California Raises Gas Tax to 63 Cents as New Food Labels and Loan Rules Take Effect
Updated
Updated · KABC-TV · Jul 1
California Raises Gas Tax to 63 Cents as New Food Labels and Loan Rules Take Effect
3 articles · Updated · KABC-TV · Jul 1
Summary
Wednesday brought a 2.2-cent increase in California's gasoline tax, lifting it to about 63 cents a gallon under the annual inflation adjustment required by the 2017 SB 1 road-funding law.
California also began enforcing a first-in-the-nation food-labeling standard that bans "sell by" on packaging and replaces it with "Best if Used By" for quality and "Use By" for safety.
Federal student-loan changes taking effect the same day will raise monthly payments for some borrowers—especially lower-income Americans—and impose new borrowing limits under provisions in Trump's tax law.
Streaming platforms now must keep commercials from running louder than shows, while autonomous vehicles must let first responders contact a U.S.-based remote operator with a valid driver's license.
July 1 is one of California's main dates for new laws to start, with additional measures still expected to roll out on Jan. 1, 2026.
Now that California has banned 'sell by' dates, what happens to food shipped from states that still use them?
California just changed its food labels to fight waste. Will the rest of the country be forced to follow suit?
California's new labels aim to cut waste, but could they accidentally convince people to discard perfectly good food?
California Bans "Sell By" Dates: How AB 660’s 2026 Food Label Law Aims to Cut 2.5 Billion Meals of Waste Annually
Overview
On July 1, 2026, California transformed its food labeling rules by implementing Assembly Bill 660. This law standardizes food date labels across the state, removing confusing 'sell by' dates from consumer packaging. The main goal is to reduce food waste, as about 2.5 billion meals worth of unspoiled food end up in California landfills each year, making up nearly half of the state's waste and producing harmful methane gases. By making date labels clearer, California hopes to help consumers make better choices, cut down on waste, and protect the environment.