US / driver distraction Texting, Research Laws to Hit Calif. in New Year Student journalists, bottled water also targeted by lawmakers By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff Posted Dec 29, 2008 3:40 PM CST Copied A driver talks on a cell phone while driving in Newark, N.J., Thursday, Feb 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Mike Derer) A texting-while-driving ban isn’t the only new law Californians will wake up to on Jan. 1. The San Francisco Chronicle lists some other new regulations: Drivers can now mount a GPS system in the lower corners of their windshields. It will become a crime to publish the names or addresses of individuals involved in animal research. Student journalists will have stronger protections from school officials who seek to demote or fire them because of what they’ve published. People looking to redeem large amounts of recyclables will have to show ID and be paid with a check. Bottled water firms must list the source of the water on the bottle and provide a website where consumers can read a report on its quality. (More driver distraction stories.) Report an error