Calif. passes a slew of new bills in 2022 legislative session

September 2, 2022 Sophia Flores US 0

(David Paul Morris/Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 12:45 PM PT – Friday, September 2, 2022

After eight months, California’s 2022 legislative session has come to a close. Lawmakers scrambled to pass hundreds of new bills before its end.

Assembly Bill 2098 is the first of many measures heading to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. The bill would allow the State Medical Board to discipline physicians spreading so-called COVID-19 misinformation. Opponents of the bill argued that it infringes on doctor’s freedom of speech.

The Legislature has passed AB 2098 to punish doctors who spread COVID “misinformation.” The bill doesn’t account for all the misinformation that turned out to be true.

— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) August 30, 2022

The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act was also passed. The Act is the first of its kind in America. The bipartisan bill is modeled after laws in the United Kingdom that took effect in 2021. It will require companies such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to install “guardrails” for users under the age of 18. That includes not collecting location data for minors.

Lawmakers also passed Senate Bill 846. The bill keeps the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant open until 2030. That date is five years beyond the shutdown date that was scheduled prior. Six of the Governor’s seven climate and energy bills were able to pass, including new restrictions for oil and gas drilling.

On the other hand, multiple controversial bills were dropped or failed to pass. Senate Bill 866 would have allowed teens to get a vaccine without parental consent. It was pulled because it didn’t receive enough votes.

Senate Bill 866 to allow minors to consent to vaccines without parental permission will not move forward this year, with Sen. @Scott_Wiener saying Wednesday that it remained short votes heading into the final day of the legislative session.

— Melody Gutierrez (@MelodyGutierrez) August 31, 2022

Senate Bill 918 also failed to pass after its third attempt. The bill would have strengthened the Golden State’s conceal carry laws. Meanwhile, Governor Newsom has until the end of September to sign or veto measures sent to his desk.