A Committee of The Lake Arrowhead Communities Chamber of Commerce
LakeArrowheadGovernmentAffairs.org
LEGISLATION
"All Legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a
Senate and House of Representatives."
(Article I, Section 1, of the United States Constitution)
How Are Laws Made?
Laws begin as ideas. First, a representative sponsors a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. If released by the committee, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated or amended. If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority (51 of 100) passes the bill. Finally, a conference committee made of House and Senate members works out any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval. The Government Printing Office prints the revised bill in a process called enrolling. The President has 10 days to sign or veto the enrolled bill.
Current Legislation
Below is a summary of current legislation that has in impact on our community
Legislation
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Proposed Amended Rule 1111
Reduction of NOx Emissions from Natural Gas-Fired Furnaces
Proposed Amended Rule 1121
Reduction of NOx Emissions from Residential Type, Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) has scheduled a Public Consultation Meeting to present and solicit information and suggestions from the public regarding the latest changes to Proposed Amended Rule 1111 - Reduction of NOx Emissions from Natural Gas-Fired Furnaces (PAR 1111) and Proposed Amended Rule 1121 - Reduction of NOx Emissions from Residential Type, Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters (PAR 1121), which are scheduled for a Public Hearing before the South Coast AQMD Governing Board on May 2, 2025 (subject to change).
Staff will present the third preliminary draft rule language with updated rule concepts and updates to cost-effectiveness. The updated rule concept establishes manufacturer requirements for the sale of space and water heating appliances that meet low-NOx and zero-NOx emission standards that provide consumers the choice between the types of units.
The Public Consultation is scheduled for:
Thursday, March 6, 2025
1:00 PM (PT)
Join Zoom Webinar Meeting
https://scaqmd.zoom.us/j/97271436016
Zoom Webinar ID: 972 7143 6016
Teleconference Dial In: (669) 900-6833
The following documents are available:
-
Third Preliminary Draft Proposed Amended Rule 1111 (space heating)
-
Third Preliminary Draft Proposed Amended Rule 1121 (water heating)
The Public Consultation will only be conducted via video conferencing (Zoom), which can be accessed via your computer or smart phone. Alternatively, stakeholders can phone in to participate. We understand that this is not the same as a face-to-face meeting; however, staff will take the time to listen to comments from all stakeholders, as your comments are important. If you have general questions or concerns about these meetings or their format, please contact Heather Farr at hfarr@aqmd.gov or (909) 396-2148.
For more information, please visit the Space and Water Heating Clearinghouse Webpage or contact:
Jen Vinh (PAR 1121)
(909) 396-2148
Congressman Jay Obernolte
Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA)
Background
As our country grapples with the climate crisis, catastrophic wildfires have become an existential threat to the safety of our communities. Over the past two decades, wildfires in California have increasingly grown in size and severity, with five of the six largest fires in the state’s history occurring in 2020 alone. The federal government has a responsibility to treat these wildfires with the same level of seriousness as hurricanes and other natural disasters while empowering communities to implement science-based methods for mitigating wildfire damage and defending life and property. While we cannot stop the threat of wildfires entirely, we can prepare our communities for worst-case scenarios while working to address the structural issues that have caused these fires to burn more quickly and intensely than ever before. This responsibility should not fall on any one individual but should instead be shared among entire communities, with the understanding that a threat to any one home is a threat to every neighbor.
Summary
The bipartisan Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act will invest $1 billion per year to: • Establish guidelines for communities to conceptualize new Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Plans (CPWRP) that are developed in coordination with community members, first responders, and relevant state agencies. CPWRPs will focus on implementing strategies and activities relating to: o Improving early detection technology, public outreach and education, alerts and warnings, evacuation planning, evacuation execution, and access for first responders o Addressing vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those with disabilities o Hardening critical infrastructure and homes o Applying community-scale defensible space across contiguous areas o Building local capacity to implement and oversee the plan o Deploying distributed energy resources like microgrids with battery storage o Implementing strategic land use planning o Educating community members o Coordinating with existing wildfire plans like a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. • Provide grants of up to $250,000 to develop a CPWRP and grants of up to $10 million to implement a CPWRP o Grants will be prioritized for low-income communities that are at high risk for fire or wildfire and communities recently impacted by a major wildfire. • Complete a report on all federal authorities and programs to protect communities from wildfires. • Study how a CPWRP could be used as certification for insurance companies assessing community resilience. • Continuously update wildfire hazard maps. • Assess impediments to emergency radio communications across departments and agencies. • Allow for structure hardening to be covered under existing community wildfire protection programs.
The Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act is endorsed by Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Silvix Resources, Defenders of Wildlife, Trust for Public Land, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Wilderness Society, John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute, Wild Heritage, Unite the Parks, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Feather River Action!, Forests Forever, Climate Communications Coalition, Heartwood, Tahoe Forests Matter, Eco-Integrity Alliance, Conservation Congress, Friends of the Clearwater, and SoCoCAN!.
Assemblyman Tom Lakey
Fentanyl Crisis Killing Minors—Lackey Pushes Bill to Hold Dealers Accountable
SACRAMENTO – California’s fentanyl crisis is reaching catastrophic levels, claiming the lives of minors at an alarming rate. Despite the outcry from families and law enforcement, the state’s laws remain weak when it comes to holding drug dealers accountable—especially those targeting children.
Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) has introduced AB 568, a bill that would make selling fentanyl to minors a strike under California’s Three Strikes Law, ensuring that those responsible for poisoning children face serious prison time instead of lenient sentences.
“Every day, another family is shattered by fentanyl. How many more children have to die before the supermajority takes action?” Lackey said. “Drug dealers who target kids aren’t low-level offenders. They are predators, and they must be treated as such.”
The statistics are staggering. In 2021, more than 1,500 children died from fentanyl overdoses, many after taking counterfeit pills disguised as medications like Percocet and Xanax. Yet, despite this crisis, the Supermajority has repeatedly blocked attempts to strengthen penalties for fentanyl dealers, leaving children unprotected against this deadly drug.
“Right now, California treats selling meth and heroin more seriously than selling fentanyl to minors,” Lackey stated. “That is a complete failure of leadership.”
While other states have taken aggressive action to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, California lags behind, leaving law enforcement and grieving parents to plead for stronger protections—only to be ignored by legislative leadership.
“This is not about politics—it’s about saving lives,” Lackey said. “Parents deserve better. Our children deserve better. California’s leaders need to stop making excuses and start protecting kids.”
Contact:
Izzy Swindler
Izzy Swindler
Chief of Staff
Assemblyman Tom Lackey | 34th District
Swing Space Room 5340
Cell Phone: (916) 622-6292
Office Phone: (916) 319-2034
Senator Ochoa-Bogh
A Look Ahead
Week of April 28, 2025
In an effort to keep my constituents informed of the policies being discussed in Sacramento, the following is a brief description of the bills being heard in Senate Policy Committees next week. This is for informational purposes only and does not represent my position on any of the bills. Please note that this information is being sent in advance of the Senate Policy Committees scheduled to meet next week and they have not been presented for a vote yet.
However, I hope that you will share your opinion on any or all of these bills with me by replying to this email or calling one of my offices. I want to hear from you. I want to keep you informed of the legislation that is being introduced in California in the hope that you will be engaged in sharing your position on them. I would also like to invite you to attend one of my town halls to learn more about the legislative process and have your voice heard.
To learn more or monitor the progress of any of these bills, please visit California Legislative Information.
For more information about legislative deadlines and where we are in the legislative process click here.
For more information about how to submit a position letter to committee click here.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to my office through any of the methods listed here: https://sr19.senate.ca.gov/my-offices
I hope you find this information useful. YOUR VOICE MATTERS.
Thank you,
ROSILICIE OCHOA BOGH
Senator, 19th District
Week of April 28, 2025
Agriculture
Tuesday, April 29
SB 18 (Rubio) Establishes the Food Desert Elimination Grant Program, under the Department of Food and Agriculture, to fund grocery stores in food deserts and enhance healthy food access.
SB 312 (Umberg) Mandates that health certificates for dogs imported for resale be submitted to the Department of Food and Agriculture and the buyer and be publicly available.
SB 341 (Perez) Re-establishes the Instructional School Gardens Program under the Department of Food and Agriculture, using competitive grants to promote garden-based education, environmental literacy, and student well-being.
SB 493 (Becker) Re-characterizes fair managers as "secretary-managers" and shifts their compensation to the Secretary of the CA Department of Food and Agriculture, setting salaries via periodic surveys.
Business, Professions and Economic Development
Monday, April 28
SB 370 (Ashby) Establishes the California Music Festival Preservation Grant Program within the Office of Small Business Advocate (OSBA), which provides grants to eligible independent live music events promoters to support equitable access to the arts for all Californians. Requires the OSBA to allocate the sum of $20 million in grants to eligible independent live music events promoters that meet specified requirements, subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
SB 389 (Ochoa Bogh) Authorizes a licensed vocational nurse, under the supervision of a credentialed school nurse, to provide specialized physical health care services for individuals with exceptional needs.
SB 479 (Arreguin) Establishes the Cannabis Payment Protection Act to require the Department of Cannabis control to suspend the license of a cannabis business, subject to a court order or civil judgment for failure to pay for goods and services sold or transferred by another licensee, until the licensee complies with the terms of the order or judgment. Authorizes the department to charge a fee to cover the administrative costs for suspending or reinstating the license.
SB 576 (Umberg) Prohibits a video streaming service, that serves consumers in California, from transmitting the audio of commercial advertisements louder than the video content that the advertisements accompany.
Education
Wednesday, April 30
SB 612 (Valladares) Requires local educational agencies, serving grades 9 to 12, to offer a separate stand-alone one-semester course in career technical education (CTE) beginning with the 2028-29 school year. Requires students to complete a stand-alone one-semester course in CTE in order to graduate from high school beginning with the 2031-32 school year.
SB 640 (Cabaldon) Creates the CSU Direct Admission Program, which requires the Chancellor of the CA State University (CSU) to designate one or more campuses that have available enrollment capacity, to automatically admit high school students that meet specific criteria.
SB 745 (Ochoa Bogh) Requires pupils graduating in the 2032–33 school year and beyond to complete a one-year course in American government and civics – instead of a one-semester course – to earn a high school diploma, unless local educational agencies opt out. Requires school districts to deem a pupil’s successful completion of a one-year course in American government and civics as satisfying specified criteria in order to receive the State Seal of Civic Engagement.
SB 751 (Becker) Requires the CA Health and Human Services Agency, until January 1, 2031, to oversee a Veterans and First Responders Research Pilot Program to allow for the research and development of psilocybin services for target populations in up to five counties.
SJR 4 (Laird) States that the Legislature is deeply concerned about the reduction in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and changes to the amount of grant funding that can go to overhead costs. Calls on President Trump and Congress to rescind the cuts and cease the attacks on postsecondary institutions.
Elections and Constitutional Amendments
Tuesday, April 29
SB 3 (Cervantes) Prohibits elections officials from considering a voter’s identifying information or time spent reviewing signatures during verification. Requires notification after a final determination of non-matching signatures. Mandates the transfer of voter signature data to new counties upon relocation. Allows voters to work with nongovernmental entities to complete signature verification and unsigned envelope statements, standardizes these forms via the Secretary of State, and bans compensation based on the number of statements returned. Imposes penalties for fraudulent handling of statements, requires elections officials to post signature verification procedures online, and expands observer access to monitor signature verification processes.
SB 249 (Umberg) Requires an election for the members of a county board of education to be consolidated with the statewide general election in November.
SB 321 (Cervantes) Requires a committee that makes a late signature curing expenditure to report the late signature curing expenditure within 24 hours of the time it is made.
SB 335 (Strickland) Repeals the requirement for counties to mail ballots to all registered voters. Instead, the bill allows voters to request vote-by-mail ballots for specific elections or apply for permanent vote-by-mail status.
SB 408 (Choi) In addition to mailing a residency a postcard to each registered voter of the county, requires the Secretary of State or the county elections official to contract with the U.S. Postal Service or its licensees to obtain use of postal service change-of-address data in order to assist with voter roll cleanup.
SB 621 (Grove) Repeals obsolete provisions in the Elections Code that place extra burdens on military and overseas voters who need to register after the 15 day voter registration deadline.
SB 644 (Blakespear) Establishes contribution limits to candidates for judicial, school district, and community college district office.
SB 760 (Allen) Exempts a behesting officer or member of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) from reporting obligations if they make a public appeal for payment – unless it is reasonably foreseeable that the payment will have a material financial effect (distinguishable from its effect on the public generally) on the official or member of the PUC, or a member of their immediate family.
Energy, Utilities & Communications
Tuesday, April 29
SB 254 (Becker) Makes numerous changes regarding wildfire mitigation, transmission infrastructure, low-income rate assistance, and rate recovery.
SB 330 (Padilla) Authorizes the Governor to establish pilot projects to develop, finance, or operate electrical transmission infrastructure that meet specified criteria.
SB 618 (Reyes) Requires electrical corporations to automatically credit customers affected by a de-energization event in an amount equal to $30 for every 24 hours that a customer experiences an outage.
SB 716 (Durazo) Makes changes to the Lifeline program, including requiring the provision of subsidies for home internet service.
SB 797 (Choi) Temporarily exempts the conversion of overhead transmission and distribution lines to either undergrounding or insulating from the CA Environmental Quality Act. Requires the CA Public Utilities Commission to form a workgroup to study the cost of undergrounding or insulating overhead electric infrastructure.
SB 804 (Archuleta) Requires the CA Public Utilities Commission to require that hydrogen pipelines meet specified requirements.
Environmental Quality
Wednesday, April 30
SB 14 (Blakespear) Prohibits state agencies from entering into a contract to purchase single-use plastic bottles, made of less than 90% recycled plastic. Requires state agencies to take appropriate steps to replace the use of single-use plastic bottles at food service facilities with nonplastic, recyclable and reusable alternatives.
SB 234 (Niello) Proposes the creation of a workgroup by CAL-FIRE, the Office of Emergency Services, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control, to tackle the risks of toxic heavy metals released during wildfires. Requires the workgroup to develop best practices for wildfire-affected communities and first responders, studying methods to mitigate and prevent exposure, and exploring remediation techniques.
SB 348 (Hurtado) By January 31, 2026, requires the Air Resources Board (ARB) to revise the Low Carbon Fuel Standard to reduce its financial impact on drivers. Additionally, any future ARB actions that have a direct financial effect on drivers must be accompanied by a detailed financial impact analysis.
SB 474 (Niello) Removes the ability of the Air Resources Board (ARB) to create, modify, or repeal regulations relating to greenhouse gases and air quality. Instead, the ARB shall propose measures to the Legislature relating to these issues for statutory adoption.
SB 643 (Caballero) Creates the Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Program, which requires the Air Resources Board to purchase $80 million in carbon dioxide removal credits between 2026 and 2036.
SB 754 (Durazo) By July 1, 2026, manufacturers of disposable tampons and pads must track the concentration of chemicals that the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has found to be of concern. DTSC may verify results, at the manufacturer's expense, and publish findings online.
SB 755 (Blakespear) Requires contractors, that have state contracts worth more than $5 million, to report information to the Air Resources Board on their worldwide emissions. Contractors with more than $25 million in state contracts must additionally report their climate-related financial risk.
SB 840 (Limon) Eliminates a sunset date so that the Legislative Analyst’s Office will continue to report to the Legislature on the economic impacts and benefits of the state's greenhouse gas emission mandates.
SR 36 (Cortese) Affirms the state's leadership on climate change, and commitment to the Paris Accords, environmental sustainability, and to combating climate change by adopting climate restoration, net-zero, and net-negative carbon dioxide emissions as state climate policy priorities.
Health
Wednesday, April 30
SB 32 (Weber Pierson) On or before July 1, 2027, requires the Department of Managed Health Care, Department of Insurance, Department of Health Care Services, and stakeholders to develop standards for the geographic accessibility of perinatal units.
SB 520 (Caballero) Creates the California Nurse-Midwifery Education Fund within the Department of Health Care Access and Information for the purpose of establishing California-based, master’s level, nurse-midwifery education programs within the California State University and/or the University of California.
SB 535 (Richardson) Requires an individual or group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy, that provides coverage for outpatient prescription drug benefits, to include coverage for intensive behavioral therapy for the treatment of obesity, bariatric surgery, and at least one anti-obesity medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
SB 548 (Reyes) On or before January 1, 2028, requires the CA Health and Human Services Agency to create a set of recommendations to support a five-year implementation plan for reducing alcohol- and drug-related addiction deaths by 50% by 2031. Convenes a state advisory group for the purposes of advising the agency on those recommendations.
SB 588 (Ochoa Bogh) Requires the CA Department of Health Care Access and Information to conduct a feasibility study on the implementation of freestanding emergency departments in rural, disadvantaged, and underserved areas with limited access to emergency care.
Housing
Tuesday, April 29
SB 484 (Laird) Requires the CA Coastal Commission to identify coastal zone infill areas for a 10-year categorical exclusion from specified permitting requirements for low-income residential housing projects.
SB 507 (Limon) Authorizes specified local governments and tribes to enter into voluntary agreements for the new tribal housing development projects to count toward the locality’s regional housing needs allocation.
SB 655 (Stern) Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to propose building code standards for the next triennial update related to achieving a maximum indoor air temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit for newly constructed residential dwelling units.
SB 715 (Allen) Revises the regional housing needs allocation methodology to require redistribution of housing units lost in one jurisdiction during a state of emergency, to other jurisdictions within the region.
Judiciary
Tuesday, April 29
SB 41 (Wiener) Requires a pharmacy benefit manager to apply for and obtain a license from the Department of Insurance to operate as a pharmacy benefit manager no later than January 1, 2027.
SB 295 (Hurtado) Prohibits a person or business from using or distributing any pricing algorithm that uses, incorporates, or was trained with competitor data.
SB 313 (Cervantes) Requires that a certificate of live birth include a statement that a person is a citizen of the United States upon their birth in the United States.
SB 378 (Wiener) Requires online cannabis marketplaces to address whether it permits people to view the advertisements and business information of unlicensed sellers of cannabis or cannabis products.
SB 403 (Blakespear) Removes the January 1, 2031 sunset date on the End of Life Option Act.
SB 436 (Wahab) Requires a court presiding over an unlawful detainer action to restore a residential tenant to their former estate or tenancy if the tenant: (1) pays the full amount of rent in arrears, along with any court-awarded costs and attorney’s fees, if applicable, or (2) submits documentation of approval for rental assistance funds in an amount that would cover the full amount of rent in arrears and pays any court-awarded costs.
SB 722 (Wahab) Requires a developer to only sell a newly constructed single-family home, townhome, or condominium – that is issued a certificate of occupancy on or after January 1, 2026 – to a natural person. Prohibits a business entity from purchasing those properties during that time period.
Labor, Public Employment & Retirement
Wednesday, April 30
SB 301 (Grayson) Bars local governments that contract with a county retirement system from amending their contract to exclude some, but not all, of their employees.
SB 366 (Smallwood-Cuevas) Requires the Department of General Services (DGS) to contract with the UCLA Labor Center to conduct a study evaluating the impact of artificial intelligence on worker well-being, job quality, job types, different populations, and state revenues. On or before June 1, 2027, requires DGS to submit a report of the findings of the above-described study to the Legislature.
SB 487 (Grayson) Requires injured or deceased peace officers and firefighters to collect no less than two-thirds of any judgment or settlement from an at-fault third-party, if certain conditions are met.
SB 527 (Alvarado-Gil) Exempts sports coaches for any school district, county office of education, charter school, state special school, or private school from the AB 5 (2019) “ABC Test” for determining employment status.
SB 581 (McGuire) Requires the state to transition seasonal firefighters with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL-FIRE) to full time firefighters.
SB 703 (Richardson) Requires California ports to collect and post specific identifying information from all truck drivers and trucking companies entering their facilities. Requires that they provide that information to the State Labor Commissioner.
SB 801 (Hurtado) Creates an exemption for sheep-herders and goat-herders from the Phase-In Overtime for Agricultural Workers Act of 2016, which requires agricultural employers to pay overtime for any work beyond eight hours in a day.
SB 826 (Richardson ) Until January 1, 2029, reinstates a stakeholder process – led by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the California Workforce Development Board – to develop recommendations for mitigating national security, cybersecurity, workforce, and economic impacts of automation and the transition to low- and zero-emission operations at California seaports, particularly the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Expands the industry panel to 17 members, requires findings and recommendations by July 1, 2027, and authorizes the UCLA Labor Center to facilitate and commission research, contingent on legislative appropriation.
Local Government
Wednesday, April 30
SB 79 (Wiener) Authorizes a housing development project within a specified distance of a transit-oriented development stop on any site zoned for residential, mixed, commercial, or light industrial development. Specifies height limits, density, and floor area ratio based on the proximity to the stops.
SB 545 (Cortese) On or before July 1, 2026, requires the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to commission a study and submit a progress report to the Legislature on funding and economic opportunities along the high-speed rail alignment. The final report is due by January 1, 2027.
SB 607 (Wiener) Exempts rezoning consistent with an approved housing element from the CA Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Limits the scope of environmental review for categorical exemptions under CEQA to only the one issue that a lead agency determines disqualifies the project from an exemption. Updates the infill development categorical exemption regulation to allow projects, if it is consistent with the local's housing element and is located in an area determined to be an eligible urban infill site.
SB 629 (Durazo) Updates the criteria for designating fire hazard severity zones to include areas impacted by significant wildfires and urban conflagration risks. Requires local agencies to adopt ordinances with map updates
Military & Veterans Affairs
Monday, April 28
SB 1 (Seyarto) Enacts the Military Services Retirement and Surviving Spouse Benefit Payment Act, exempting up to $20,000 of military retirement pay and Survivor Benefit Plan annuities from state income tax from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2035.
SB 23 (Valladares) Provides a full property tax exemption for 100% disabled veterans’ principal residences from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2035, replacing the existing partial exemption.
SB 54 (Umberg) Excludes veterans’ disability compensation from income calculations for court fee waivers, aiding low-income disabled veterans’ access to California superior courts.
SB 55 (Umberg) Grants Gold Star Family members with free facility use passes for California state parks, honoring their sacrifice with access to natural spaces.
SB 56 (Seyarto) Excludes service-connected disability payments from household income calculations for the low-income Disabled Veterans’ Property Tax Exemption, easing eligibility.
SB 60 (Seyarto) Prohibits the University of CA and CA State University from charging tuition for extended education courses used for undergraduate degrees, if students qualify for the CA Military Department GI Bill or Veteran Dependents’ Fee Waiver.
SB 67 (Seyarto) Ensures that children of active-duty military stationed out-of-state remain eligible for Cal Grants and Middle Class Scholarships, if their parents maintain California residency.
SB 296 (Archuleta) Grants a full property tax exemption for 100% disabled veterans’ principal residences from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2036, in lieu of the partial exemption.
SB 519 (Archuleta) Establishes a Veteran Task Force to address veteran outmigration by enhancing services, benefits, and opportunities for veterans and their families.
SB 621 (Grove) Repeals outdated voter registration requirements for military and overseas voters, streamlining their access to Conditional Voter Registration.
Natural Resources & Water
Monday, April 28
SB 423 (Smallwood-Cuevas)
Establishes a fund to support formerly incarcerated firefighters with job training, housing, and reentry services by redirecting savings from their wildfire suppression labor. This also creates a standardized firefighting training curriculum and a hiring pipeline to facilitate their transition into professional firefighting careers post-release.
SB 675 (Padilla) Provides certainty for projects certified by the Governor as "environmental leadership projects" under the CA Environmental Quality Act by ensuring that responsible agencies make decisions on projects within a certain number of days. Allows responsible agencies to charge a fee to an applicant using this streamlined approach to cover costs incurred by the agency to process and review documents related to the project.
Public Safety
Tuesday, April 29
SB 258 (Wahab) Removes the spousal exemption for rape of a person with a mental disorder, or developmental or physical disability, which makes them incapable of giving legal consent.
SB 311 (Grove) Requires the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish a secure facility at each women’s prison to house transgender women, in order to protect the security and individual needs of biological women in sleeping and other intimate areas. Prohibits inmates, who were not biological women at birth, from being housed at a women’s prison if they were convicted of an offense for which they are required to register as a sexual offender.
SB 337 (Menjivar) Makes a number of changes to state correctional facility policies related to sexual assault. More specifically, requires documentation of all inmate searches or scans, imposes specific body camera policies, requires regular employee background checks, allows for anonymous reporting to the Office of the Inspector General, and extends the timeframe for inmate grievance filings to 120 days. Prohibits the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from hiring or retaining employees or contractors who commit violent or sexual crimes.
SB 554 (Jones) Removes discretionary cooperation provisions for local agencies related to cooperation and interaction with federal immigration authorities.
SB 691 (Wahab) Requires law enforcement agencies to update their current body-worn camera policies by July 1, 2026. This is to provide guidance to employees who wear body-worn cameras on circumstances where they are required to temporarily stop recording a person undergoing a medical or psychological evaluation, procedure, or treatment.
SB 850 (Ashby) Revokes the pensions of any correctional staff member convicted of sexually assaulting an inmate. Makes a number of changes to CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) policies, including prohibiting solo shifts in women’s prisons and allowing female inmates to request single cell units. Requires CDCR to construct a new 100 cell unit at the Central California Women's Facility and install cameras.
Transportation
Monday, April 28
SB 34 (Richardson) Forces the South Coast Air Quality Management District to update a proposed rule or action that would regulate activities at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Specifically bars the rule or action from imposing caps on cargo throughput or setting shorter timelines for implementing zero-emission technology than what the ports have already agreed to.
SB 667 (Archuleta) Requires railroad corporations to install and operate a network of wayside detector systems. Restricts the length of a freight train operating in California. Requires a freight train, rolling stock, or other on-track equipment that is stopped and blocking an at-grade crossing to be cut, separated, or moved to clear the crossing upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehicle, except as specified.
SB 713 (Valladares) Requires the Director of General Services to issue an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) contractor certificate to any contractor with an ESOP that meets certain criteria. Beginning on January 1, 2027, requires the Department of Transportation to ensure that a percentage of state-funded construction contracts and construction-related procurements involve contractors that received the certificate.
Additional Resources:
For more information about any of the bills on this list click here.
For more information about legislative deadlines and where we are in the legislative process click here.
For more information about how to submit a position letter to committee click here.