. Beginning Aug. 1, data brokers will start to process deletion requests made through California’s Delete Request and Opt-out Platform. Read the complete story in our e-edition, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.

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