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SALINAS, Calif--
Almost a thousand laws were added to the books in California and went into affect, Sunday.
New laws regulate everything from tanning beds to child booster seats in the state.
Central Coast News breaks down some of the laws you need to know about.
Lets start with SB 746, the tanning bed law. This new law bans children under the age of 18 from using tanning beds. Texas banned children under the age of 16 from using tanning beds, but California is the first state to set a higher age limit. Supporters of the ban said the higher age limit is needed because skin damage caused by the type of radiation used in tanning beds can lead to melanoma, a skin cancer that can be deadly. "Medical evidence is conclusive that tanning beds kill people," said one doctor. "The FDA has recognized tanning beds as the highest level of carcinogen, equivalent to cigarettes."
Thirty other states have some sort of age restrictions on tanning bed usage.
The next bill we'll take a look at is AB 1601 which deals with repeat DUI offenders. This new law means DUI offenders can lose their license for a decade after three DUI convictions in ten years, and it gives the court the right to make that decision. The law also says that offenders may apply to get their drivers license back after 5 years -- but only if certain conditions are met.
Parents! If you have a child under the age of eight, SB 929 is for you. The new law requires children under the age of eight to remain in a booster seat while in a motor vehicle. If your child is taller than four feet nine inches then they are allowed to use a seatbelt instead.
"The federal standards for seatbelts are for people that are four foot nine inches tall so these children that are eight years and younger typically are not four feet nine inches tall," said William Barrett, Watsonville Police Department. "If they're not being worn properly the chance of injury is higher."
Fines for not following this law start at $475.
