Welcome to 2026. It has been 25 years since the turn of the century. Out of an estimated 350 million Americans, over 70 million have been born since the year 2000. New 2026 rules and laws impacting West Hollywood are about to touch a lot of everyday things like paychecks, rentals, workplace requirements, and consumer protections that show up in real life. Some changes come from Sacramento, some are local, and a few are federal policy shifts, but the practical question for WeHo is the same: what actually changes for people who live and work here, and which rules kick in first?
2026 will bring the World Cup to the U.S. 2026 will mark the Bicentennial (250 years) since the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States of America. (Time for land acknowledgment here.)
Locally, 2026 marks the 100th birthday of Route 66. Where’s the party, WeHo?
And the new year will bring a slew of new state laws, local ordinances, and federal benefits.
The OBBBA, One Big Beautiful Bill Act, brings relief to WeHo renters, WeHo homeowners, and many WeHo businesses, employers, and employees. There are benefits for seniors, too. Beginning in 2026, there will be no federal tax on Social Security benefits. No federal tax on tips up to $25,000. No federal tax on overtime up to $12,500. Homeowners will see their SALT tax benefits increase to up to $40,000 per year. Interest on your auto loan is now deductible. These plans, enacted in 2025 and implemented in 2026, are intended to boost the economy by putting more money into workers’ pockets to spend and consume, and are said to be offset by tariffs and cuts to federal programs.
2026 brings a wide array of new California laws
Minimum Wage Increase: An increase in the state minimum wage to $16.90 per hour. West Hollywood’s minimum wage for all workers will increase to $20.25, and will surpass the hotel worker minimum wage ordinance. [It is absolutely clear that the businesses of WeHo got fucked while the hotel workers get paid less than all other workers in WeHo.]
Stay or Pay Contract Ban: Bans an employer’s right to recover costs of training in any new employment agreement if an employee leaves the job.
Workplace Know Your Rights Act: Employers must provide a stand-alone written notice to all current employees by Feb. 1, 2026, outlining their labor and constitutional rights, including those related to union organizing and immigration enforcement interactions.
Expanded Leave for Crime Victims: Employees can use paid sick leave and certain unpaid leave to attend judicial proceedings if they or a family member are victims of specific crimes.
Pay Data and Transparency: New laws expand existing pay transparency and reporting requirements, mandating stricter penalties for noncompliance and requiring demographic data to be stored separately from personnel records.
Public Health and Safety
Insulin Cost Cap: State-regulated health plans must cap the cost-sharing for a 30-day supply of insulin at $35. California-branded, low-cost insulin pens will also be available for purchase at a maximum of $55 for a pack of five.
Cat Declawing Ban: Veterinarians are prohibited from declawing cats unless the procedure is medically necessary to the cat’s health.
Law Enforcement Face Masks: Most law enforcement officers in California, including federal agents operating in the state, are prohibited from wearing face masks or other coverings while on duty, with some exceptions.
Consumer and Housing
Required Appliances in Rentals: Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, landlords must provide and maintain a working refrigerator and stove in all rental dwelling units.
Used Car Buyer’s Rights: Consumers who buy a used car from a dealer will have a three-day window to return the vehicle for a refund and benefit from improved pricing transparency, which prohibits charging for add-ons with no benefit to the buyer (for example, oil changes for electric vehicles).
Plastic Carryout Bag Ban: A loophole in the previous law is closed. Stores will only be allowed to provide recycled paper bags (for a minimum 10-cent fee) and will be entirely barred from distributing any type of plastic carryout bag at the point of sale.
Education and Technology
School Phone Policies: All K-12 public schools must implement policies that limit or prohibit student smartphone use by July 1, 2026.
Gender-Neutral Restrooms: All public schools in California must provide at least one all-gender restroom for student use by July 1, 2026.
AI Regulation: The Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (TFAIA) imposes new safety and reporting requirements for developers of advanced AI models and protects whistleblowers who report substantial dangers to public safety.
SAVE Act Implementation: Effective in 2026, states are prohibited from registering individuals for federal elections without documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.
Local Laws That Only Apply to West Hollywood Beginning in 2026 Include:
Minimum Wage Increase to $20.25: Increase in the minimum wage to $20.25 for all businesses, superseding California state law.
Title 1, Public Peace and Safety: Amends Public Peace and Safety.
Title 15, Environmental Protection, Pollution and Solid Waste: Mandatory Building Energy Benchmarking and Performance Standards.
The Social Security tax was not eliminated. There is a new senior discount on your returns, though.
https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/news/2025-tax-act-myths-social-security-tax-rules-unchanged-new-senior-deduction/
re: the tiresome (Time for land acknowledgement here). All modern states exist because of conquest, migration, displacement, or collapse of earlier societies. Native tribes displaced other native tribes. Native tribes practiced slavery and human sacrifice. They were nomads because they would destroy the environment they were living in and would then move on to another untouched area and would in time destroy it too. Native Americans have had every opportunity to live good productive lives as Americans. Enough already with the guilt for making the world better for all who chose to participate in that which has been available to… Read more »
https://youtu.be/2IOWBjoo7Ew?si=pEYrgIZ24NmddaF3
Sound familiar? West Hollywood is doing exactly what Sweden is doing. And it’s bringing the same results.
“And all single story 100 year old cottages must be torn down and replaced by hideous apartment blocks to resemble Moscow.”
re: the last sentence in your second paragraph, the tiresome “time for land acknowledgement here”. We live on land that was conquered, just as does every country on the face of the earth. Most of the people who lived on this land before us practiced slavery and human sacrifice, as well as a number of other human rights violations found to be so despicable by those who came here who are largely considered very unenlightened by today’s standards. These natives were nomads because their environmental practices were so bad they destroyed the land they had settled on so they moved… Read more »