It’s that time of year. While everyone else is dragging boxes of ornaments out of closets and trying to remember where they hid the gift wrap, lawmakers across the country are quietly stuffing the books with new rules for 2026. In places like California, where legislators sent more than 900 bills this year to the governor’s desk, tracking this flurry of laws feels like trying to catch snowflakes during a blizzard. Plenty of them make sense, sure, but sprinkled in are a few that are odd, eyebrow-raising, or downright controversial.
California’s Controversial New Laws for 2026
The Golden State’s newest batch of laws is rolling in like a tidal wave, and tucked among them are a few that make people scratch their heads. Presented with 917 bills, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 794 of them. This isn’t the most he’s ever signed, though. In 2022, he put his pen to 997. Let’s take a look.
AB 495 is a “family-preparedness” law designed for illegal immigrants. It lets parents who may be detained or deported designate short-term caregivers for their children. This may sound helpful, but the person doesn’t have to be a relative, which has opponents pointing out how this could be misused by sex traffickers who could take advantage of the situation.
Also designed for illegal aliens, SB 98 specifies that K-12 schools and colleges must send alerts to confirm when federal immigration officers are on campus. The notice must include the location and a link to “know your rights” resources. Supporters see it as a shield for families, while opponents say it drags schools into political problems they’d rather not referee. Not to mention the cost, whatever that may be.
Reparations are still a hot topic in the Golden State, and now SB 437 places a new burden on higher education. According to the law, public universities will have to create a formal verification system for people claiming ancestry from enslaved black people. Those in favor say the goal is to build a credible way to determine eligibility. But at what cost? The state plans to pay up to $6 million for the research, which includes standards and documentation needed to prove lineage. This can include tracing genealogy, something people have been paying Ancestry.com and other organizations to do in order to find out if great-great-great Aunt Sally was in the Revolutionary War.
And now for the truly silly: AB 435. This law reads like California’s Department of Transportation got together with the DMV and said, “What if we turn a seat belt into a pop quiz?” Under this rule, kids ages 8 to 16 must pass a five-step seat belt “fit test” before they’re allowed to ride in the front seat. If they fail, the driver could get hit with a fine of nearly $500.
Elsewhere, Virginia’s new social media limit for minors goes live Jan. 1. It restricts anyone under 16 to just one hour per platform per day unless parents opt in for more. Considering how many platforms are available — such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X, and more — that’s still a lot of hours kids can be online.
Just for Fun
Every state has at least one law that feels like it wandered out of a sitcom and somehow got stamped with an official seal. These gems remind us that lawmakers, somewhere along the line, had to address problems none of us knew existed, such as what to do with a frog that croaks during a jumping contest. So here’s your moment to sit back, shake your head, and enjoy a tour through America’s legal oddities.
In Alabama, it’s technically illegal to wear a fake mustache that causes laughter in church. In Alaska, pushing a live moose out of an airplane is prohibited. Arizona bans feeding garbage to pigs without a permit, a leftover from sanitation codes that feels more like a storyline from an old farm sitcom. In Little Rock, AR, you’re not supposed to honk your horn after 9 p.m. near places that serve cold drinks or sandwiches.
And back in California, if a frog dies during a frog-jumping competition, it cannot be eaten – it must be destroyed. Leaving us to wonder: Who tried to eat a dead competition frog in the first place?
In Florida, if you own a bar or restaurant, you can be fined $1,000 for allowing dwarf tossing. It is also illegal in the Sunshine State to sell alcohol during a hurricane. The state claims it’s to keep people from throwing hurricane parties.
Maine likes to give preferential treatment to its law enforcement. In South Berwick, you can’t park in front of a Dunkin' Donuts unless you’re a police officer. In New Jersey, criminals can’t protect themselves. A person who wears a bulletproof vest while committing a crime can be charged for “suiting up” as well as the original crime.
Washingtonians protect their Bigfoots. According to state law, Bigfoot is considered an endangered species, so you can’t kill or trap one under the wildlife laws.
These new laws range from silly to serious. But California’s rules on school alerts and family-preparedness aren’t just symbolic gestures. They’re deliberate roadblocks to federal immigration enforcement. How far are California and other states willing to go to stake out an independent path when the White House is pushing the other way?
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