HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-12; City Council Legislative Subcommittee; 02; Legislative and Advocacy UpdateMeeting Date: May 12, 2026
To: Legislative Subcommittee
From: Jason Haber, Intergovernmental Affairs Director
Staff Contact: Jason Haber, Intergovernmental Affairs Director
jason.haber@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2958
Subject: Legislative and Advocacy Update
District: All
Recommended Action
Receive updates on federal and state legislative and budget activity and the city’s recent and
ongoing advocacy efforts; discuss and provide feedback to staff, including identifying high-
priority bills, advocacy positions, funding opportunities, and items for future City Council
consideration.
Discussion
Staff and the city’s contract lobbyists – Federal: Carpi & Clay Government Relations / State:
California Public Policy Group – will present updates and overviews of federal and state
legislative and budget activity and the priority legislation and intergovernmental matters being
tracked on behalf of the city (Exhibits 1 through 3).
The Subcommittee is requested to provide feedback to help city staff and the city’s lobbying
consultants focus the city’s advocacy efforts on high-priority bills and to identify bills for future
City Council consideration.
On April 14, 2026, the subcommittee passed a motion recommending a support position on
several bills, including AB 2295 (Johnson) Regional housing: affordable housing and SB 1159
(Cabaldon) Artificial Intelligence: transparency and governance. Subsequently, and prior to the
city taking a formal position on the bill, AB 2295 failed to meet the Legislature’s policy
committee hearing deadline, and is no longer moving forward this session. As such, no further
action will be taken by the city regarding AB 2295.
Additionally, at the time of the subcommittee’s motion, staff indicated a need to confirm that
the city’s Legislative Platform included a basis for supporting SB 1159. As the bill continues to
move forward, staff have identified the following position statements in the city’s Legislative
Platform, which appear to provide a basis for support:
LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE
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-Support legislation that strengthens cities’ ability to foster civil and respectful
participation in public meetings and provides tools to help legislative bodies address
disruptive behavior, including hate speech, while ensuring the public’s First
Amendment rights are protected.
-Support state funding efforts to assist with enhanced public access for members of
the community.
By clarifying that, as it relates to identifying those who may engage with governmental
agencies under various state laws, the terms “person,” “interested person,” “participant,” or
“member of the public” do not include artificial intelligence, systems, autonomous agents,
robots, or other nonhuman entities, SB 1159 aims to protect public access and participation in
the local government process. With the subcommittee’s concurrence, staff will proceed with
preparing a letter of support on AB 1159.
The subcommittee also requested additional information regarding The Energy Bills Relief Act
(H.R. 7977). The bill is authored by the U.S. House of Representatives Sustainable Energy and
Environment Coalition (SEEC) Clean Energy Deployment Task Force Co-Chairs Rep. Sean Casten
(IL) and Rep. Mike Levin (CA). An informational overview and section-by-section summary of
the bill are attached for the subcommittee’s consideration (Exhibits 4 and 5).
Next Steps
Staff and the city’s contract lobbyists will monitor, evaluate, and engage the Legislative
Subcommittee in a discussion of legislative activity and proposed measures that may impact
city operations and policy priorities throughout the legislative session.
If the Legislative Subcommittee decides to refer any matters to the City Council, staff will work
with the City Manager to place an item on a future City Council agenda for consideration.
Exhibits
1.Carpi & Clay Government Relations – Federal Monthly Update, April 30, 2026
2.California Public Policy Group Legislative Summary: April 2026
3.California Public Policy Group – Priority State Legislation as of May 7, 2026
4.Energy Bills Relief Act – H.R. 7977 - A Roadmap to Lower Your Energy Bill
5.The Energy Bills Relief Act – H.R. 7977 of the 119th Congress – Section-by-Section Summary
May 12, 2026 Item #2 Page 2 of 87
1
April 30, 2026
City of Carlsbad
Federal Update
www.carpiclay.com
President Trump Releases Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Proposal
On April 3, President Trump released his FY27 budget request, proposing $1.5 trillion in defense spending—the largest year-to-year increase since World War II—paired with a 10 percent cut to non-defense discretionary spending. Proposed discretionary funding levels by Department/Agency include:
Department FY27 Request Change from FY26
Army Corps of Engineers $4.9 billion –$1.9 billion (–28.3%)
Agriculture $20.8 billion –$4.9 billion (–19%)
Commerce $9.2 billion –$1.3 billion (–12.2%)
Defense $1.45 trillion +$441 billion (+43.7%)
Education $76.5 billion –$2.3 billion (–2.9%)
Energy $53.9 billion +$900 million (+1.8%)
Environmental Protection Agency $4.2 billion –$4.6 billion (–52.4%)
Health and Human Services $110.5 billion –$15.4 billion (–12.2%)
Homeland Security $63 billion –$2.1 billion (–3.2%)
Housing and Urban
Development $73.5 billion –$10.7 billion (–12.7%)
Interior $15.9 billion –$2.3 billion (–12.9%)
Justice $40.8 billion +$4.7 billion (+13%) Labor $9.9 billion –$3.5 billion (–25.9%)
National Science Foundation $4 billion –$4.8 billion (–54.7%)
State and Other International Programs $35.6 billion –$15.5 billion (–30.4%)
Transportation $26.6 billion +$1.6 billion (+6.2%) Treasury $11.5 billion –$1.5 billion (–11.7%)
Veterans Affairs $114.9 billion +$11.5 billion (+8.7%)
While the request is not binding, the President’s budget request traditionally signals the start
of the annual appropriations process.
Exhibit 1
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Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations Update
The House Appropriations Committee has released its markup schedule (see table below), with subcommittee and full Committee markups running through late June. To date, four bills have cleared the full Committee: Agriculture–Rural Development–FDA, Financial Services–General Government, Military Construction–Veterans Affairs, National Security–State. The
Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet released its markup schedule.
FY27 Appropriations Bill
House Subcommittee Allocation (in Billions)
House Subcommittee Markup Date
House Full Committee Markup Date
Agriculture–Rural Development–FDA $26.27 Passed on April 23 by a 10–7 vote Passed on April 29 by a 35–25 vote
Commerce–Justice–Science $77.341 April 30 May 13
Defense June 11 June 24
Energy–Water
Development May 15 May 20
Financial Services–General Government $25.298 Passed on April 17 by a 9–6 vote Passed on April 22 by a 34–28 vote
Homeland Security June 5 June 10 Interior–Environment May 21 June 3
Labor–HHS–Education June 5 June 9
Legislative Branch $7.3 April 30 May 13
Military Construction–VA $157 Passed on April 17 by a voice vote Passed on April 21 by a 58–0 vote
National Security–State $47.32 Passed on April 23 by an 8–5 vote Passed on April 28 by a 35–27 vote
Transportation–HUD May 21 June 4
Congress Begins Work on Reconciliation Bill 2.0
Earlier this month, Congress began work on a Reconciliation 2.0 package. Reconciliation is a
legislative tool designed to streamline the passage of significant policy initiatives that have a
budgetary impact. Budget reconciliation is executed through a concurrent congressional resolution, which means that it does not require the President’s signature or face the possibility of a veto. The Senate passed a budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 33) by a 50–48 vote to provide instructions to draft a bill to provide $70 billion in multi-year funding for Customs and Border
Patrol (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The resolution then passed
the House on April 29 by a 215–211 vote. The resolution allows Republicans to use the budget reconciliation process to fund CBP and ICE for several years without Democratic votes, with the aim of sending a final bill to President Trump by June 1.
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Department of Homeland Security Shutdown Comes to an End
After seventy-five days of a lack of funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the shutdown has come to an end. Late last month, the Senate passed a bill that would fund DHS, minus ICE and CBP, through the rest of the current fiscal year. The bill was sent to the House prior to the start of the Easter/Passover two-week Congressional recess; however, the
House did not take up the bill at that time. Secretary Markwayne Mullin has since indicated that DHS will run out of reserve funds to pay its personnel starting in May. As a result, today the House brought up the Senate-passed bill, and it passed by a voice vote.
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY
House Passes Bill to Narrow EPA Role in Environmental Reviews. On April 16, the House passed the Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations (RED Tape) Act (H.R. 6398) by a 222–205 vote. The bill would amend Section 309 of the Clean Air Act to
eliminate EPA's requirement to conduct a secondary review of environmental impact statements already completed by the responsible federal agency under NEPA. The bill’s proponents argue that EPA's review role is duplicative given agencies' existing obligation to prepare their own environmental impact statements, particularly in light of a May 2025 Supreme Court decision affirming agencies' broad latitude in conducting environmental reviews. The bill
now heads to the Senate, where it has been referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
House Passes Telecommunications Bills. On April 20, the House passed the following telecommunications-related bills:
•The First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act (H.R. 7386), which wouldreauthorize the FirstNet emergency wireless broadband network through 2037 andtransfer oversight to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration(NTIA);
•The Emergency Reporting Act (H.R. 5200), which would require the FCC to investigateand report on 911 outages and other emergency communications failures;
•The Mystic Alerts Act (H.R. 7022), which would allow emergency alerts to be transmitted
to mobile devices via satellite, with a focus on rural and remote areas;
•The Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act (H.R. 1681), which wouldestablish an interagency strike force to support federal land management agencies inreviewing and prioritizing applications for communications use authorizations on public
lands;
•The Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act (H.R. 1343), which would requireNTIA to submit to Congress a plan for tracking the acceptance, processing, anddisposition of applications for communications use authorizations on public lands and
National Forest System land;
•The Rural Broadband Protection Act (S. 98), which would require the FCC to morerigorously vet internet providers applying for Universal Service Fund support in high-cost rural areas.
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These bills now head to the Senate for consideration, with the exception of S. 98, which passed the Senate previously and now goes to the President’s desk.
House Committee Advances WIOA Reauthorization Bill. On April 6, House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) introduced the A Stronger Workforce for
America Act (H.R. 8210), which would reauthorize and update the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Key provisions include dedicating 50 percent of adult and dislocated
worker funding toward upskilling through individual training accounts, on-the-job learning, and
employer-led initiatives; moving adult education programs to the Department of Labor to better connect them with apprenticeships and employer-led training; strengthening the law's accountability system for states and local workforce boards; raising the cap on incumbent worker training; and codifying a program to help individuals released from prison transition to
employment. On April 21, the House Education and Workforce Committee voted 19–14 to advance the bill to the full House. Three Members of Congress Resign Amid Misconduct Allegations. Three House members resigned in April amid separate misconduct allegations. On April 14, Representative
Eric Swalwell (D-CA) resigned amid allegations of sexual assault and harassment. That same day, Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX) resigned following acknowledgment of an affair with a staffer. On April 21, Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) resigned before the House Ethics Committee was set to consider recommending her removal from Congress due to allegations of theft, money laundering, and campaign finance violations.
House Postpones Vote on American Broadband Deployment Act. House Republican leadership postponed a planned floor vote on the American Broadband Deployment Act (H.R. 2289), which would streamline permitting for communications infrastructure deployment by establishing enforceable shot clocks for state and local government action on siting requests,
restricting local fee recovery, limiting local authority over cable franchise terms, and exempting
certain broadband projects from NEPA and historic preservation review. Local governments have raised concerns about preemption of decision-making authority. House Postpones Vote on Endangered Species Act Overhaul. The House postponed a
scheduled April 22 floor vote on the ESA Amendments Act of 2025 (H.R. 1897), which would modify the listing process for endangered and threatened species to expedite recovery timelines. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise indicated the House Republican Conference is working to address outstanding concerns and is aiming to reschedule the vote.
House Members Reintroduce Water Access and Affordability Act. On April 13, Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) reintroduced the Water
Access and Affordability Act (H.R. 8254), which would establish a Low-Income Drinking Water Assistance Program within EPA to provide financial assistance to low-income households, technical assistance to community water systems, and data collection and reporting. Key
provisions include automatic enrollment for households in other income-qualified assistance
programs, a prohibition on water service disconnections for program participants, debt relief,
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and water efficiency assistance. The bill would authorize $20 billion annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2037.
Bipartisan Federal Permitting Reform Bill Introduced in House. On April 15,
Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Adam Gray (D-CA), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA) introduced the Create Expedited Reviews to Transform American Infrastructure Now (CERTAIN) Act (H.R. 8308). The bill would establish enforceable timelines
and milestones for federal permitting decisions, require stronger interagency coordination to eliminate redundant reviews, and protect lawfully issued permits from arbitrary revocation or suspension. Key provisions include firm deadlines for agency action on both routine and complex authorizations, a rebuttable presumption of unreasonable delay when agencies miss deadlines, dispute mediation through the Council on Environmental Quality, and a requirement
for a single coordinated final agency action document for projects requiring multiple federal approvals. The bill also includes provisions aimed at addressing staffing constraints at permitting agencies. The bill has been referred to the House Committees on Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce for further consideration.
FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
FRA Publishes CRISI NOFO. On April 20, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
published a NOFO for availability of $2 billion through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program. The program helps fund projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity and freight rail. Applications are due June 22, 2026.
FRA Publishes Rail Crossing Elimination NOFO. On April 23, FRA published a NOFO for up to $1.15 billion through the Railroad Crossing Elimination (Crossing Safety) Program. The program funds highway-rail and pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects, including grade separations, track relocations, and installation of protective devices and signals.
Applications are due June 8, 2026.
FEDERAL FUNDING AWARDS
FHWA Announces CHBP Grant Awards. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced $407.7 million in Competitive Highway Bridge Program (CHBP) grant awards, which will help support projects that repair and replace bridges.
NHTSA Announces Highway Safety Formula Grants. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) has announced $665 million in highway safety grant awards to all states and territories. The funding helps states with traffic enforcement activities, child safety seat clinics, post-crash care, and public education.
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FEDERAL AGENCY ACTIONS AND PERSONNEL CHANGES
President Trump Signs Executive Order on Election Citizenship Verification and Mail-In Ballot Standards. On March 31, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to take steps to verify citizenship eligibility for participation in federal elections. Key
provisions direct the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Social Security
Administration, to compile and transmit to each state a list of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote in federal elections, to be updated at least 60 days before each regularly scheduled federal election. The order also directs the Postmaster General to initiate a proposed rulemaking within 60 days to establish uniform standards for mail-in and absentee ballot processing through the
U.S. Postal Service, including requirements for unique ballot envelope tracking identifiers and
coordination with a state-provided list of eligible mail-in voters. The Attorney General is directed to prioritize investigation and prosecution of election officials or others who issue federal ballots to ineligible individuals, and federal agencies are authorized to withhold federal funds from noncompliant states and localities where permitted by law.
CEQ Issues Guidance on Categorical Exclusions Under NEPA. On April 9, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued guidance for federal departments and agencies on how to establish, revise, adopt, and apply categorical exclusions (CEs) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). CEs allow agencies to fulfill their NEPA obligations in a
streamlined manner for categories of actions that normally do not have significant
environmental effects, without preparing a full environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. The guidance reflects amendments to NEPA made by the Fiscal
Responsibility Act of 2023 and CEQ’s recent repeal of its NEPA implementing regulations. CEQ described the guidance as promoting a “CE-first” approach intended to reduce permitting
burdens on infrastructure projects. The guidance complements two previously released CEQ
technology tools: the Categorical Exclusion Explorer, a searchable online database of existing CEs across federal agencies, and CE Works, a platform that digitizes the CE application process.
DHS Rescinds Secretary-Level Contract Approval Policy. Secretary of Homeland Security
Markwayne Mullin has rescinded a policy instituted by former Secretary Kristi Noem requiring the Secretary to personally approve all contracts and grants exceeding $100,000. The policy had drawn criticism from both parties, with a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee investigation finding that it affected more than 1,000 contracts, grants, or
awards in just three months and created significant bureaucratic delays. DHS stated that
rescinding the policy will streamline the contracting process and empower component agencies to carry out their missions. The prior threshold for Secretary-level contract approval had been $25 million under previous administrations.
DOJ Extends ADA Web Accessibility Compliance Deadlines for State and Local Governments. On April 20, the Department of Justice published an interim final rule (IFR) extending by one year the compliance deadlines for state and local governments under its April 2024 final rule establishing web content and mobile application accessibility standards under
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Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The extended deadlines are April 26, 2027, for state and local governments with populations of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028, for local governments with populations below 50,000 and special district governments. DOJ cited
overestimated technological capabilities, staffing and resource constraints, and concerns about
litigation risk as justification for the extension. The IFR takes effect immediately but includes a 60-day public comment period closing June 22, 2026. DOJ indicated it plans to pursue a future notice-and-comment rulemaking to reassess the substantive requirements of the 2024 rule.
DOJ Attorney General Bondi Fired; Blanche Serving as Acting AG. On April 2, President
Trump removed Pam Bondi as Attorney General after nearly fourteen months in the role, citing dissatisfaction with the Department's progress on his priorities. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was named Acting Attorney General. President Trump has not yet named a nominee for the permanent position.
DOL Secretary Chavez-DeRemer Resigns. On April 20, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned from her position. Chavez-DeRemer had been under investigation since January by the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Inspector General following allegations related to personal conduct and the activities of senior staff. She was sworn in as Labor
Secretary in March 2025. Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, who previously led DOL’s
Wage and Hour Division and served on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, will serve as Acting Secretary following her departure. DOT Publishes Proposed Guidance for RRIF and TIFIA TOD Projects. On April 23, the
Department of Transportation (DOT) published guidance that would set an interim policy for
the preferred loan sizing for transit-oriented development (TOD) projects under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) and Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) credit programs. The interim policy would be applied only to active projects in the RRIF and TIFIA programs’ pipeline that previously received a preliminary
eligibility determination or initiated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process (i.e.,
USDOT has made an official class of action determination in writing based on detailed project information provided by the project sponsor). All other projects would need to apply (or reapply) once a final policy framework and updated application process for TOD projects are announced in a subsequent notice to be published. Comments are due May 18, 2026.
DOT Seeks Proposals for Annual Combating Human Trafficking Awards. DOT is seeking proposals from individuals and entities, including non-governmental organizations, transportation industry associations, research institutions, and state and local government entities and organizations for impactful and innovative counter-trafficking tools, initiatives,
campaigns, and technologies that can help stop human trafficking as a part of the Combating
Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Awards. Entrants compete for three cash awards: up to $100,000 for first place, up to $50,000 for second place, and up to $25,000 for third place. These prizes are to be awarded to the individual(s) or entities selected for creating the most impactful and innovative counter-trafficking initiative or technology. DOT seeks to incentivize
individuals and entities to think creatively in developing innovative solutions to combat human trafficking in the transportation industry, and to share those innovations with the broader community. Submissions are due June 22, 2026.
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EPA and Federal Agencies Issue Cybersecurity Advisory for Water Sector. On April 7, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the National Security Agency
(NSA) issued a joint advisory warning U.S. water and wastewater systems of an urgent and ongoing cybersecurity threat from Iranian-affiliated cyber actors. The advisory reports that U.S. organizations have experienced exploitation and disruption of operational technology at drinking water and wastewater systems, including configuration wiping, software-based
mechanical sensor tampering, and disruption of human machine interfaces. EPA encouraged
water systems to consult available cybersecurity resources and to report suspicious activity to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or to CISA’s Incident Reporting System. EPA Launches PFAS OUT Initiative. On April 14, EPA announced the PFAS OUTreach
(PFAS OUT) initiative, an outreach effort to help drinking water systems reduce exposure to PFOA and PFOS ahead of federal regulatory compliance deadlines. The initiative aims to directly engage approximately 3,000 drinking water systems nationwide that have known PFOA and PFOS challenges, providing location-specific information on available funding and technical assistance, including through EPA's RealWaterTA program.
EPA Releases Draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List. On April 2, EPA released the draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6), a tool under the Safe Drinking Water Act that drives research, funding, and future regulatory decisions on emerging threats in public water systems. For the first time, EPA has designated microplastics and pharmaceuticals as priority
contaminant groups. The draft CCL 6 also includes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), disinfection byproducts, 75 chemicals, and nine microbes. Alongside the CCL 6, EPA released human health benchmarks for 374 pharmaceuticals to help states, Tribes, and local water systems assess risk from pharmaceutical contamination. Comments are due June 5, 2026. EPA expects to finalize the list by November 17, 2026.
EPA Recognizes Excellence in State Revolving Fund Projects. On April 8, EPA recognized 48 water infrastructure projects for excellence and innovation at the 2026 Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities Summit on Water Infrastructure. Projects were recognized through two programs: the AQUARIUS program, which celebrated 22 drinking
water projects financed in part by the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and the George F. Ames PISCES program, which recognized 26 wastewater and stormwater projects financed through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. EPA also recognized three state SRF programs through a new State Excellence Recognition Program, with awards going to the Ohio EPA, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, and Indiana Finance Authority.
FAA Announces DETER Program. On April 17, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the Drone Expedited and Targeted Enforcement Response (DETER) Program to expedite and increase enforcement actions against small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operators who violate FAA regulations. The program establishes prompt settlement procedures
for certificated and noncertificated UAS operators who are individuals, first-time violators, and
meet the eligibility provisions of the policy. This policy will help to deter careless and criminal violations of UAS regulations by incentivizing violators to admit to liability and waive lengthy
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appeals processes in exchange for reduced fees. The enforcement policy went into effect immediately.
FHWA Announces Freedom to Drive Campaign. The Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) has announced the Freedom to Drive Campaign, a national effort to work with states to identify major congestion bottlenecks and advance solutions to improve traffic flow, reduce delays, and enhance roadway performance. The campaign also provides tools and support to accelerate project delivery, expand capacity, and deploy strategies aimed at improving mobility
and reliability on key corridors. It emphasizes coordination with state and local governments by
asking governors to identify priority projects and collaborate with FHWA on developing and implementing targeted congestion relief plans. FRA Publishes Procedures for Service of Documents in Safety Enforcement
Proceedings Final Rule. On April 24, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a final rule that updates railroad safety enforcement procedures and rules of practice to require electronic service of documents. This rule also establishes procedures to implement new authority regarding civil penalties for alleged federal railroad safety violations. Finally, this rule makes other necessary administrative updates, such as correcting addresses. The rule is
effective on May 26, 2026. HHS Launches $144 Million Microplastics Research Program. On April 2, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced the Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP) program, a $144 million initiative to develop tools for measuring,
researching, and removing microplastics and nanoplastics in the human body. The program
will proceed in two phases: the first focused on developing gold-standard measurement methods and a risk stratification mechanism ranking plastic materials by biological harm, with the CDC serving as an independent validator; the second focused on developing interventions to remove microplastics from the body. ARPA-H indicated that technologies developed under
the program are intended to be fast, affordable, and broadly available, with a particular focus
on vulnerable populations including pregnant women, children, and patients with chronic disease. NHTSA Announces P2SS Initiative. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) has announced a new initiative, Pathways to Safer Streets (P2SS), to help reduce traffic fatalities. P2SS will implement eight strategies to target the leading causes of traffic fatalities: impairment, speeding, distraction, and lack of seat belt use. The pathways include re-engaging law enforcement; combating impaired driving; maximizing occupant protection; targeting excessive speed; eliminating distracted driving; expanding prehospital blood access;
national partnership network; and leveraging state highway safety offices. NHTSA Publishes 2025 Motor Vehicle Fatality and Fatality Rates Early Estimates. NHTSA has published the 2025 early estimates for motor vehicle fatality and fatality rates. The estimates show that there were 26,640 traffic fatalities in 2025, a 6.4% decrease from 2024.
Treasury and IRS Issue Guidance on Qualified Opportunity Zone Nominations. On April 6, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2026-14, providing
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guidance to states and territories on the process for nominating census tracts to be designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs). The guidance identifies 25,332 low-income community census tracts eligible for nomination, of which 8,334 are comprised entirely of rural areas and
are eligible for additional tax benefits under the Act. By law, no state may designate more than
25 percent of its eligible low-income community tracts as QOZs. The nomination window opens July 1, 2026, and runs for 90 days, with a single 30-day extension available. New QOZ designations will take effect January 1, 2027, with subsequent rounds every 10 years thereafter.
USGS Launches National Water Availability Assessment Tool. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has announced the National Water Availability Assessment Data Companion, a new tool that allows water planners, businesses, and decision-makers to assess current and future water availability across approximately 80,000 watersheds nationwide. The tool integrates
stream monitoring data, satellite observations, and climate modeling to provide detailed
information on water supply and demand at the local level. According to USGS, approximately 8 percent of the U.S. population lives in areas where water demand consistently nears or exceeds naturally available supplies. USGS also found that 42 percent of the Mississippi Embayment faces demand nearing or exceeding natural supply due to intensive rice and cotton
irrigation, while the Central and Southern High Plains, including parts of Kansas, Nebraska,
Oklahoma, and Texas, face stress from limited precipitation and high irrigation demand. ## ## ##
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1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 1
Date: May 6, 2026
To: Jason Haber, Intergovernmental Affairs Director
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
City of Carlsbad
From: Sharon Gonsalves
Managing Director
California Public Policy Group
Re: CPPG Legislative Summary: April 2026
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Policy Committees Accelerate After Spring Break
April has been an especially active month at the Legislature, with packed agendas, lengthy hearings,
and a steady flow of amendments as nearly 1,800 bills introduced between early January and late
February move through the process. April 24 marked the deadline for all bills designated as fiscal—
those identified as potentially having a state fiscal impact—to be heard in policy committees. Once
fiscal bills clear policy committees, they are referred to their respective Appropriations Committees
for fiscal review. Measures determined to have minimal fiscal impact may be released, while those
with more significant costs are placed on the Suspense File.
Both Appropriations Committees will take up Suspense File bills in mid-May, where measures may
be held (ending their advancement), approved without changes, or approved with technical or
substantive amendments. If a bill is approved by its fiscal committee, it then moves to the Floor of
its house of origin, where it must pass by May 29 in order to advance to the second house.
As of May 5, approximately 1,780 bills—including two-year measures carried over from 2025—
remain active in the Legislature.
Board of Forestry Holds Meeting and Releases Latest Draft of Regulations for Zone 0
The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection held a Zone 0 Advisory Committee meeting on
April 23, releasing the latest draft of its long-awaited defensible space regulations. The Board’s
proposal establishes a stricter “Safety Zone” within one foot of a home, requiring the removal of all
combustible vegetation, while allowing some low-growing plants in the remainder of the five-foot
“Zone 0” area. The draft prioritizes education and outreach over enforcement and reflects a phased,
flexible approach for local implementation. The requirements would apply only to properties located
in high fire-risk zones. If adopted, homeowners would have three years to comply with landscaping
requirements and up to five years to complete more substantial changes, such as removing
combustible fencing. New construction would be required to comply immediately upon completion.
The Board is continuing to solicit public input before advancing a recommendation to the full Board
for final consideration, with the goal of adopting the regulations by the end of the year.
Budget Update
In mid-April, Governor Gavin Newsom told Assembly Democrats in a closed-door caucus meeting
that additional budget cuts are likely to be included in the 2026-27 May Revision, set for release on
Exhibit 2
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May 14. Despite stronger-than-expected revenues, the Governor indicated he still intends to reduce
spending to place California’s finances on more stable footing for the next administration and
Legislature. Some lawmakers, however, have suggested the impact of cuts could be mitigated by
closing tax loopholes—an approach supported by some Democrats. These discussions come as the
Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) projects in a report that the state’s structural deficit could reach
$35 billion annually beginning in 2027-28.
High Speed Rail Authority Tax Increment Financing Proposal
The California High-Speed Rail Authority continues to advocate for inclusion of a proposal in this
year’s budget that would allow it to cap and capture property and sales tax revenues and exercise
land-use authority within a half-mile of high-speed rail stations. These revenues would support rail
construction and operations through state-administered Tax Increment Financing districts. Local
government associations are coordinating in opposition to the proposal.
A local government opposition letter can be found here.
More information on the proposal can be found here and here.
CARB Cap-and-Invest Regulation Proposal
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) extended the public comment deadline for the Proposed
Amendments to the Regulation for the California Cap on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Market-
Based Compliance Mechanism (known as the Cap-and-Invest Regulation) to May 4, 2026. This
extension responds to a joint request from the Chairs of the Senate Environmental Quality
Committee and Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection, and
Energy. CARB has also extended the comment period to the same date for proposed amendments
to the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (MRR) regulation, given its close
connection to the Cap-and-Invest program. Both sets of proposed amendments, originally released
on January 20, 2026, are scheduled to be considered by the Board on May 28, 2026.
2026 ELECTIONS UPDATE
Governor’s Race
On April 20, former State Controller Betty Yee withdrew from the 2026 gubernatorial race, narrowing
an already competitive field. The race remains fluid, with several candidates participating in early
debates that have begun to draw clearer contrasts on policy and leadership priorities. Former U.S.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra appears to be gaining momentum,
benefiting from increased visibility and growing support among key constituencies. Despite these
developments, the race remains wide open, with no clear frontrunner and significant opportunity for
shifts as fundraising, endorsements, and voter engagement continue to evolve.
Measures Placed on the Ballot by the Legislature
There are currently three statewide measures on the 2026 ballot that were placed there by the
Legislature. ACA 13 (Ward, 2023) would change how voter approval thresholds are increased by
requiring that any initiative seeking to raise those thresholds be approved by voters at the same
higher level. SCA 1 (Newman, 2024) would modify California’s recall process by eliminating the
automatic successor election for statewide offices, instead requiring a separate special election to
fill the vacancy and allowing the recalled official to run. SB 42 (Umberg, 2025) would permit
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candidates to voluntarily participate in a public campaign financing system under specified
conditions.
Measures Placed on the Ballot by the Signature-Gathering Process
Two statewide measures have qualified for the 2026 ballot through the signature-gathering process.
Although they are slated to appear on the November ballot, proponents may withdraw them by June
25 if the Legislature takes action that satisfies their concerns. After that deadline, the Secretary of
State begins preparing official election materials.
Howard Jarvis Measure: On April 16, the Secretary of State announced that a measure sponsored
by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has qualified for the 2026 November ballot. If
approved by voters, this measure would retroactively repeal certain local tax increases, eliminate
real estate transfer taxes, and make it more difficult for cities and counties to pass new tax
measures. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) estimates that local governments could lose up to
several billion dollars annually, with the greatest impact on certain charter cities. The measure could
also constrain future local revenues by raising voter approval thresholds for some taxes and
restricting the types of taxes local governments are allowed to enact.
Loan Program for Homebuyers Bond Measure: On April 21, the Secretary of State announced that
an initiative authorizing up to $25 billion in bonds to provide eligible homebuyers with fixed-rate
mortgages—covering up to 17% of the purchase price of a qualifying new home—has qualified for
the November 2026 ballot. Eligible properties would include newly constructed homes or the first
sale of converted nonresidential buildings, with price caps generally ranging from about $1 million
to $1.5 million depending on the county and adjusted annually. To qualify, borrowers would need to
have lived in California for at least one year, intend to occupy the home, earn no more than 200% of
the area median income, and provide a minimum down payment of 3%.
Voter ID Measure: On April 24, the Secretary of State announced that a measure to establish
additional voter identification and citizenship verification requirements has qualified for the
November 2026 ballot. If approved by voters, the measure would require individuals to present a
government-issued ID in order to vote. Under current law, voters are required to provide an ID and
Social Security number when registering to vote. The primary proponent of the measure is
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego).
Measures Not Yet Officially Qualified for the Ballot
California Billionaire Tax Act: This proposed initiative would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net
worth of individuals and trusts exceeding $1 billion, with the goal of raising roughly $100 billion for
health care, education, and food assistance programs.
Tax on High Earners: This measure would extend existing high-income tax rates beyond their current
2031 expiration date. It would apply to individuals earning more than $250,000 annually and is
projected to generate between $5 billion and $15 billion per year, with about 40% of the revenue
dedicated to schools and community colleges.
Building an Affordable California Act: Backed by the California Chamber of Commerce, this
initiative would reform the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to accelerate housing,
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water, and energy projects by streamlining environmental review processes and limiting litigation-
related delays.
The Transparency Act: This proposal would revise how California adopts new taxes and manages
state spending. Widely seen as a countermeasure to the billionaire wealth tax, it would increase
audit and oversight requirements and mandate that excess tax revenues be returned to taxpayers.
ACTIVE POSITIONED BILLS
• AB 2179 (Patel) Workplace violence: restraining orders.
o Location: Assembly Third Reading
o Position: Sponsor
• AB 2453 (Rodriguez, Michelle) Vehicles: off-highway motor vehicles.
o Location: Assembly Consent Calendar
o Position: Sponsor
• AB 35 (Alvarez) Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean
Air Bond Act of 2024: Administrative Procedure Act: exemption: program guidelines and
selection criteria.
o Location: Senate Rules
o Position: Support
• AB 748 (Harabedian) Single-family and multifamily housing units: preapproved plans.
o Location: Senate Rules
o Position: Oppose
• AB 1337 (Ward) Information Practices Act of 1977.
o Location: Senate Rules
o Position: Oppose
• AB 1557 (Papan) Vehicles: electric bicycles.
o Location: Assembly Appropriations
o Position: Support
• AB 1569 (Davies) Pupil safety: electric bicycle: safety and training program.
o Location: Assembly Appropriations
o Position: Support
• AB 1614 (Dixon) Vehicles: bicycles.
o Location: Assembly Third Reading
o Position: Support
• AB 1667 (Boerner) Serious felonies: furnishing fentanyl to a minor.
o Location: Assembly Appr. Suspense File
o Position: Support
• AB 1708 (Solache) Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program: round 8:
smaller jurisdictions.
o Location: Assembly Appropriations
o Position: Support
• AB 1821 (Pacheco) California Public Records Act: agency response time.
o Location: Assembly Third Reading
o Position: Support
• AB 1866 (Rogers) California Disaster Assistance Act: minimum damages thresholds.
o Location: Assembly Appr. Suspense File
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o Position: Support
• AB 1942 (Bauer-Kahan) Electric bicycles: registration and special license plates.
o Location: Assembly Appropriations
o Position: Watch
• AB 2296 (Papan) Planning and zoning: housing element: regional housing needs allocation.
o Location: Assembly Appropriations
o Position: Support
• AB 2346 (Wilson) Vehicles: electric bicycles and speed limits.
o Location: Assembly Appropriations
o Position: Support
• AB 2373 (Dixon) The California Coastal Act: local coastal program: sea level rise plan:
neighborhood-scale adaptation approach.
o Location: Assembly Appropriations
o Position: Support
• AB 2433 (Alvarez) Housing development: density bonus.
o Location: Assembly Appropriations
o Position: Watch
• AB 2517 (Calderon) Fire safety: fire hazard severity zones.
o Location: Assembly Appropriations
o Position: Support
• SB 490 (Umberg) Alcohol and drug programs.
o Location: Assembly Desk
o Position: Support
• SB 677 (Wiener) Housing development: transit-oriented development.
o Location: Assembly Desk
o Position: Oppose
• SB 722 (Wahab) Transit-oriented housing development: excluded parcels and sites.
o Location: Assembly Housing And Community Development
o Position: Support
• SB 758 (Umberg) Public health: nitrous oxide.
o Location: Assembly Desk
o Position: Support
• SB 866 (Blakespear) Planning and zoning: housing element: unhoused population.
o Location: Senate Appropriations
o Position: Watch
• SB 1014 (Grayson) Development projects: preliminary estimate of required improvements:
onsite and offsite improvements.
o Location: Senate Appropriations
o Position: Oppose
• SB 1036 (Grayson) Mitigation Fee Act.
o Location: Assembly Desk
o Position: Watch
• SB 1167 (Blakespear) Vehicles: electric bicycles.
o Location: Senate Appr. Suspense File
o Position: Support
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•SB 1318 (Allen) Coastal resources: local coastal program: coastal development permit:
non-owner-occupied short-term rentals.
o Location: Senate Appropriations
o Position: Support
LOOKING FORWARD
•Mid-May: Governor releases the May revision of the state budget
•May 29: Last day for the Legislature to pass bills out of their house of origin
•June 15: Legislature must pass the primary budget bill
•June 30: Governor must sign the primary budget bill
•July 2: Summer Recess begins upon adjournment
•August 3: Legislature reconvenes from Summer Recess
•August 31: Last day for the Legislature to pass bills; end of the session
•September 30: Last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills
GRANT WRITING
CPPG continues to monitor new regional, state, and federal grant opportunities on behalf of the City
of Carlsbad. The April 2026 Municipal Funding Outlook was sent out on April 22nd. On April 15th,
Director of Grant Services Jake Whitaker, Senior Grant Writing Associate Maira Durazo, Grant
Services Intern Remi Beck, and Grant Services Assistant Kylie Sheridan met with Staff for the Monthly
Grants Meeting. Opportunities are being tracked for many of the City’s high priority project areas,
including transportation infrastructure, recreation and open space, climate adaptation, and
sustainability.
Grant applications in progress include the Coastal Conservancy Grant Program and SB1 Sea Level
Rise Track 2 Full Application.
Pending applications include:
•SB1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Track 2 Letter of Intent submitted on February 20, 2026 for
$2,000,000. Funding will be used for the South Carlsbad Coastal Adaptation Project.
Additionally, CPPG sent grant alerts on the following upcoming funding opportunities: Encampment
Resolution Fund, Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), and Consolidated Rail
Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program.
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City of Carlsbad Priority Legislation as of May 7, 2026
Artificial Intelligence
SB 1159 (Cabaldon) Artificial intelligence: transparency and governance. (Amended
03/25/2026)
The California Constitution provides that people have the right of access to information concerning
the conduct of the people’s business. Various provisions of existing law, including the California
Public Records Act, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, and the Ralph M. Brown Act, provide, with
some exceptions, for public access to government records and meetings of government bodies.
Among those acts, the California Public Records Act defines “person” to include any natural
person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm, or association. Existing law, the
Political Reform Act of 1974, imposes various requirements and limitations with respect to the
conduct of public officials, campaign expenditures and disclosures, political advertisements,
lobbying, the ballot pamphlet, and other aspects of political reform. The act defines “person” to
mean an individual, proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, syndicate, business trust,
company, corporation, limited liability company, association, committee, and any other
organization or group of persons acting in concert. Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act,
governs, among other things, the procedures for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations
by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law.
This bill would specify that, for purposes of the California Public Records Act, the Bagley-Keene
Open Meeting Act, the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Political Reform Act of 1974, the Administrative
Procedure Act, and CEQA, “person,” “interested person,” “participant,” “member of the public,”
as applicable, and any other similar terms under each act referring to those who may engage with
governmental agencies, do not include artificial intelligence, as defined, systems, autonomous
agents, robots, or other nonhuman entities, whether physical or digital. The bill would make
findings and declarations related to these provisions. This bill contains other related provisions and
other existing laws. (Based on 03/25/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Assembly Desk
Emergency Response and Disaster Preparedness
Exhibit 3
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AB 262 (Caloza) California Individual Assistance Act. (Amended 05/23/2025)
Existing law, the California Disaster Assistance Act, requires the Director of Emergency Services to
provide financial assistance to local agencies for their personnel costs, equipment costs, and the
cost of supplies and materials used during disaster response activities, incurred as a result of a
state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor, subject to specified criteria. The act continuously
appropriates moneys in the Disaster Assistance Fund and its subsidiary account, the Earthquake
Emergency Investigations Account, without regard to fiscal year, for purposes of the act. This bill
would enact the California Individual Assistance Act to establish a grant program to provide
financial assistance, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to local agencies, community-based
organizations, and individuals for specified costs related to a disaster, as prescribed. The bill would
require the director to allocate from the fund, subject to specified conditions, funds to meet the
cost of expenses for those purposes. The bill would require the director, in administering the
California Individual Assistance Act, to prioritize recipients that are not eligible for federal funding,
pursuant to specified regulation, due to the inability to meet minimum damage thresholds. This bill
would require the director to adopt regulations, as determined to be necessary, to govern the
administration of the program. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an
urgency statute. (Based on 05/23/2025 text)
Location: 04/27/2026 - Senate Rules
AB 442 (Hadwick) Z’berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973: working forest management
plans: harvest area. (Amended 04/21/2025)
Under the Z’berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973, the Legislature finds and declares the policy
of the state to encourage prudent and responsible forest management of nonindustrial
timberlands by approving working forest management plans in advance. Existing law requires the
harvest area of a working forest management plan to be contained within a single hydrological
area, as defined. This bill would delete the requirement that the harvest area of a working forest
management plan be contained within a single hydrological area. (Based on 04/21/2025 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Senate Natural Resources And Water
AB 1559 (Calderon) Residential property insurance images. (Amended 04/13/2026)
Existing law generally regulates classes of insurance, including residential property insurance.
Existing law requires an insurer to send various notices to a policyholder at specified intervals. This
bill would require an admitted insurer to notify a residential property insurance policyholder that
aerial images may be taken or obtained of the insured property, as specified, unless a claim has
been submitted or is pending on the property and the images will be used only for evaluating the
claim. The bill would require the insurer to provide the aerial images upon request, as specified,
and would require the notice to include instructions regarding how a policyholder may make that
request. This bill would prohibit an admitted insurer from basing a decision to terminate insurance
coverage, as defined, on an aerial image of the insured property taken more than 180 days prior to
sending notice of that decision to the policyholder, except as specified. The bill would require an
admitted insurer that bases a decision to terminate insurance coverage on an aerial image to
provide the policyholder with that aerial image, notice of that decision, and the opportunity to
dispute the accuracy of the image, and to verify remediation, before the effective date of the
decision to terminate insurance coverage. This bill would make the above-described provisions
operative on July 1, 2027. (Based on 04/13/2026 text)
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Calendar: 05/07/26 #1 A-SECOND READING FILE -- ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Consent Calendar
AB 1866 (Rogers) California Disaster Assistance Act: minimum damages thresholds.
(Amended 03/11/2026)
Existing law, the California Disaster Assistance Act, requires the Director of Emergency Services to
provide financial assistance to local agencies for their personnel costs, equipment costs, and the
cost of supplies and materials used during disaster response activities, incurred as a result of a
state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor, subject to specified criteria. This bill would require
the director, in administering those provisions, to prioritize local agencies that are not eligible for
federal funding due to the agency’s inability to meet minimum damage thresholds under federal
law, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 03/11/2026 text)
Location: 04/15/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
Position: Support
Notes1:
3/22/26: SG sent draft support letter to the City for review. 3/26/26: KB added support. Still awaiting
letter. 04/01/26: KB submitted letter of support to delegation and Asm Committee on Emergency
Management.
AB 2101 (Gipson) Human trafficking: notice and training: disaster sites. (Amended 04/09/2026)
Existing law requires specified businesses and other establishments, including, among others,
airports, intercity passenger rail or light rail stations, bus stations, and truck stops, to post a notice,
as developed by the Department of Justice, that contains information relating to slavery and human
trafficking, including information regarding specified nonprofit organizations that a person can call
for services or support in the elimination of slavery and human trafficking. This bill would
additionally require a privately operated entity that operates in a designated disaster site or
designated mitigation site, as those terms are defined, that is involved in the response, recovery,
rebuilding, or cleanup of a disaster site, permitting related to recovery, rebuilding, or cleanup of a
disaster site, or efforts to mitigate or prevent the occurrence of a disaster, to post the above-
described notice. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/09/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 2341 (Fong) Local government: emergency response services: use of languages other than
English. (Amended 05/05/2026)
Existing law requires, in the event of an emergency within the jurisdiction of a local agency that
provides emergency response services and that serves a population within which 5% or more of the
people speak English less than “very well,” according to American Community Survey data, and
jointly speak a language other than English, that the local agency provide information related to the
emergency in English and in all languages spoken jointly by the 5% or more of the population that
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speaks English less than “very well,” as specified. This bill would revise these provisions to instead
require the local agency to provide information related to an emergency within a local agency’s
jurisdiction in English and translated in each language spoken by 5% or more of the population that
speaks English less than “very well.” The bill, to determine whether a language meets the criteria
for translation, would require a local agency to calculate the total population of those within its
jurisdiction that speaks English less than “very well,” and, for each language included in the
American Community Survey data, determine whether speakers of any language who speak
English less than “very well” comprise at least 5% of the total population of that jurisdiction that
speaks English less than “very well.” The bill would make organizational and clarifying changes to
the above-described provisions, as specified. This bill would declare that it is to take effect
immediately as an urgency statute. (Based on 05/05/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #113 A-THIRD READING FILE - ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 04/20/2026 - Assembly Third Reading
AB 2385 (Petrie-Norris) Local reconstruction agencies. (Amended 04/27/2026)
The Community Redevelopment Law established redevelopment agencies in each community and
granted specified powers to those redevelopment agencies for the purpose of promoting
redevelopment in blighted areas. Existing law dissolved those community redevelopment agencies
in 2012. Other existing law, the Disaster Recovery Reconstruction Act of 1986, authorizes each city,
county, or other local subdivision, as provided, to prepare, prior to a disaster, plans and ordinances
facilitating the expeditious and orderly recovery and reconstruction of the area in case of a
disaster. Existing law authorizes the plans and ordinances to include, among other things, a
contingency plan of action and organization for short-term and long-term recovery and
reconstruction to be instituted after a disaster. Existing law authorizes the plans and ordinances to
include the authority and proposed organization for establishment of a local reconstruction
authority with powers parallel to those of a community redevelopment agency, except as specified.
This bill would refer to those plans as a disaster recovery plan and would require a city or county
that prepares a disaster recovery plan to amend its general plan, if necessary, as provided, to
ensure consistency between both plans. The bill would revise the contingency plan of action and
organization to include intermediate recovery and reconstruction, in addition to the short-term and
long-term recovery and reconstruction, and would specify elements that may be included in the
contingency plan of action and organization. The bill would require the Office of Land Use and
Climate Innovation, in consultation with other specified state and local entities, to assess the
recovery and rebuilding needs of jurisdictions across the state and develop model ordinance
language, as provided. The bill would also require the Office of Emergency Services, in consultation
with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, to prepare guidance on disaster recovery
plans, as provided. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/27/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/23/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
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SB 877 (Pérez) Residential property insurance: loss estimate transparency. (Amended
04/27/2026)
Existing law generally regulates classes of insurance, including residential property insurance.
Existing law prohibits a policy of residential property insurance from being issued or renewed by an
insurer unless the named insured is provided a copy of specified information, including the
California Residential Insurance Disclosure. Under existing law, the California Standard Form Fire
Insurance Policy requires an insured to notify every claimant that they can request copies of claim-
related documents, as defined, that the insurer is required to provide within 15 calendar days of the
request.Under existing law, it is a misdemeanor to issue or countersign a fire policy that varies from
the standard form fire insurance policy. This bill would expand the definition of claim-related
documents for purposes of the above-described provisions to include all documents, whether
preliminary or final, that in any way relate to the amount of loss, covered damage, and cost of
repairs. The bill would make changes to the standard form for fire insurance, thus expanding the
scope of an existing crime and imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other
existing laws. (Based on 04/27/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 04/23/2026 - Senate Appropriations
SB 911 (Becker) Transfer of real property: fire hazard severity zones: compliance
documentation. (Amended 03/10/2026)
Existing law requires a seller of a real property that is located in a high or very high fire hazard
severity zone to provide to the buyer documentation stating that the property is in compliance with
specified fire safety requirements or local vegetation management ordinances. If the seller of a real
property as described above has not obtained that documentation of compliance, existing law
requires the seller and the buyer to enter into a written agreement pursuant to which the buyer
agrees to obtain documentation of compliance with those specified fire safety requirements or
local vegetation management ordinances. In a local jurisdiction that has not enacted an ordinance
requiring an owner or buyer to obtain documentation of compliance, and if a state or local agency,
or other government entity, or other qualified nonprofit entity, provides an inspection with
documentation for the jurisdiction in which the property is located, existing law requires the buyer
to obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow. This bill
would additionally require the seller to notify the local fire department having jurisdiction over the
property, or the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection if the property is within a state
responsibility area, as provided, of the written agreement and of the buyer’s obligation to obtain
documentation of compliance. The bill would also require that fire department, or the Department
of Forestry and Fire Protection, as applicable, to conduct a compliance inspection at the property if
it has not received documentation of compliance from a qualified entity or otherwise certified
compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow. The bill would authorize the local fire
department to prioritize compliance inspections and reinspections based on certain factors. By
increasing the duties of local entities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This
bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 03/10/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
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Energy and Utilities
AB 1820 (Schiavo) Electric vehicle charging stations: permit fees. (Amended 03/16/2026)
Existing law requires a city, county, or city and county to administratively approve an application to
install an electric vehicle charging station through the issuance of a building permit or similar
nondiscretionary permit, and requires every local government to adopt an ordinance that creates
an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations, as provided.
Existing law defines “electric vehicle charging station” to mean any level of electric vehicle supply
equipment station that is designed and built in compliance with specified provisions, and delivers
electricity from a source outside an electric vehicle into a plug-in electric vehicle. Existing law
requires fees charged by a local agency for specified purposes, including permits, to not exceed
the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged, unless a
question regarding the amount of the fee charged in excess of this cost is submitted to, and
approved by, 2/3 of the electors. Existing law, until January 1, 2034, prohibits a city, county, city or
county, or charter city from charging a permit fee for a solar energy system that exceeds the
estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged, which cannot
exceed $450 plus $15 per kilowatt for each kilowatt above 15kW for residential solar energy
systems, and $1,000 plus $7 per kilowatt for each kilowatt between 51kW and 250kW, plus $5 for
every kilowatt above 250kW, for commercial solar energy systems, unless the city, county, city and
county, or charter city provides substantial evidence of the reasonable cost to issue the permit as
part of a written finding and an adopted resolution or ordinance, as provided. This bill, until January
1, 2036, would prohibit a city, county, city or county, or charter city from charging a permit fee for
an electric vehicle charging station that exceeds the estimated reasonable cost of providing the
service for which the fee is charged, which cannot exceed $100 plus $15 per kilowatt for each
kilowatt above 15kW for residential electric vehicle charging stations, and $500 plus $5 per kilowatt
for each kilowatt between 51kW and 250kW, plus $2 for every kilowatt above 250kW, for
commercial electric vehicle charging stations, unless the city, county, city and county, or charter
city provides substantial evidence of the reasonable cost to issue the permit as part of a written
finding and an adopted resolution or ordinance, as provided. By requiring local agencies to perform
additional duties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (Based
on 03/16/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #56 A-SECOND READING FILE -- ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 04/15/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
AB 2369 (Rogers) Electricity: energy storage: energy-only resources. (Amended 04/27/2026)
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over public
utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires each electrical corporation, electric
service provider, and community choice aggregator to maintain physical generating capacity and
electrical demand response adequate to meet its load requirements, and requires that the
generating capacity or electrical demand response be deliverable to locations and at times as may
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be necessary to maintain electrical service system reliability, local area reliability, and flexibility.
This bill would additionally require each electrical corporation, electric service provider, and
community choice aggregator to maintain energy storage adequate to meet its load requirements,
as provided. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/27/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/22/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
SB 222 (Wiener) Residential heat pump systems: water heaters and HVAC: installations.
(Amended 01/15/2026)
Existing law establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission
and prescribes the authorities, duties, and responsibilities of the commission pertaining to energy
matters. Existing law requires the commission, on or before January 1, 2019, in consultation with
the Contractors State License Board, local building officials, and other stakeholders, to approve a
plan that promotes compliance with specified regulations relating to building energy efficiency
standards in the installation of central air-conditioning and heat pumps, as specified. Existing law
authorizes the commission to adopt regulations to increase compliance with permitting and
inspection requirements for central air-conditioning and heat pumps, and associated sales and
installations, consistent with the above-described plan. The bill would require a city, county, or city
and county, beginning July 1, 2027, to adopt and offer asynchronous inspections for installations of
residential heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC systems, as defined, that do not require a
licensed contractor and building inspector to be simultaneously present during the inspection. The
bill would authorize a building inspector to contact the licensed contractor who performed the
installation by telephone call or real-time video conferencing during their inspection, and, if the
building inspector determines during an asynchronous inspection that there is an issue with an
installation of the heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC system and that the licensed
contractor who performed the installation must be present to perform tests or cure the installation,
to require the licensed contractor who performed the installation to schedule an additional
inspection in which the building inspector and the licensed contractor who performed the
installation are required to be simultaneously present during the additional inspection. The bill
would specify that these provisions do not require a local entity described above to discontinue
offering inspections for the installation of a residential heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC
system where in a building inspector and licensed contractor who performed the installation are
simultaneously present. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 01/15/2026 text)
Location: 01/26/2026 - Assembly Desk
SB 886 (Padilla) California Technology Innovation and Ratepayer Protection Act. (Amended
03/25/2026)
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities,
including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the
direction of their governing boards. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and
charges for every public utility and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable.
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This bill, the California Technology Innovation and Ratepayer Protection Act, would require the
commission, on or before July 1, 2027, to establish a rate structure that includes an electrical
corporation tariff for the interconnection of the participating customer facilities and the provision
of transmission, distribution, and generation services to participating customers, as specified. The
bill would require the commission, as part of establishing the electrical corporation tariff, to, at a
minimum, establish eligibility criteria for participating customer, evaluate the risks and benefits of
the electrical corporation tariff to nonparticipating customers, ensure that the electrical
corporation tariff prevents the creation of stranded costs for, or cost shifts to, nonparticipating
customers, and, for unbundled customers, ensure that charges generally included in the
generation component of their bills are assessed separately from charges generally included in the
transmission and distribution components of their bills. The bill would require that the electrical
corporation tariff require a participating customer that submits an application for interconnection
of a facility to an electrical corporation to disclose whether an application for the same facility has
been submitted in other electrical corporation service territories or other jurisdictions and to
disclose each instance in which an application for the same facility has been submitted. The bill
would also require that the electrical corporation tariff, among other things, assign cost
responsibility for all transmission facility upgrades triggered by a new facility interconnection to the
applicable participating customer and require an early termination fee to be assessed against a
participating customer under specified circumstances. The bill would require a participating
customer to prefund a contract of at least 15 years in duration through the electrical corporation,
community choice aggregator, or electric service provider for the installation of new, incremental,
zero-carbon energy resources, and to participate in a new demand response program authorized
by the commission, as provided. The bill would also require each electrical corporation to publish
and update maps showing locations where participating customers can interconnect without the
need for significant, costly, and time-consuming transmission upgrades. This bill contains other
related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 03/25/2026 text)
Location: 04/13/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
Environment and Climate
AB 35 (Alvarez) Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air
Bond Act of 2024: Administrative Procedure Act: exemption: program guidelines and selection
criteria. (Amended 01/14/2026)
Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, sets forth the requirements for the adoption,
publication, review, and implementation of regulations by state agencies. The Safe Drinking Water,
Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (act), approved by the
voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the
issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation
Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire
and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based
climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands,
park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. Existing law authorizes certain
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regulations needed to effectuate or implement programs of the act to be adopted as emergency
regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, as provided. Existing law requires
the emergency regulations to be filed with the Office of Administrative Law and requires the
emergency regulations to remain in effect until repealed or amended by the adopting state agency.
This bill, notwithstanding the above, would exempt the adoption of regulations needed to
effectuate or implement programs of the act from the requirements of the Administrative
Procedure Act, as provided. The bill would require a state entity that receives funding to administer
a competitive grant program established using the Administrative Procedure Act exemption to do
certain things, including develop draft project solicitation and evaluation guidelines and to submit
those guidelines to the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, except as provided. The bill
would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to post an electronic form of the
guidelines submitted by a state entity and the subsequent verifications on the Natural Resources
Agency’s internet website. The bill would authorize the use of certain previously developed
program guidelines and selection criteria for these purposes, as provided. This bill contains other
related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 01/14/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Senate Natural Resources And Water
Position: Support
Notes1:
1/14/26: DA tagged as support. 1/15/26: SG sent draft support letter to the City for review. 1/26/26:
EN received final Word draft of letter, finalized, and sent back to the City for their records. 1/26/26:
DA submitted letter to portal and delegation.
AB 1777 (Garcia) Air pollution: indirect sources. (Introduced 02/09/2026)
Existing law generally designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with the
primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control districts
and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution
from all sources other than vehicular sources. Existing law authorizes air districts to adopt and
implement regulations to reduce or mitigate emissions from indirect sources of air pollution.
Existing law requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations relating to vehicular emissions
standards, as specified, that will achieve the ambient air quality standards required by federal law
in conjunction with other measures adopted by the state board, air districts, and the United States
Environmental Protection Agency. This bill would authorize the state board, if necessary to carry
out that duty to achieve those ambient air quality standards, to adopt regulations to reduce or
mitigate emissions from indirect sources of pollution. This bill contains other related provisions
and other existing laws. (Based on 02/09/2026 text)
Location: 04/08/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 2253 (Boerner) Solid waste: products: environmental marketing claims. (Amended
04/08/2026)
Existing law requires a manufacturer or supplier making an environmental marketing claim relating
to the recycled content of a plastic food container product to maintain specified information and
documentation in written form in its records in support of that claim. Existing law requires the
maintained information to include that the recycled content for materials has been diverted from
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the solid waste stream either during the manufacturing process (preconsumer) or after consumer
use (postconsumer) and that the recycled content claim conforms to the uniform standards for
recycled content contained in the Federal Trade Commission Guides for the Use of Environmental
Marketing Claims. Existing law provides for the imposition of a civil penalty by a city, county, or the
state for a violation of these provisions. This bill would expand the application of those provisions
from plastic food container products to all products. The bill would revise the reference to the
Federal Trade Commission Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims to specifically
refer to those guides as they read on January 1, 2026. The bill would additionally require
documentation in written form that the recycled content claim is based on the actual physical
recycled content used in the production of the product, calculated as specified, without the use of
certain types of accounting. The bill would define “postconsumer” for purposes of these
provisions. (Based on 04/08/2026 text)
Location: 04/22/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
SB 887 (Padilla) California Environmental Quality Act: environmental leadership development
projects: data centers: clean energy powerplant projects. (Amended 04/09/2026)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or
cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project
that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to
adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires
a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant
effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is
no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the
environment. CEQA requires the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to prepare and propose
guidelines for the implementation of CEQA by public agencies and requires the Secretary of the
Natural Resources Agency to certify and adopt the guidelines. CEQA requires the guidelines to
include a list of classes of projects that have been determined not to have a significant effect on
the environment and that are exempt from CEQA, commonly known as categorical exemptions.
This bill would prohibit the application of categorical exemption to a project for the development
and operation of a data center, as defined. By increasing the duties of a lead agency in relation to
the environmental review of a data center project, this bill would impose a state-mandated local
program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/09/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
SB 1075 (Reyes) Air resources: toxic air contaminants: criteria air pollutants: community
emissions reduction programs: local community emissions reduction plans. (Amended
04/23/2026)
Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to prepare a statewide strategy to reduce
emissions of toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants in communities affected by a high
cumulative exposure burden that includes an assessment and identification of those communities.
Existing law requires the statewide strategy to be updated at least once every 5 years. Existing law
requires the state board, based on the assessment and identification, to select locations around
the state for preparation of community emissions reduction programs. Existing law requires the
assessment and identification to prioritize disadvantaged communities, as defined. Existing law
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requires the regional air quality management district or the regional air pollution control district
encompassing the location selected by the state board, within one year of selection, to adopt a
community emissions reduction program to achieve emissions reductions for the location selected
using cost-effective measures, as provided. Existing law requires the state board to provide grants
to community-based organizations for technical assistance and to support community
participation in the implementation of the statewide strategy. Under this existing regulatory
authority, the state board provides grants to development and implement local community
emissions reduction plans. This bill would revise the definition of “disadvantaged community” to
include a disadvantaged unincorporated community. By expanding the definition of
“disadvantaged community,” this bill would expand the duties of districts in the preparation of
community emissions reduction programs. The bill would require the local community emissions
reduction plans be submitted to the state board for review and approval and would authorize the
state board or the relevant air district to enforce those plans. The bill would specify that a steering
committee formed by an air district to assist it in the development and implementation of a
community emissions reduction program remains active until the emissions objectives identified in
the program are achieved or more than 5 years have passed since the adoption of the community
emissions reduction program and 2/3 of the members of the committee vote to disband the
committee. The bill would require members of the steering committee to meet certain
requirements. The bill would specify eligible uses for the grants provided and would authorize the
state board to audit and to take corrective action if those resources are improperly used. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/23/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 04/22/2026 - Senate Appropriations
SJR 12 (Laird) Proposed 2026–2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing
Program: opposition. (Amended 03/16/2026)
This measure would request that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management hold public
hearings in California on the proposed 2026–2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas
Leasing Program, preparean environmental impact statement to accompany the program, and
provide the public the opportunity to comment on a draft programmatic environmental impact
statement for potential offshore oil and gas leasing in California. The measure would strongly and
unequivocally oppose any new offshore drilling and declare unequivocal support for the current
federal prohibition on new oil or gas drilling in federal waters offshore of the Pacific coast. (Based
on 03/16/2026 text)
Location: 04/23/2026 - Assembly Desk
Governmental Operations
AB 1337 (Ward) Information Practices Act of 1977. (Amended 05/23/2025)
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Existing law, the Information Practices Act of 1977, prescribes a set of requirements, prohibitions,
and remedies applicable to agencies, as defined, with regard to their collection, storage, and
disclosure of personal information, as defined. Existing law exempts from the provisions of the act
counties, cities, any city and county, school districts, municipal corporations, districts, political
subdivisions, and other local public agencies, as specified. This bill would recast those provisions
to, among other things, remove that exemption for local agencies, and would revise and expand the
definition of “personal information.” The bill would make other technical, nonsubstantive, and
conforming changes. Because the bill would expand the duties of local officials, this bill would
impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws. (Based on 05/23/2025 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, And Consumer Protection
Position: Oppose
Notes1:
6/16/25. CPPG tagged as oppose. 6/29/25: CPPG sent letter to City. 7/1/25: CPPG submitted to Sen
Jud and sent to Senator Blakespear.
AB 1383 (McKinnor) Public employees’ retirement benefits: safety members. (Amended
01/22/2026)
The Public Employees’ Retirement Law (PERL) establishes the Public Employees’ Retirement
System (PERS) to provide a defined benefit to members of the system based on final
compensation, credited service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. Existing law
creates the Public Employees’ Retirement Fund, which is continuously appropriated for purposes
of PERS, including depositing employer and employee contributions. Under the California
Constitution, assets of a public pension or retirement system are trust funds. The California Public
Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) establishes a variety of requirements and
restrictions on public employers offering defined benefit pension plans. In this regard, PEPRA
restricts the amount of compensation that may be applied for purposes of calculating a defined
pension benefit for a new member, as defined, by restricting it to specified percentages of the
contribution and benefit base under a specified federal law with respect to old age, survivors, and
disability insurance benefits. Existing law, the Teachers’ Retirement Law, establishes the State
Teachers’ Retirement System (STRS) and creates the Defined Benefit Program of the State
Teachers’ Retirement Plan, which provides a defined benefit to members of the program, based on
final compensation, creditable service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. This
bill, on and after January 1, 2027, would require a retirement system subject to PEPRA to adjust
pensionable compensation limits to be consistent with specified percentages of the contribution
and benefit base under the specified federal law with respect to old age, survivors, and disability
insurance benefits. The bill would require a new member of STRS to be subject to specified limits of
the Teachers’ Retirement Law. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing
laws. (Based on 01/22/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Senate Labor, Public Employment And Retirement
AB 1439 (Garcia) Public retirement systems: development projects: labor standards.
(Amended 01/22/2026)
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The California Constitution grants the retirement board of a public employee retirement system
plenary authority and fiduciary responsibility for investment of moneys and administration of the
retirement fund and system. These provisions qualify this grant of powers by reserving to the
Legislature the authority to prohibit investments if it is in the public interest and the prohibition
satisfies standards of fiduciary care and loyalty required of a retirement board. Existing law
prohibits the boards of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) and the State Teachers’
Retirement System (STRS) from making certain new investments or renewing existing investments
of public employee retirement funds, including in a thermal coal company, as defined. Existing law
provides that a board is not required to take any action regarding those investments unless the
board determines in good faith that the action is consistent with the board’s fiduciary
responsibilities established in the California Constitution. This bill would state that its purpose is to
require the boards of PERS and STRS to contract with the University of California Labor Centers to
conduct an independent study to determine the impacts on public employee retirement funds of
prohibiting the board of a public pension or retirement system, as defined, from investing in
development projects in California that do not provide labor standards protections for workers. The
bill would require the study and a report of its findings to be completed and provided to the
Legislature and the Department of Finance by January 1, 2028, as specified. The bill would provide
that a board is not required to take action pursuant to this provision unless it determines in good
faith that the action is consistent with the board’s fiduciary responsibilities established in the
California Constitution. This bill contains other existing laws. (Based on 01/22/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Senate Labor, Public Employment And Retirement
AB 1564 (Ahrens) Employer-employee relations: confidential communications. (Amended
02/25/2026)
Existing law that governs the labor relations of public employees and employers, including, among
others, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, the Ralph C. Dills Act, provisions relating to public schools,
and provisions relating to higher education prohibits employers from taking certain actions relating
to employee organization, including imposing or threatening to impose reprisals on employees,
discriminating or threatening to discriminate against employees, or otherwise interfering with,
restraining, or coercing employees because of their exercise of their guaranteed rights. Those
provisions of existing law further prohibit denying to employee organizations the rights guaranteed
to them by existing law. This bill would prohibit a public employer from questioning a public
employee, a representative of a recognized employee organization, or an exclusive representative
regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee
representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the
recognized employee organization’s representation. The bill would also prohibit a public employer
from compelling a public employee, a representative of a recognized employee organization, or an
exclusive representative to disclose those confidential communications to a third party. The bill
would not apply to a criminal investigation or when a public safety officer is under investigation and
certain circumstances exist. (Based on 02/25/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 1577 (Bauer-Kahan) Data centers: reporting. (Amended 04/13/2026)
Existing law establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission
(Energy Commission) and vests the commission with various responsibilities with respect to
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developing and implementing the state’s energy policies. Existing law requires the commission to
biennially adopt an integrated energy policy report, as specified, and to make the reports
accessible to state, local, and federal entities and to the general public. This bill would require the
commission to establish a process for the owner of a data center, as defined, to submit specified
information to the commission, including, among other information, the data center’s location and
size, the data center’s power usage effectiveness, as defined, and the quantity of fuel consumed by
onsite generators or other fuel-based energy systems, as specified. The bill would require the
owner of a data center to submit the required information in the manner specified by the
commission. The bill would require the commission, beginning with the 2029 edition of the
integrated energy policy report, and in each subsequent edition, to include an assessment of
electrical load trends for data centers, as provided. The bill would require the commission to
annually publish the information submitted in an anonymized and aggregated format on its internet
website. The bill would require the owner or developer of a data center, upon applying for a
discretionary permit, entitlement, or land use authorization required for the construction or
operation of the data center, to submit to the applicable local agency, as defined, the information
described above, specified information, including the expected annual energy and water
consumption, as specified, and the expected sound levels attributable to the operation of the data
center, as provided. By imposing a new duty on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-
mandated local program. The bill would authorize the local agency to use this information for
various purposes, including, but not limited to, land use planning, infrastructure planning, energy
and water supply assessment, and environmental review. (Based on 04/13/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 1578 (Jackson) State and local officials: sexual harassment training and education: anti-
hate speech training. (Amended 04/06/2026)
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act makes specified employment practices unlawful,
including the harassment of an employee directly by the employer or indirectly by agents of the
employer with the employer’s knowledge. Under existing law, the Civil Rights Department
administers these provisions. Existing law requires a specified employer with 5 or more employees
to, by January 1, 2021, provide at least 2 hours of classroom or other effective interactive training
and education regarding sexual harassment to all supervisory employees and at least one hour of
classroom or other effective interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all
nonsupervisory employees in California and, after that date, once every 2 years. Existing law
requires an employer to include prevention of abusive conduct as a component of that training and
education. This bill would additionally require, beginning on January 1, 2028, for an employer that is
a state agency or local agency that the above-described training and education include, as a
component of the training and education for elected officials, anti-hate speech training. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/06/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 1680 (Calderon) California FAIR Plan Association. (Amended 04/13/2026)
The California FAIR Plan Association is a joint reinsurance association in which all insurers
licensed to write basic property insurance participate to administer a program for the equitable
apportionment of basic property insurance for persons who are unable to obtain that coverage
through normal channels. Existing law requires the Insurance Commissioner to approve the
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association’s plan of operation and authorizes the commissioner to examine the association’s
books, records, files, papers, and documents that relate to its operation. Existing law authorizes
the commissioner to impose civil penalties for various violations of the Insurance Code. This bill
would require the association to take corrective actions to correct violations of applicable statutes,
regulations, statutory accounting principles, or other applicable rules identified in a report of
examination or other operational report. The bill would subject the association to a fine of not more
than $20,000 for failing to take correction action within a timeframe agreed upon by the
commissioner or a person designated by the commissioner. The bill would set other civil penalty
amounts for violations of provisions relative to the association as not to exceed $10,000 for each
act in violation or not to exceed $20,000 if the act was willful, and would require the commissioner
to impose those penalties, as specified. The bill would also authorize the commissioner to require
the association to both adjust the policy limits available under programs underwritten by the
association and make additional coverage offerings available for fair rental value coverage under
the association’s renters’ property insurance program. (Based on 04/13/2026 text)
Location: 04/29/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 1821 (Pacheco) California Public Records Act: agency response time. (Amended
04/06/2026)
Existing law, the California Public Records Act, requires each state or local agency, upon a request
for a copy of records that reasonably describes an identifiable record or records, to make the
records promptly available to any person upon payment of fees covering direct costs of
duplication, or a statutory fee if applicable, except with respect to public records exempt from
disclosure by express provisions of law. Existing law requires each agency, within 10 days of a
request for a copy of records, to determine whether the request seeks copies of disclosable public
records in possession of the agency and to promptly notify the person of the determination and the
reasons therefor. Existing law authorizes that time limit to be extended by no more than 14 days
under unusual circumstances, as defined. This bill would instead require each agency to determine
whether the request seeks copies of disclosable public records in possession of the agency and to
promptly notify the person as described above within 10 business days of a request for a copy of
records. The bill would instead authorize the time period for each agency to respond to be
extended by no more than 14 business days. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws. (Based on 04/06/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #125 A-THIRD READING FILE - ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 04/23/2026 - Assembly Third Reading
Position: Support
Notes1:
4/14: City approved stance on bill. 4/16: SG and KB confirmed stance in weekly meeting. 4/17: KB
sent City draft of the letter. 4/22/26: KB testified on behalf of the City at Asm Appropriations.
4/28/26: KB submitted letter to delegation and portal (Assembly Judiciary Committee and
Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 1883 (Bryan) Workplace surveillance tools. (Amended 04/13/2026)
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Existing law establishes the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement within the Department of
Industrial Relations. Existing law authorizes the division, which is headed by the Labor
Commissioner, to enforce the Labor Code and all labor laws of the state, the enforcement of which
is not specifically vested in any other officer, board, or commission. This bill would generally
regulate the use of workplace surveillance tools and an employer’s use of worker data. The bill
would prohibit an employer from using a workplace surveillance tool on workers for various
purposes, including preventing compliance with laws or regulations, inferring information about
workers engaging in a protected activity, making inferences about an individual’s emotional state
or based on their gait, or collecting neural data. The bill would prohibit an employer from using
facial recognition technology, unless it is used strictly to open a locked device or grant access to
locked or secure areas. The bill would also prohibit an employer from using a workplace
surveillance tool to infer specified categories of information about a worker, including, among
others, their veteran status, ancestral history, religious beliefs, or disability status. This bill would
require the Labor Commissioner to enforce the bill’s provisions, would authorize an employee to
bring a civil action for specified remedies for a violation of the bill’s provisions, and would authorize
a public prosecutor to enforce the provisions. The bill would subject an employer who violates the
bill’s provisions to a civil penalty of up to $500 for each violation. The bill would define various
terms for purposes of its provisions. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this
bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all
cities, including charter cities. (Based on 04/13/2026 text)
Location: 04/29/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 1961 (Ahrens) Civil actions: protective orders: workplace violence. (Amended 04/16/2026)
Existing law authorizes an employer or collective bargaining representative of an employee who
has suffered harassment, unlawful violence, or a credible threat of violence from any individual, to
seek a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of the employee and, at the discretion of the
court, any number of other employees at the workplace or at other workplaces of the employer.
Existing law authorizes one or more representative parties to bring suit for the benefit of a class of
parties if the question is one of a common or general interest, of many persons, or when the parties
are numerous, and it is impracticable to bring them all before the court. This bill would authorize an
employer to seek a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of all employees at the
employer’s workplace or a location at which a group of employees perform their primary job duties
if harassment, unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence is directed at that workplace or
location. The bill would not require an employer to name any individual employee as a protected
party if the employer seeks a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of all employees at the
employer’s workplace or a location at which a group of employees perform their primary job duties.
This bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before January 1, 2028, to adopt or modify its
forms, as specified. (Based on 04/16/2026 text)
Location: 04/29/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 1995 (Patel) State Fire Marshal: lithium battery working group: membership: funding.
(Introduced 02/17/2026)
Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal, commencing January 1, 2026, to adopt regulations that
promote the fire and electrical safety of electric bicycles, powered mobility devices, and storage
batteries, as specified. Existing law defines storage batteries for these purposes to include lithium
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batteries, as provided. This bill would require the Office of the State Fire Marshal to convene a
lithium battery working group, composed of specified members selected by the State Fire Marshal,
to identify those safety issues associated with lithium batteries and associated charging
infrastructure installed or used near or within residential or commercial occupancies that have not
already been addressed in the 2025 Edition of the California Building Standards Code, and to
recommend potential solutions that will enhance building safety for the State Fire Marshal and
other impacted agencies to consider, as provided. The bill would require the working group to
deliver the initial research, findings, and recommendations on or before January 1, 2028. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 02/17/2026 text)
Location: 04/29/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 2033 (Papan) Local Agency Public Construction Act: job order contracting: cities.
(Amended 05/04/2026)
Existing law, the Local Agency Public Construction Act, sets forth procedures that a local agency is
required to follow when procuring certain services or work. Existing law authorizes certain local
agencies to engage in job order contracting, as prescribed. This bill would establish a pilot program
to authorize a city to use job order contracting as a procurement method. The bill would impose a
$3,000,000 cap on awards under a single job order contract and a $750,000 cap on any single job
order. The bill would limit the term of an initial contract to a maximum of 12 months, with
extensions as prescribed. The bill would establish various additional procedures and requirements
for the use of job order contracting under this authorization. The bill would require the authority, on
or before January 1, 2030, to submit to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the
Legislature a report on the use of job order contracting under the bill. The bill would repeal these
provisions on January 1, 2032. (Based on 05/04/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #165 A-THIRD READING FILE - ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 05/05/2026 - Assembly Third Reading
AB 2179 (Patel) Workplace violence: restraining orders. (Introduced 02/19/2026)
Existing law authorizes any employer or authorized bargaining representative, as specified, whose
employee has suffered unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence that can reasonably be
construed to be carried out or to have been carried out at the workplace, to seek a temporary
restraining order and an order after hearing on behalf of the employee and other employees at the
workplace, as described. This bill would, beginning on July 1, 2027, allow any party or witness to a
petition for a restraining order to appear remotely at a hearing and would prohibit any fee for
appearing remotely. The bill would require the court of each county to develop rules and
instructions for such remote appearances and post them on its website. The bill would also,
commencing on July 1, 2027, require courts to allow filings related to such protective orders to be
submitted electronically, as specified. The bill would make conforming changes. (Based
on 02/19/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #109 A-THIRD READING FILE - ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 04/16/2026 - Assembly Third Reading
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Position: Sponsor
Notes1:
2/19/26: Bill introduced; EN tagged as sponsor. 2/24/26: EN sent draft sponsor letter to City for
review. EN received final letter and sent to delegation and author's office. Bill not yet referred to a
committee. 3/10/26: DA submitted sponsor letter to portal. 3/11/26: DA submitted sponsor letter
to delegation. 3/24/26: SG provided primary support testimony. 4/15/26: Bill on consent.
AB 2190 (Wallis) Internet website accessibility. (Amended 04/23/2026)
The Unruh Civil Rights Act requires persons within the jurisdiction of the state to be free and equal
and, regardless of the person’s sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability,
medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary
language, or immigration status, to be entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages,
facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments, as prescribed, and makes a
violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) a violation of the act. Existing
law imposes liability upon a person who denies, aids, or incites a denial of, or makes any
discrimination or distinction contrary to, rights afforded by law for actual damages suffered,
exemplary damages, a civil penalty, and attorney’s fees, as specified, to any person who was
denied the specified rights. Existing law also imposes liability upon a person, firm, or corporation
that denies or interferes with admittance to, or enjoyment of, public facilities or otherwise
interferes with the rights of an individual with a disability, as specified, for damages and attorney’s
fees to a person who was denied those rights. This bill would grant to an entity an affirmative
defense to a claim seeking statutory damages under the provisions described above on the basis of
a specific accessibility barrier on the entity’s internet website, as defined, if the entity provided
evidence to the plaintiff demonstrating within 30 days of receiving a written prelawsuit demand
from the plaintiff that either (1) the entity published a digital accessibility report on the accessibility
page of its internet website disclosing the specific access barrier and updated that report to reflect
remediation of the access barrier or (2) that various things were true regarding the entity’s efforts to
identify and remediate access barriers on its internet website, including the entity had a reasonable
and good faith basis to believe that the internet website was accessible and conformed with the
internet website accessibility standard, as specified. This bill would also prohibit a resource
service provider from, in exchange for money or any other form of remuneration, negligently,
recklessly, or knowingly constructing, licensing, distributing, or maintaining for online use a
resource or part of an internet website that causes an entity’s internet website to be inaccessible
or not conformant with the internet website accessibility standard if the resource or part of the
internet website is within the control of the resource service provider to remediate or from making a
false representation that a resource or part of an internet website is accessible or conforms to the
internet website accessibility standard. (Based on 04/23/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/22/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
AB 2530 (Caloza) Employment: Cal/WARN Act: plant closings and mass layoffs. (Amended
04/13/2026)
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Existing law, the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (Cal/WARN Act), among other
things, prohibits an employer from ordering a mass layoff, relocation, or termination at a covered
establishment unless, 60 days before the order takes effect, the employer gives written notice of
the order to the employees affected by the order and to the Employment Development Department
and certain local officials. Existing law requires the notice to contain specified information and
makes an employer who fails to give the required notice liable to each employee entitled to notice
who lost their employment for back pay and the value of the cost of any benefits to which the
employee would have been entitled had their employment not been lost, as provided. Existing law
also makes an employer subject to civil penalties, as provided, for each day of the employer’s
violation. Existing law defines “employer” for these purposes to mean any person, as defined, who
directly or indirectly owns and operates a covered establishment and defines “covered
establishment” to mean any industrial or commercial facility or part thereof that employs, or has
employed within the preceding 12 months, 75 or more persons. This bill would add “public agency”
to the definitions of employer and covered establishment, thereby making the Cal/WARN Act
applicable to public agencies. The bill would, in the case of a sale of part or all of an employer’s
business, make the seller responsible for providing the notice for any mass layoff, relocation, or
termination up to and including the effective date of the sale, and make the purchaser responsible
for providing the notice following the effective date of the sale. The bill would make other technical
and conforming changes. (Based on 04/13/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
SB 1005 (Caballero) Local agency: payment: rounding amount. (Introduced 02/09/2026)
Existing law requires a public agency to accept specified methods of payment for designated
obligations. This bill would authorize a local agency to round the amount of any payment made
wholly or partly in cash to the local agency, or any refund or other amount tendered wholly or partly
in cash by the local agency, to the nearest $0.05. The bill would apply to a local agency only if the
governing body of the local agency adopts, by majority vote, a resolution to make its provisions
applicable to the local agency. The bill would define terms for its purposes. (Based
on 02/09/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Assembly Local Government
SB 1187 (Durazo) Open meetings: majority. (Introduced 02/19/2026)
Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a
legislative body, as defined, of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted
to attend and participate. Existing law defines “meetings” for these purposes to mean any
congregation of a majority of the members of a legislative body at the same time and location, as
specified, to hear, discuss, deliberate, or take action on any item that is within the subject matter
jurisdiction of the legislative body. This bill would define “majority” for purposes of the act to mean
the number of members of the legislative body equaling more than half of the total number of seats
on the legislative body. The bill would specify that if a seat on the legislative body is vacant, that
seat is to still be counted as a seat on the legislative body. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 02/19/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #104 S-CONSENT CALENDAR SECOND LEGISLATIVE DAY
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Location: 04/29/2026 - Senate Consent Calendar
SB 1229 (Allen) Coastal resources: coastal development permits: disaster exemption.
(Amended 04/09/2026)
Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, among other things, requires anyone wishing to
perform or undertake any development in the coastal zone, except as specified, in addition to
obtaining any other permit required by law from any local government or from any state, regional,
or local agency, to obtain a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission
or a local government, as provided. The act provides that a coastal development permit is not
required for the replacement of any structure, other than a public works facility, destroyed by a
disaster. This bill would prohibit that coastal development permit exemption from applying to the
replacement of a structure by an applicant who was not listed as the property owner of record
immediately preceding the disaster if replacement of the structure would, among other things,
encroach upon an open space easement or deed restriction that has been recorded or offered for
dedication, as provided. By creating additional duties for a local government in reviewing coastal
development permits, the bill would impose state-mandated local program. This bill contains other
related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/09/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #33 S-SENATE BILLS -THIRD READING FILE
Location: 04/21/2026 - Senate Third Reading
Health and Human Services
SB 490 (Umberg) Alcohol and drug programs. (Amended 01/05/2026)
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of adult alcohol or other drug recovery or
treatment facilities by the State Department of Public Health and prohibits the operation of one of
those facilities without a current valid license. Existing law requires the department, if a facility is
alleged to be in violation of that prohibition, to conduct a site visit to investigate the allegation.
Existing law requires, if the department’s employee or agent finds evidence that the facility is
providing services without a license, the employee or agent to take specified actions, including,
among others, submitting the findings of the investigation to the department and issuing a written
notice to the facility that includes the date by which the facility is required to cease providing
services. Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State
Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive
health care services, through fee-for-service or managed care delivery systems. The Medi-Cal
program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law
establishes the Drug Medi-Cal Treatment Program (Drug Medi-Cal) and authorizes the department
to enter into a Drug Medi-Cal contract with each county for the provision of alcohol and drug use
services within the county service area. This bill would require the department, if it determines it
has jurisdiction over the allegation, to initiate that investigation within 10 days of receiving the
allegation and, except as specified, complete the investigation within 60 days of initiating the
investigation. The bill would require the department, if it receives a complaint that does not fall
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under its jurisdiction, to notify the complainant that it does not investigate that type of complaint.
The bill would require the employee or agent to provide the notice described above within 10 days
of the employee or agency submitting their findings to the department and to conduct a followup
site visit to determine whether the facility has ceased providing services as required. The bill would
authorize, in counties that elect to administer the Drug Medi-Cal organized delivery system and
that provide optional recovery housing services, the county behavioral health agency to request
approval from the department to conduct a site visit of a recovery residence that is alleged to be
operating without a license. The bill would permit the department to approve that request in certain
circumstances, including that the department has sufficient evidence to substantiate the
allegation. (Based on 01/05/2026 text)
Location: 01/26/2026 - Assembly Desk
Position: Support
Notes1:
Cal Cities sponsored. 4/14: City approved stance on bill. 4/16: SG and KB confirmed stance in
weekly meeting. 4/17: KB sent City draft of the letter. 4/28: KB submitted letter to delegation and
portal (Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)
Homelessness
AB 1708 (Solache) Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program: round 8: smaller
jurisdictions. (Amended 04/06/2026)
Existing law establishes the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) program for
the purpose of providing jurisdictions with grant funds to support regional coordination and expand
or develop local capacity to address their immediate homelessness challenges, as specified.
Existing law provides for the allocation of funding under the program among continuums of care,
cities, counties, and tribes in 6 rounds, with rounds 1 to 5, inclusive, administered by the
Interagency Council on Homelessness and round 6 administered by the Department of Housing
and Community Development, as provided. Existing law establishes round 7 of the program and
states the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that specifies the parameters, as
specified. To be eligible for round 5 or round 6 base program allocation, existing law requires a
jurisdiction that is not a tribe to apply as part of a region and be signatory to a regionally
coordinated homelessness action plan that meets specified requirements. This bill would apply to
the allocation of funding available under round 8 of the program and require a round 8 regionally
coordinated homelessness action plan to include certain components, including a description of
programs and interventions provided by smaller jurisdictions, as defined, that serve the objects
and goals of the program, as specified. The bill would authorize a region receiving funding under
round 8 to allocate a portion of that funding to smaller jurisdictions to support those programs. The
bill would prescribe requirements for a smaller jurisdiction to be eligible to receive funding
pursuant to these provisions. (Based on 04/06/2026 text)
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Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
Position: Support
Notes1:
Cal Cities sponsored. 3/22/26: SG sent draft support letter to the City for review. 3/26/26: KB added
support. Still awaiting letter. 04/01/26: KB submitted letter of support to delegation and ASM
Housing and Community Development committee. 04/10/26: KB submitted letter of support to
delegation and Asm. Human Services Committee. 4/15/26: KB testified in support at ASM Housing
and Community Development committee.
SB 866 (Blakespear) Planning and zoning: housing element: unhoused population. (Amended
04/28/2026)
The Planning and Zoning Law requires a city or county to adopt a general plan for land use
development that includes, among other things, a housing element. Existing law requires the
housing element to include, among other things, an assessment of housing needs and an inventory
of resources and constraints that are relevant to meeting these needs. Existing law establishes the
Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) program for the purpose of providing
jurisdictions with grant funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local
capacity to address their immediate homelessness challenges, as specified. Existing law provides
for the allocation of funding under the program among continuums of care, cities, counties, and
tribes in 6 rounds, with rounds 1 to 5, inclusive, administered by the Interagency Council on
Homelessness and round 6 administered by the Department of Housing and Community
Development, as provided. Existing law establishes round 7 of the program and states the intent of
the Legislature to enact future legislation that specifies the parameters, as specified. For a local
government that does not receive HHAP funding, this bill would require the assessment to include,
among other things, specified data regarding the population of individuals who are unhoused and a
description of key actions that will be taken to reduce individuals who are unhoused based on the
data. By imposing additional duties on local governments, this bill would impose a state-mandated
local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter
of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including
charter cities. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/28/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 04/15/2026 - Senate Appropriations
Position: Watch
Notes1:
4/16/26: KB marked as watch per client request.
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Housing and Land Use
AB 736 (Wicks) The Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026. (Amended 04/10/2025)
Under existing law, there are programs providing assistance for, among other things, emergency
housing, multifamily housing, farmworker housing, home ownership for very low and low-income
households, and downpayment assistance for first-time home buyers. Existing law also authorizes
the issuance of bonds in specified amounts pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law
and requires that proceeds from the sale of these bonds be used to finance various existing
housing programs, capital outlay related to infill development, brownfield cleanup that promotes
infill development, and housing-related parks. This bill would enact the Affordable Housing Bond
Act of 2026, which, if adopted, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of
$10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law. Proceeds from the sale of
these bonds would be used to finance programs to fund affordable rental housing and home
ownership programs, including, among others, the Multifamily Housing Program, the CalHome
Program, and the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program. This bill contains other related
provisions. (Based on 04/10/2025 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Senate Appropriations
AB 748 (Harabedian) Single-family and multifamily housing units: preapproved plans.
(Amended 01/05/2026)
Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, provides for the adoption and administration of zoning
laws, ordinances, rules and regulations by counties and cities and the implementation of those
general plans as may be in effect in those counties or cities. In that regard, existing law requires
each local agency, by January 1, 2025, to develop a program for the preapproval of accessory
dwelling unit plans. This bill would require each local agency, as defined, to develop a program for
the preapproval of single-family and multifamily residential housing plans, whereby the local
agency accepts single-family and multifamily plan submissions for preapproval and approves or
denies the preapproval applications, as specified. The bill would require a large jurisdiction, as
defined, to develop this program by July 1, 2027, and a small jurisdiction, as defined, to develop a
program by January 1, 2029. The bill would require the local agency to post preapproved single-
family or multifamily residential housing plans and the contact information of the applicant on the
local agency’s internet website. This bill would require a local agency to either approve or deny
ministerially an application for a single-family or multifamily residential housing unit within 30 days
if the lot meets certain conditions and the application utilizes specified plans that have been
preapproved by the local agency or that are identical to a plan used in an application approved by
the local agency. The bill would prohibit the preapproval program from applying to single-family or
multifamily residential housing plans intended for use in certain communities and developments,
as specified. This bill contains other existing laws. (Based on 01/05/2026 text)
Location: 01/27/2026 - Senate Rules
Position: Oppose
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Notes1:
4/14: City approved stance on bill. 4/16: SG and KB confirmed stance in weekly meeting. 4/17: KB
sent City draft of the letter. 4/28: KB submitted letter to Assembly Local Government Committee,
Assembly Appropriations Committee, and Assembly Housing and Community Development
Committee and delegation.
AB 750 (Quirk-Silva) Department of Housing and Community Development. (Amended
04/29/2026)
Existing law authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development, upon
appropriation, to make loans or grants, or both loans and grants, to rehabilitate, capitalize
operating subsidy reserves for, and extend the long-term affordability of department-funded
housing projects that have an affordability restriction that has expired, that have an affordability
restriction with a remaining term of less than 10 years, or are otherwise at risk of conversion to
market-rate housing. This bill would also authorize the department to make those loans and grants
to rehabilitate, capitalize operating subsidy reserves for, and extend the long-term affordability of
housing projects that qualify as a challenged development, as defined. The bill would require the
department to grant priority for these loans and grants to housing projects that are department
funded and have an affordability restriction that has expired or have a remaining term of less than
10 years, or are otherwise at risk for conversion. (Based on 04/29/2026 text)
Location: 04/30/2026 - Senate Rules
AB 1294 (Haney) Planning and zoning: housing development: standardized application form.
(Amended 04/28/2026)
The Permit Streamlining Act, among other things, requires each public agency to provide a
development project applicant with a list that specifies the information that will be required from
any applicant for a development project. The act requires a public agency that has received an
application for a development project to determine in writing whether the application is complete
within 30 calendar days and to immediately transmit the determination to the applicant of the
development project. This bill, except with respect to applications for housing development
projects located in certain jurisdictions, would require that an application for a housing
entitlement, as defined, be deemed complete upon payment of the permit processing fees and
upon completing specified requirements, when applicable, including, among other things,
providing a description of the proposed housing development project and a list of the approvals
requested by the applicant to the city, county, or city and county from which approval for the
housing entitlement is being sought. The bill would require, on or before July 1, 2027, the
Department of Housing and Community Development to adopt a standardized application form
that applicants for a housing entitlement may use for the purpose of satisfying these requirements
and would require, on or after October 1, 2027, a city, county, or city and county to accept an
application submitted on the standardized application form. The bill would prohibit the city,
county, or city and county from requiring submission of any other forms, beside the standardized
application form, except as specified. The bill would authorize the city, county, or city and county
to develop its own application forms or templates for different housing entitlements, subject to the
requirements of this bill. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/28/2026 text)
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Location: 04/28/2026 - Senate Local Government
AB 1621 (Wilson) Planning and Zoning Law: postentitlement phase permits: Housing
Accountability Act. (Amended 03/04/2026)
The Planning and Zoning Law requires a local agency or state agency to compile one or more lists
that specify in detail the information required from any applicant for a postentitlement phase
permit, as defined. Existing law also establishes time limits for completing reviews regarding
whether an application for a postentitlement phase permit is complete and compliant, and
whether to approve or deny an application. Existing law requires the time limits to be tolled, if the
local agency or state agency requires review of the application by an outside entity, until the
outside entity completes the review and returns the application, as specified. This bill would
prohibit a local agency or state agency from requiring or requesting more than 2 plan check and
specification reviews in connection with an application for a building permit, as part of its review,
except as specified. The bill would authorize a local agency or state agency to deny an application
that is not compliant with the permit standards following 2 plan check and specification reviews.
The bill would also authorize an applicant to request additional submittals of applications that are
not compliant with the permit standards. The bill, if a local agency or state agency finds that a
complete application is noncompliant, would prohibit a local agency or state agency from
requesting or requiring any action or inaction as a result of a building inspection undertaken to
assess compliance with the applicable building permit standards that would represent a deviation
from a previously approved building plan or similar approval for the building permit, except as
specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 03/04/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Senate Local Government
AB 1738 (Carrillo) State Housing Law: remote inspections. (Amended 03/26/2026)
Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards
for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law requires the building department of every city
or county to enforce the provisions of the State Housing Law, the State Building Standards Code,
and other specified rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the State Housing Law
pertaining to standards for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law authorizes an officer,
employee, or agent of an enforcement agency to enter and inspect any building or premises
whenever necessary to secure compliance with, or prevent a violation of, any provision of the State
Housing Law, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code, and other
rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of the State Housing Law. Existing
law provides certain immunities to a public entity or employee immunity relative to an inspection or
license, as provided. This bill would require a city, including a charter city, county, or city and
county to offer a homeowner or contractor the option of requesting remote inspections for all or a
subset of an inspection required by a building permit for specified works in one- or 2-family
dwelling units, by July 1, 2027, as provided. The bill would apply the above-described immunities to
remote inspections. The bill would authorize these local agencies, at their discretion, to set up a
process to perform onsite audits to confirm that a homeowner or contractor accurately
represented the work subject to the remote inspection and to temporarily ban the homeowner or
contractor from using the remote inspection if the homeowner is found to have willfully
misrepresented the work, as provided. By imposing new duties on local agencies, the bill would
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impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws. (Based on 03/26/2026 text)
Location: 04/29/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 1903 (Wicks) Construction defects. (Amended 04/23/2026)
Existing law specifies the rights and requirements of a homeowner to bring an action for
construction defects, including applicable standards for home construction, the statute of
limitations, the burden of proof, the damages recoverable, and detailed prelitigation procedures.
This bill would establish an alternative process for certified buildings, as established by the bill,
and would provide that the bill’s provisions only apply to condominium projects and townhouse
developments constructed on or after January 1, 2027. The bill would authorize a builder to obtain
a certified building status for a building by undergoing private inspection, repairs, and reinspection
during construction, as provided. The bill would prohibit future challenges to the status of the
building as a certified building once certified. The bill would authorize the builder of a certified
building to establish its own process for handling postconstruction claims. The bill would specify
that a builder has a complete and unrestricted right to inspect and repair a certified building at
times mutually agreed upon by the builder and claimant and within timeframes established by the
builder. If a claimant refuses the offer of repair or prevents, restricts, delays, or frustrates access
for more than 7 days from the mutually agreed upon day, the bill would deem the builder to have
received a release. The bill would require an inspector to meet specified criteria, including, among
others, that they are a private licensed architect, engineer, or general contractor, and to certify to
the Department of Real Estate that they meet the criteria. On or before July 1, 2028, the bill would
require the Department of Real Estate to post on its internet website a list of eligible inspectors.
This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/23/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
AB 1914 (Schiavo) General plan elements: childcare. (Amended 04/27/2026)
The Planning and Zoning Law requires the legislative body of a city or county to adopt a
comprehensive, long-term general plan that includes various elements, including, among others, a
land use, circulation, housing, safety, and environmental justice element. Existing law requires a
city or county to update its general plan elements subject to certain criteria and timelines. This bill
would require a city, county, or city and county, on or after January 1, 2028, but no later than
January 1, 2033, to prepare and adopt a childcare plan or integrate a childcare plan into the next
adoption of the city, county, or city and county’s general plan to address the childcare needs of the
jurisdiction, as specified. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address
a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities,
including charter cities. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/27/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #59 A-SECOND READING FILE -- ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 04/23/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
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AB 1997 (Lee) Land use: housing development approvals: timelines and processes. (Amended
04/27/2026)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or
cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report (EIR) on a
project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the
environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect.
CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may
have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that
effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant
effect on the environment. The Permit Streamlining Act sets forth various procedures for the review
and approval of development project applications. Among other things, the act requires a public
agency that is the lead agency for a development project to approve or disapprove the project
within a specified period of time, which varies depending on the project’s phase in the CEQA
process. This bill would additionally require approval or disapproval of a housing development
project within 30 days from the date of certification by the lead agency of the EIR, if the EIR is
prepared pursuant to specified provisions of CEQA if certain other conditions are met. By imposing
additional duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/27/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/22/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
AB 2012 (Hoover) Vehicles: transportation of manufactured homes. (Amended 04/22/2026)
Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation or a local authority to issue a special or
annual permit for the transporting of a manufactured home that does not exceed 14 feet in total
width, exclusive of lights and devices, upon any highway, as specified. Existing law prescribes
specified requirements and conditions for transporting the above-described manufactured homes,
and makes it unlawful for a person to violate any of the terms or conditions of the above-described
permits. This bill would instead require the department or the local authority to issue the above-
described permits for manufactured homes under specified conditions. The bill would clarify that a
special permit is not required to move a manufactured home if the applicant has obtained an
annual permit. By requiring local jurisdictions to modify their approval processes for the above-
described permits, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other
related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/22/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
AB 2051 (Wicks) Public resources: Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group. (Amended
03/25/2026)
Existing law establishes the Natural Resources Agency and vests the agency with jurisdiction over
various public resources. Existing law establishes the California Environmental Protection Agency
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and sets out its mission for programs, policies, and standards. Under existing law, various state
entities, including the California Coastal Commission, the California Environmental Protection
Agency, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife have responsibilities with respect to coastal
permitting and development. This bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency,
in consultation with the Secretary for Environmental Protection, to convene a Coastal Resilience
Permitting Working Group for the purpose of developing a Coastal Resilience Permitting Roadmap
for coastal resilience projects proposed in specified areas. The bill would require the Coastal
Resilience Permitting Working Group to consist of representatives from federal, state, and local
agencies, including, among others, the California Coastal Commission, the California
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The bill would, on or
before January 1, 2028, require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to submit the
Coastal Resilience Permitting Roadmap to the Governor and the relevant fiscal and policy
committees of the Legislature. The bill would require, on or before April 1, 2027, the Secretary of
the Natural Resources Agency, in collaboration with the California Coastal Commission, the San
Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the Department of Fish and Wildlife,
and the California Regional Water Quality Boards with jurisdiction over the coast and the San
Francisco Bay, to convene a Coastal Resilience Permit Advisory Group to support the deliberations
of the Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group. (Based on 03/25/2026 text)
Location: 04/29/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 2094 (Harabedian) Social Housing Strategy and Implementation Program. (Amended
04/08/2026)
Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (department)
and, pursuant to the Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025, which became effective on July
5, 2025, transfers the department to the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, effective
July 1, 2026, for purposes of carrying out state housing policies and programs. Existing law,
commonly referred to as the Surplus Land Act, prescribes requirements for the disposal of surplus
land by a local agency, as defined, and requires, except as provided, a local agency disposing of
surplus land to comply with certain notice requirements before disposing of the land or
participating in negotiations to dispose of the land with a prospective transferee. As part of these
procedures, existing law requires that the local agency send a notice of availability to housing
sponsors, as defined, that have notified the department of their interest in surplus land, as
specified. This bill would require the department to establish a dedicated social housing
coordinator to lead social housing strategy and implementation. In leading social housing strategy
and implementation, the bill would require the dedicated social housing coordinator to, among
other things, inventory and prioritize surplus public land suitable for social housing development.
The bill would define “social housing development” as housing developed pursuant to the bill’s
provisions that is owned by a public entity, provides housing affordable to a mix of household
income levels, and preserves long-term affordability. The bill would require the dedicated social
housing coordinator to compile findings for social housing strategy and implementation, as
specified, and post the findings on the department’s internet website. The bill would require the
department, by January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature with actionable
recommendations based on the social housing strategy and implementation program findings, as
described above. (Based on 04/08/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
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AB 2152 (González, Mark) California Environmental Quality Act: essential local fire station
projects: judicial streamlining. (Amended 04/15/2026)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or
cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project
that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to
adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires
a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant
effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is
no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the
environment. This bill would authorize an essential local fire station project, as defined, to be
eligible for judicial streamlining, if the lead agency, at its discretion, makes specified
determinations based upon substantial evidence in the record regarding the project, including the
determination that the project will employ best practices to avoid or mitigate significant
environmental effects, as provided. The bill would require the lead agency, upon determination
that a project, activity, or approval is eligible for judicial streamlining pursuant to these provisions,
to file a notice of determination with specified content with the Office of Land Use and Climate
Innovation, as provided. The bill would require the Judicial Council to, on or before July 1, 2027,
adopt rules of court that apply to any action or proceeding brought to attack, review, set aside,
void, or annul the certification of an environmental impact report, mitigated negative declaration,
or negative declaration for an essential local fire station project, including any potential appeals to
the court of appeal or the Supreme Court, to be resolved, to the extent feasible, within 365
calendar days of the filing of the certified record of proceedings with the court. (Based
on 04/15/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 2170 (Boerner) California Environmental Quality Act: overburdened communities: notices
and hearings: translations. (Amended 04/22/2026)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or
cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project
that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to
adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires
a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant
effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is
no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the
environment. Existing law requires a lead agency to be responsible for determining whether the
project is exempt from CEQA and whether an environmental impact report, negative declaration, or
mitigated negative declaration is required, as provided. Existing law, for certain projects,
establishes a ministerial review process with modified environmental assessment procedures, as
provided. This bill, notwithstanding the above-described provisions relating to determinations by a
lead agency, would require an environmental impact report, negative declaration, or mitigated
negative declaration, as determined by the lead agency, for any project, except as provided, that
includes the development, intensification, or substantial expansion of an industrial use if the
project is located in or within1/2 mile of an overburdened community, as defined. The bill would
disqualify these projects from receiving a statutory exemption or ministerial review process.
Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of this requirement, the bill
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would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and
other existing laws. (Based on 04/22/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 2296 (Papan) Planning and zoning: housing element: regional housing needs allocation.
(Amended 04/16/2026)
Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each county and city to adopt a
comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, which
includes, among other mandatory elements, a housing element. Existing law authorizes at least 2
or more cities and a county, or counties, at least 28 months prior to the scheduled housing element
revision, to form a subregional entity to allocate the subregion’s existing and projected housing
need among its members. If the council of governments does not receive a notification of this
formation at least 28 months prior to the update, existing law requires the council of governments
to implement specified requirements regarding the regional housing need process. Existing law
requires the council of governments to determine the share of regional housing need assigned to
each delegate subregion at least 25 months prior to the scheduled revision. This bill would extend
the above-described timeline for cities and counties to form a subregional entity to allocate the
subregion’s housing need, as provided, from 28 months to 34 months, and the above-described
timeline for the council of governments to determine the share of regional housing need assigned
to each subregion from 25 months to 31 months, respectively. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/16/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
Position: Support
Notes1:
4/14: City approved stance on bill. 4/16: SG and KB confirmed stance in weekly meeting. 4/17: KB
sent City draft of the letter. 4/22/26: II testified in support on behalf of the city in Assembly Local
Government committee. 4/28/26: KB submitted letter of support to delegation and portal
(Assembly Appropriations Committee, Assembly Local Government Committee, and Assembly
Housing and Community Development Committee).
AB 2373 (Dixon) The California Coastal Act: local coastal program: sea level rise plan:
neighborhood-scale adaptation approach. (Amended 04/22/2026)
The California Coastal Act of 1976 generally requires each local government lying in whole or in
part within the coastal zone to prepare a local coastal program for that portion of the coastal zone
within its jurisdiction. The act requires a land use plan of a proposed local coastal program to be
submitted to the California Coastal Commission for certification. Existing law requires local
governments lying in whole or in part within the coastal zone to, on or before January 1, 2034,
develop a sea level rise plan with specified required content as part of a local coastal program that
is subject to approval by the California Coastal Commission. This bill would authorize local
governments lying, in whole or in part, within the coastal zone to include a neighborhood-scale
adaptation approach, as defined, when including land use policies and implementation measures
in their local coastal program or sea level rise plan, as provided. The bill would authorize the
neighborhood-scale adaptation approach to include, but not be limited to, the identification of
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areas and assets that are subject to the approach, as specified, and policies that reflect the shared
planning features and specific preferred adaptation strategies for different areas or development
types based on the geophysical and land use characteristics intended to minimize, mitigate, or
avoid coastal impacts. (Based on 04/22/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
Position: Support
Notes1:
4/14: City approved stance on bill. 4/16: SG and KB confirmed stance in weekly meeting. 4/17: KB
sent City draft of the letter. 4/28: KB submitted letter to portal and delegation (Assembly Natural
Resources Committee, Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 2415 (Hoover) Transit-oriented housing developments: alternative plans. (Amended
04/23/2026)
Existing law requires a housing development project to be an allowed use as a transit-oriented
housing development on any site zoned for residential, mixed, or commercial development within
prescribed distances of a transit-oriented development stop if the development complies with
specified requirements. Existing law applies these provisions to a local agency beginning July 1,
2026, unless the local agency adopts an ordinance or local transit-oriented development
alternative plan, as specified. Existing law prescribes requirements for these plans, including
requiring that the plan not reduce the capacity in any transit-oriented development zone in total
units or residential floor area by more than 50%. Existing law defines various terms for these
purposes. This bill would provide that a transit-oriented development alternative plan may reduce
the capacity in up to one transit-oriented development zone in total units or residential floor area
by more than 50% if certain requirements are met. (Based on 04/23/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #157 A-THIRD READING FILE - ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 05/04/2026 - Assembly Third Reading
AB 2433 (Alvarez) Housing development: density bonus. (Amended 04/22/2026)
Existing law, commonly referred to as the Density Bonus Law, requires a city or county to grant a
density bonus, other incentives or concessions, and waivers or reductions of development
standards, as specified, to an applicant for a housing development when the applicant seeks a
density bonus for the housing development, as specified, if the applicant agrees to construct,
among other things, a specified percentage of units for very low income, lower income, or senior
citizen housing, and meets other requirements. This bill would, instead, require a city or county to
grant a density bonus, other incentives or concessions, and waivers or reductions of development
standards, as specified, to an applicant for a housing development when the applicant submits an
application for a housing development that a city, county, or city and county determines meets
specified criteria, including, among others, the housing development includes specified
percentage of units for very low income, lower income, or senior citizen housing. This bill contains
other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/22/2026 text)
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Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
Position: Watch
Notes1:
4/16/26: KB marked as watch per client request.
AB 2576 (Harabedian) Transit-oriented development. (Amended 04/16/2026)
Existing law provides that a housing development project shall be an allowed use as a transit-
oriented housing development if specified conditions and requirements are met. Existing law
provides that these provisions do not apply to a local agency until January 1, 2026, unless the local
agency adopts an ordinance or local transit-oriented development alternative plan, as defined,
deemed compliant by the Department of Housing and Community Development before July 1,
2026. Existing law specifies that, beginning on January 1, 2027, a local government that denies a
housing development project meeting the requirements referenced above that is located in a high-
resource area is presumed to be in violation of specified law and immediately liable for specified
penalties. Existing law specifies exclusions from the provisions described above, including a site
with a historic resource designated as of January 1, 2025, on a local register. This bill would also
exclude from the provisions described above, a contributing site within a historic district included
on the State Historic Resources Inventory designated before January 1, 2025, and a parcel
individually listed as a historical resource included on the State Historic Resources Inventory
designated before January 1, 2025. (Based on 04/16/2026 text)
Location: 05/05/2026 - Senate Rules
AB 2601 (Lee) Planning and zoning: housing development: streamlined approval and
subdivisions. (Amended 04/16/2026)
Under the Planning and Zoning Law, the legislative body of a city or county may adopt ordinances
that, among other things, regulate the use of buildings, structures, and land, as provided. The
Subdivision Map Act vests the authority to regulate and control the design and improvement of
subdivisions in the legislative body of a local agency and sets forth procedures governing the local
agency’s processing, approval, conditional approval or disapproval, and filing of tentative, final,
and parcel maps. Existing law requires a local agency to consider ministerially a proposed housing
development containing no more than 2 residential units within a single-family residential zone,
without discretionary review or a hearing, if the proposed housing development meets specified
requirements. Existing law requires a local agency to ministerially approve a parcel map for an
urban lot split if the parcel meets specified requirements. This bill would require that an
application for a proposed housing development containing no more than 2 residential units within
a single-family residential zone, as described above, be eligible for concurrent processing with an
application for a parcel map for an urban lot split, as provided. The bill would authorize a local
agency to condition issuance of building permits, grading permits, or certificates of occupancy for
a proposed housing development upon the applicant first obtaining approval and recording a
parcel map for eligible parcels pursuant to the above-described urban lot split provisions. The bill
would allow the primary dwellings in an urban lot split under these provisions to be developed or
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converted to condominiums upon request of the applicant, as specified, or, if the housing
development includes an existing unit, allow the applicant to request a condominium conversion
for that unit pursuant to state and local law. The bill would specify that a “parcel map” for purposes
of these provisions means a parcel map prepared in accordance with specified provisions of the
Subdivision Map Act and may include a condominium plan if proposed by the subdivider, as
specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/16/2026 text)
Location: 05/05/2026 - Senate Rules
AB 2689 (Ávila Farías) Low-income housing tax credits: lease nonrenewal: good cause.
(Amended 04/30/2026)
Existing law, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, establishes a low-income
housing tax credit program through which the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee allocates
low-income housing tax credits aimed at providing affordable low-income housing within and
throughout the state. Existing federal law sets limitations and guidelines regarding what projects
are eligible for credits, including a requirement that an extended low-income housing commitment
is in effect, and a prohibition against eviction except for good cause. This bill would specify, for
housing projects where the low-income housing commitment requires 100% of the units, not
including any manager's units, to be restricted to lower income households, as defined, that good
cause for nonrenewal of a lease includes cases where the nonrenewal relates to a household
whose income exceeds 140% of the area median income for at least 2 consecutive years and 30%
of the household's monthly income exceeds the fair market rent for the county where they reside.
The bill would require an owner to provide notice of the potential of good cause for nonrenewal
described above if the household's income exceeds 140% of the area median income during any
income certification, as specified. The bill would also require an owner electing to not renew a
lease as described above to issue a notice of nonrenewal describing the basis of good cause for
nonrenewal at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the lease, as specified. This bill contains other
related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/30/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #153 A-THIRD READING FILE - ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 05/04/2026 - Assembly Third Reading
AB 2748 (Quirk-Silva) Building standards: affordable housing developments: electric vehicle
charging. (Introduced 02/20/2026)
Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards
for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law requires the building department of every city
or county to enforce within its jurisdiction all the provisions published in the California Building
Standards Code and the provisions of the State Housing Law, as provided. Existing law makes any
violation of the State Housing Law a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, by
imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or by both. This bill would exempt a new or existing
affordable housing development, as defined, for which a permit application is submitted between
January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2035, from the requirements for installation of low power Level
2 or higher electric vehicle charging receptacles in the 2025 California Green Building Standards
Code, as provided. The bill would, instead, require those affordable housing developments for
which a permit application is submitted between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2035, to
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comply with the applicable requirements for installation of low power Level 2 or higher electric
vehicle charging receptacles in the 2022 edition of the California Building Standards Code. The bill
would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2037. By adding to the duties of local officials, and by
expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (Based
on 02/20/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/22/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
SB 417 (Cabaldon) The Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026. (Amended 01/22/2026)
Under existing law, there are programs providing assistance for, among other things, emergency
housing, multifamily housing, farmworker housing, home ownership for very low and low-income
households, and downpayment assistance for first-time home buyers. Existing law also authorizes
the issuance of bonds in specified amounts pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law
and requires that proceeds from the sale of these bonds be used to finance various existing
housing programs, capital outlay related to infill development, brownfield cleanup that promotes
infill development, and housing-related parks. This bill would enact the Affordable Housing Bond
Act of 2026, which, if adopted, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of
$10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law. Proceeds from the sale of
these bonds would be used to finance programs to fund affordable rental housing and home
ownership programs, including, among others, the Multifamily Housing Program, the CalHome
Program, and the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program. This bill would provide for
submission of the bond act to the voters at the June 2, November 3, 2026, statewide primary
general election, in accordance with specified law. This bill would declare that it is to take effect
immediately as an urgency statute. (Based on 01/22/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/22/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
SB 677 (Wiener) Housing development: transit-oriented development. (Amended 01/08/2026)
Existing law requires that a housing development project, as defined, within a specified distance of
a transit-oriented development (TOD) stop, as defined, be an allowed use as a transit-oriented
housing development on any site zoned for residential, mixed, or commercial development, if the
development complies with certain applicable requirements, as provided. Among these
requirements, existing law establishes requirements concerning height limits, density, and
residential floor area ratio in accordance with a development’s proximity to specified tiers of TOD
stops, as provided, and requires a development to meet specified labor standards that require that
a specified affidavit be signed under penalty of perjury, under specified circumstances. Existing law
specifies that a development proposed pursuant to these provisions is eligible for streamlined,
ministerial approval, as provided. Existing law defines, among other terms, the term “high-
frequency commuter rail” for purposes of these provisions to mean a commuter rail service
operating a total of at least 48 trains per day across both directions, not including temporary
service changes of less than one month or unplanned disruptions, and not meeting the standard
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for very high frequency commuter rail, at any point in the past three years. Existing law also defines
the term “Tier 2 transit-oriented development stop” for these purposes to mean a TOD stop within
an urban transit county, as defined, excluding a Tier 1 transit-oriented development stop, as
defined, served by light rail transit, by high-frequency commuter rail, or by bus service meeting
specified standards. This bill would revise the definition of “high-frequency commuter rail” to
instead mean a public commuter or intercity rail station with a total of at least 48 passenger trains
on average per weekday across all directions, not including temporary service changes of less than
one month or unplanned disruptions, and not meeting the standard for very high frequency
commuter rail, at any point in the past three years. By increasing the duties of local officials, and by
expanding the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill
contains other existing laws. (Based on 01/08/2026 text)
Location: 01/26/2026 - Assembly Desk
Position: Oppose
Notes1:
1/13/26: EN tagged as oppose. 1/14/26: KR testified in opposition in Senate Local Government
Committee. 1/15/26: SG sent draft oppose letter to the City for review. 1/26/26: EN received final
Word draft of letter, finalized, and sent back to the City for their records. 1/26/26: DA submitted
letter to portal and delegation.
SB 722 (Wahab) Transit-oriented housing development: excluded parcels and sites. (Amended
01/15/2026)
Existing law requires that a housing development project, as defined, within a specified distance of
a transit-oriented development stop, as defined, be an allowed use as a transit-oriented housing
development on any site zoned for residential, mixed, or commercial development, if the
development complies with certain, applicable requirements, as provided. Among these
requirements, existing law prohibits a proposed development under these provisions from being
located on sites where the development would require demolition of housing, or that was
previously used for housing, that is subject to rent or price controls, as provided. This bill would
additionally prohibit the development from being located on an existing parcel of land or site
governed under the Mobilehome Residency Law, the Recreational Vehicle Park Occupancy Law,
the Mobilehome Parks Act, or the Special Occupancy Parks Act. This bill would declare that it is to
take effect immediately as an urgency statute. (Based on 01/15/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Assembly Housing And Community Development
Position: Support
Notes1:
1/14/26: DA tagged as support. 1/15/26: SG sent draft support letter to the City for review. 1/26/26:
EN received final Word draft of letter, finalized, and sent back to the City for their records. 1/26/26:
DA submitted letter to portal and delegation. 5/5/26: KB submitted letter to portal.
SB 996 (Padilla) Manufactured housing: classification as real property. (Amended 04/15/2026)
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The Mobilehome Parks Act requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to
establish regulations for manufactured home, mobilehome, and commercial modular foundation
systems. Existing law authorizes a manufactured home, mobilehome, or commercial modular to
be installed on a foundation system as either a fixture or improvement to the real property if certain
conditions are met. In this regard, existing law requires, among other things, a manufactured
home, mobilehome, or commercial modular owner or licensed contractor to obtain a building
permit from the appropriate enforcement agency before installing the manufactured home,
mobilehome, or commercial modular on a foundation system by, among other things, submitting
written evidence acceptable to the enforcement agency that the manufactured home,
mobilehome, or commercial modular owner owns, holds title to, or is purchasing the real property
where the mobilehome is to be installed on a foundation system. Existing law specifies that a lease
held by the owner, that is transferable, for the exclusive use of the real property where the
manufactured home, mobilehome, or commercial modular is to be installed, is deemed to comply
with that requirement if the lease is for a term of 35 years or more, or if fewer than 35 years, for a
term mutually agreed upon by the lessor and lessee, and the term of the lease is not revocable at
the discretion of the lessor except for cause, as specified. A willful violation of these provisions is a
crime. This bill would specify that the authorization to install a manufactured home, mobilehome,
or commercial modular as either a fixture or improvement to the real property applies to
permanent foundation systems. The bill would remove the agreements that are deemed to comply
with the requirement that the owner or contractor provide written evidence that the manufactured
home, mobilehome, or commercial modular owner owns, holds title to, or is purchasing the real
property where the mobilehome is to be installed. This bill contains other related provisions and
other existing laws. (Based on 04/15/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
SB 1014 (Grayson) Development projects: preliminary estimate of required improvements:
onsite and offsite improvements. (Amended 04/23/2026)
Existing law, the Permit Streamlining Act (act), sets forth various procedures for the review and
approval of development project applications, including, among other things, requiring each public
agency to compile one or more lists that specify in detail the information that will be required from
any applicant for a development project. The act also requires a city, county, or city and county to
deem an applicant for a housing development project to have submitted a preliminary application
upon providing specified information about the proposed project to the city, county, or city and
county from which approval for the project is being sought. This bill would permit an applicant who
submits a preliminary application for a housing development project, as specified, or an
application if a preliminary application is not submitted, to include in the preliminary application or
application a request for a preliminary estimate of required improvements, as provided. The bill
would require a city, county, or city and county that receives a request under these provisions to
provide the preliminary estimate within 30 business days of the submission of the request, as
provided. The bill, within 30 business days of deeming an application for a postentitlement phase
permit complete, would additionally require the city, county, or city and county to provide the
applicant with an itemized list of all onsite and offsite improvements that will be required prior to
issuance of, or otherwise in connection with, that permit, as provided. The bill would define various
terms for these purposes. By imposing new duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-
mandated local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address
a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities,
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including charter cities. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/23/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Senate Appropriations
Position: Oppose
Notes1:
4/14: City approved stance on bill. 4/16: SG and KB confirmed stance in weekly meeting. 4/17: KB
sent City draft of the letter. 4/28: KB submitted letter to delegation and portal (Senate Housing
Committee, Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Local Government Committee)
SB 1016 (Blakespear) Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court
Program and court-ordered evaluations. (Amended 04/28/2026)
Existing law, the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act (CARE Act),
authorizes specified persons, including a person with whom the respondent resides, family
members, and first responders, among others, to petition a civil court to create a voluntary CARE
agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan and implement services, to be provided by county
behavioral health agencies, to provide behavioral health care, including stabilization medication,
housing, and other enumerated services, to adults who are currently experiencing a severe mental
illness and have a diagnosis identified in the disorder class schizophrenia and other psychotic
disorders, or bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, and who meet other specified criteria.
Existing law requires the Judicial Council to develop a mandatory form for use to file a CARE
process petition with the court and any other forms necessary for the CARE process, to be signed
under the penalty of perjury, and requires the form to contain certain information, including either a
specified affidavit of a licensed behavioral health professional or evidence the respondent was
detained for a minimum of two intensive treatments pursuant to specified provisions of law. This
bill would, among other things, authorize a petitioner of a CARE Act petition to request that the
court order a mental health evaluation under the LPS Act if the petitioner believes that the person
may not be willing or able to participate in the CARE process and a CARE plan or CARE agreement
due to the severity of their mental disorder or lack of insight into their mental disorder, and would
require the Judicial Council to include on the mandatory petition form an option for the petitioner to
request that evaluation. The bill would authorize the court to issue an order for a mental health
evaluation under the LPS Act if the CARE Act petition or report prepared by the county behavioral
health agency establishes probable cause to support the evaluation and the respondent will not
voluntarily receive crisis intervention services or an evaluation, as specified. The bill would also
make other technical, conforming changes. By expanding the crime of perjury and imposing a
higher level of service on counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/28/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Senate Appropriations
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SB 1036 (Grayson) Mitigation Fee Act. (Amended 04/16/2026)
Existing law, the Mitigation Fee Act, imposes various requirements with respect to the
establishment, increase, or imposition of a fee by a local agency as a condition of approval of a
development project, including requiring the local agency to identify the use to which the fee is to
be put and determine how there is a reasonable relationship between the fee’s use and the type of
development project on which the fee is imposed. This bill would require the amount of a fee that is
imposed on a development project that demolishes or changes an existing use to be offset to
account for the demolition or change so that the amount of the fee is attributable only to the
development project’s incremental impact on public facilities or services, as provided. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/16/2026 text)
Location: 04/27/2026 - Assembly Desk
Position: Watch
SB 1117 (Cervantes) Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units.
(Introduced 02/17/2026)
Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, among other things, provides for the creation by
ordinance, or by ministerial approval if the local agency has not adopted an ordinance, of an
accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in accordance with specified standards and conditions. Existing law
requires fees charged for the construction of ADUs to be determined in accordance with specified
provisions of the Mitigation Fee Act. Existing law prohibits a local agency, special district, or water
corporation from imposing any impact fee upon the development of an ADU that has 750 square
feet of interior livable space or less, and requires any impact fees charged for an ADU that has
more than 750 square feet of interior livable space to be charged proportionately in relation to the
square footage of the primary dwelling unit. This bill would additionally require the charge to be
based only on the area in excess of 750 square feet of interior livable space. By changing the duties
of local agencies with regard to calculating fees for ADUs, the bill would impose a state-mandated
local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter
of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including
charter cities. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 02/17/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #79 S-SENATE BILLS -THIRD READING FILE
Location: 05/05/2026 - Senate Third Reading
SB 1122 (Arreguín) Planning and zoning: annual progress report: accessory dwelling unit
ordinances. (Amended 04/20/2026)
Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each county and each city to adopt a
comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, and
specified land outside its boundaries, that includes, among other specified mandatory elements, a
housing element. That law requires the planning agency of a city or county to provide by April 1 of
each year an annual report to, among other entities, the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation,
formerly known as the Office of Planning and Research, and the Department of Housing and
Community Development that includes, among other specified information, the number of units of
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housing demolished and new units of housing that have been issued a completed entitlement, a
building permit, or a certificate of occupancy, thus far in the housing element cycle, as specified.
The Planning and Zoning Law also provides for the creation by local ordinance, or by ministerial
approval if a local agency has not adopted an ordinance, of accessory dwelling units in areas zoned
for single-family or multifamily dwelling residential use in accordance with specified standards and
conditions. This bill would require a city or county that has an accessory dwelling unit ordinance to
submit as part of their annual report the code section where that ordinance is located and the date
the ordinance was enacted or most recently updated. By increasing the scope of data required to
be reported in the annual report, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/20/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
SB 1169 (Grayson) Subdivision Map Act: tentative maps: expiration dates. (Amended
04/08/2026)
Existing law, the Subdivision Map Act, (act) vests the authority to regulate and control the design
and improvement of subdivisions in the legislative body of a local agency and sets forth procedures
governing the processing, approval, conditional approval or disapproval, and filing of tentative
maps, among other maps. Existing law requires a vesting tentative map to be filed and processed in
the same manner as a tentative map, except as specified. The act generally requires a subdivider to
file a tentative map with the local agency, as specified, and the local agency, in turn, to approve,
conditionally approve, or disapprove the map within a specified time period. Under existing law, an
approved tentative map expires 24 months after its approval or conditional approval. Existing law
authorizes the approval or conditional approval to be extended up to 24 months pursuant to local
ordinance, and by 48 months, as provided, if the subdivider is required to expend more than a
certain amount of money to construct, improve, or finance the construction or improvement of
public improvements outside the property boundaries of the tentative map, as provided. Existing
law prohibits those extensions from extending the tentative map more than 10 years from its
approval or conditional approval, except as specified. This bill would extend the initial expiration
period of an approved or conditionally approved tentative map to 8 years, except as provided. The
bill would remove the authorization to extend the approval or conditional approval by 48 months if
the subdivider is required to expend more than a certain amount of money to construct, improve,
or finance the construction or improvement of public improvements outside the property
boundaries of the tentative map. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill
address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all
cities, including charter cities. By adding to the duties of local planning officials, this bill would
impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws. (Based on 04/08/2026 text)
Location: 04/30/2026 - Assembly Desk
SB 1272 (Menjivar) Local ordinances: administrative fines or penalties. (Amended 04/30/2026)
Existing law authorizes the legislative body of a local agency, as defined, to, by ordinance, make
any violation of an ordinance subject to an administrative fine or penalty. Existing law requires a
local agency to set forth, by ordinance, the administrative procedures that govern the imposition,
enforcement, collection, and administrative review of those administrative fines or penalties. This
bill would require, for any violation pertaining to building, plumbing, electrical, or other similar
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structural or zoning issues, that do not create an immediate danger to health or safety, of any
ordinance enacted by the local agency, the reasonable period of time to correct or otherwise
remedy the violation to be no less than 6 months if certain conditions are met, including that the
current owner of the property submits a sworn affidavit that the current owner was not responsible
for any action that caused the violation and that the current owner had no knowledge of the
violation at the time the owner took title to the property. By requiring a sworn affidavit, the bill
would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/30/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appropriations
SB 1318 (Allen) Coastal resources: local coastal program: coastal development permit: non-
owner-occupied short-term rentals. (Amended 04/27/2026)
The California Coastal Act of 1976 generally requires each local government lying in whole or in
part within the coastal zone to prepare a local coastal program for that portion of the coastal zone
within its jurisdiction. The act establishes the California Coastal Commission and prescribes
procedures for the preparation, approval, and certification of local coastal programs. The act
requires any proposed amendments to a certified local coastal program to be submitted to, and
processed by, the commission in accordance with specified procedures. The act generally requires
anyone wishing to perform or undertake any development in the coastal zone to obtain a coastal
development permit from the commission before certification of the local coastal program or to a
local government after certification of a local coastal program, as provided. The act finds and
declares that it is important for the commission to encourage the protection of existing and the
provision of new affordable housing opportunities for persons of low and moderate income in the
coastal zone and requires the commission to encourage housing opportunities for persons of low
and moderate income. This bill would, notwithstanding specific provisions of the act, require the
commission to approve a coastal development permit or a local coastal program amendment
submitted by a local government restricting or prohibiting non-owner-occupied short-term rentals,
regardless of the availability of other visitor-serving accommodations, if the local agency made
findings that it was necessary to address significant local housing needs and the commission
determines that the permit or amendment strikes a reasonable balance between local housing
needs and public access to the coast. (Based on 04/27/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Senate Appropriations
Position: Support
Notes1:
4/14: City approved stance on bill. 4/16: SG and KB confirmed stance in weekly meeting. 4/17: KB
sent City draft of the letter. 4/28: KB sent letter to delegation and portal (Senate Appropriations
Committee, Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, Senate Rules Committee
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POU-Energy
AB 2289 (Boerner) Public utilities: Public Utilities Commission: telecommunications:
broadband internet access service. (Amended 04/09/2026)
The California Constitution establishes the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which consists of 5
members appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate. The California Constitution
authorizes the PUC to establish its own procedures and authorizes a commissioner as designated
by the PUC to hold a hearing or investigation or issue an order subject to PUC approval. This bill
would require the Governor, in appointing members of the PUC, to ensure a diverse composition of
commissioners by considering factors that contribute to diversity, as provided. The bill would
recodify as a statutory provision the PUC’s authority to establish its own procedures and the
authority of a commissioner to hold a hearing or investigation or issue an order subject to PUC
approval. The bill would specify that the recodification only becomes operative if ACA 9 of the
2025–26 Regular Session is approved by the voters, becomes operative, and repeals the
corresponding provision in the California Constitution. This bill contains other related provisions
and other existing laws. (Based on 04/09/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
Public Safety and EMS
AB 762 (Irwin) Disposable, battery-embedded vapor inhalation device: prohibition. (Amended
01/26/2026)
Existing law regulates the manufacture, sale, and disposal of various single-use products,
including single-use foodware accessories and condiments and single-use carryout bags. Existing
law prohibits a store from, among other things, providing, distributing, or selling a carryout bag at
the point of sale, except as specified. Existing law defines terms for these purposes. This bill would
prohibit, beginning January 1, 2027, a person from importing or manufacturing for sale in this state
a new or refurbished disposable, battery-embedded vapor inhalation device, and, beginning
January 1, 2028, a person from selling, distributing, or offering for sale a new or refurbished
disposable, battery-embedded vapor inhalation device in this state. The bill would define a
“disposable, battery-embedded vapor inhalation device” to mean a vaporization device that
contains nicotine but not cannabis or a cannabis product, as defined, and that is not designed or
intended to be reused, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing
laws. (Based on 01/26/2026 text)
Location: 01/29/2026 - Senate Rules
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AB 1605 (Ransom) Driving under the influence: alcohol sales. (Amended 04/28/2026)
Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, provides for the issuance, suspension,
revocation, and conditions upon licensure for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic
beverages. Existing law makes every person who sells, furnishes, gives, or causes to be sold,
furnished or given away any alcoholic beverage to any person under 21 years of age guilty of a
misdemeanor. Existing law also makes it unlawful for a person who is under the influence of any
alcoholic beverage or drug, or the combined influence of both, to drive a vehicle and requires a
court, when granting probation following conviction of a driving under the influence offense, to
impose certain terms and conditions, including that the individual not drive a vehicle with any
measurable amount of alcohol in their blood, among others. This bill would require everyone who
sells or furnishes alcoholic beverages to first review bona fide evidence of majority and identity, as
described. The bill would authorize a court when granting probation for certain driving under the
influence offenses to prohibit the person from purchasing alcohol and would require the
Department of Motor Vehicles to issue an identification card or driver’s license with an appropriate
designation on the face upon the receipt of an abstract of the record of a court. The bill would
authorize the court to prohibit the purchase of alcohol when the offense occurred within 10 years
of 2 or more driving under the influence offenses that resulted in conviction or certain other prior
convictions, or if the conviction was for vehicular manslaughter, as specified. The bill would require
a seller of alcoholic beverages to refuse to sell or serve someone subject to such an order. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/28/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/22/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
AB 1667 (Boerner) Serious felonies: furnishing fentanyl to a minor. (Introduced 01/29/2026)
Existing law, as added by the Victims’ Bill of Rights, approved as Proposition 8 at the June 8, 1982,
statewide primary election, and as amended by the Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention
Act of 1998, approved as Proposition 21 at the March 7, 2000, statewide primary election, among
other things, defines a serious felony. Existing law prohibits plea bargaining in a case in which a
serious felony is charged and imposes a 5-year enhancement for conviction of a serious felony if
the person has previously been convicted of a serious felony. This bill would include furnishing
fentanyl and fentanyl analogs to a minor within the definition of a serious felony. By expanding the
scope of an enhancement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 01/29/2026 text)
Location: 04/08/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
Position: Support
Notes1:
3/6/26: EN tagged as support; EN received final letter, submitted to portal, and sent to delegation.
3/10/26: DA appeared at Asm. Public Safety Committee to express support for the bill.
AB 1753 (Stefani) Protective orders: firearms and ammunition: notice and procedures.
(Amended 04/16/2026)
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Existing law establishes procedures by which a person may petition the court for certain protective
or restraining orders, including civil harassment restraining orders, domestic violence restraining
orders, elder or dependent adult abuse restraining orders, gun violence restraining orders,
postsecondary school restraining orders, and workplace violence restraining orders, to enjoin a
restrained person from taking specified actions. Before a hearing on the issuance or denial of a
domestic violence restraining order or gun violence restraining order, existing law requires the
court to ensure that a search has been conducted to determine, among other things, if the subject
of the proposed order owns or possesses a firearm as reflected in the Department of Justice
Automated Firearms System. If after the search, the court finds that the subject of the proposed
order owns or possesses a firearm, existing law requires the court to make a written record as to
whether the subject has relinquished the firearm and provided proof of the required storage, sale,
or relinquishment of the firearm. Upon a court’s issuance of such a protective order, existing law
requires the restrained person to relinquish any firearm and ammunition in that person’s
immediate possession or control, according to specified procedures. Existing law prescribes
procedures by which the restrained person must certify compliance with the court, and for the
court to determine, by a preponderance of the evidence, whether the person has a firearm in
violation of the order. This bill would make clarifying and conforming changes to the procedures
relating to the protective or restraining orders described above by explicitly requiring the restrained
person to relinquish, in addition to any firearm, any ammunition in that person’s immediate
possession or control. The bill would require courts to permit a party, support person, or witness to
appear remotely at a hearing for a postsecondary educational institution or workplace violence
restraining order at no cost. This bill would also require courts to develop rules and instructions for
such remote appearances and to post them on its website. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/16/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
AB 1941 (González, Mark) Organized metal theft. (Amended 03/26/2026)
Existing law makes a person who is a dealer in or collector of junk, metals, or secondhand
materials, or their agent, employee, or representative, who buys or receives any wire, cable,
copper, lead, solder, mercury, iron, or brass that the person knows or reasonably should know is
used by or belongs to specified entities, including a railroad, certain utility companies, or a public
entity engaged in furnishing public utility service, without using due diligence to ascertain that the
person selling or delivering that material has a legal right to do so, guilty of criminally receiving that
property and, in addition to imprisonment, makes that act punishable by a fine of not more than
$5,000. This bill would prohibit organized metal theft, described as acting in concert with one or
more persons to steal metal materials from one or more of specified materials and items with the
intent to sell, exchange, or return those metal materials for value, acting in concert with 2 or more
persons to receive, purchase, or possess those metal materials knowing or believing it to have
been stolen, acting as an agent of another to steal those metal materials as part of an organized
plan to commit theft, or recruiting, coordinating, organizing, supervising, directing, managing, or
financing another to undertake acts of theft of metal. The bill would make a violation of organized
metal theft punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony. The bill would make related findings
and declarations and state the intent of the Legislature. By creating new crimes, the bill would
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impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws. (Based on 03/26/2026 text)
Location: 04/15/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 2556 (Boerner) Evidence: credibility of witnesses and evidence affected or excluded by
extrinsic policies. (Introduced 02/20/2026)
Existing law sets forth the procedure by which, in any prosecution for rape or other specified sexual
offenses, evidence of sexual conduct of the complaining witness may be offered to attack the
credibility of the complaining witness. This procedure involves, among other things, the filing of a
written motion by the defendant, accompanied by an affidavit filed under seal stating an offer of
proof, and, if the court determines that the offer is sufficient, a hearing out of the presence of the
jury regarding the offer of proof. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court may make an order
stating what evidence may be introduced by the defendant. Under existing law, these procedures
do not apply if the specified offenses are alleged to have occurred in a local detention facility or
state prison, as defined. This bill would remove this exception, thereby also applying these
procedures to specified offenses alleged to have occurred in a local detention facility or state
prison. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 02/20/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Senate Public Safety
SB 758 (Umberg) Public health: nitrous oxide. (Amended 01/22/2026)
Existing law, the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act of 2003, requires a retailer, as
defined, to hold a license from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to engage
in the sale of cigarettes or tobacco products. A violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. This
bill would expand those provisions to prohibit a retailer from selling nitrous oxide in any retail
location, subject to certain exceptions. By expanding the definition of an existing crime, this bill
would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and
other existing laws. (Based on 01/22/2026 text)
Location: 01/27/2026 - Assembly Desk
Position: Support
Notes1:
4/14: City approved stance on bill. 4/16: SG and KB confirmed stance in weekly meeting. 4/17: KB
sent City draft of the letter. 4/28: KB submitted letter to portal and delegation (Senate
Appropriations Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, Senate Public Safety Committee)
SB 936 (Blakespear) Nitrous oxide: sales. (Amended 04/28/2026)
Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to possess nitrous oxide with the intent of inhaling it for
specified purposes, including to cause intoxication. Existing law also makes it a misdemeanor to
sell nitrous oxide to any person under 18 years of age. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to
dispense nitrous oxide to a person and knowing that the person will use it for specified prohibited
purposes, if that person then causes death or great bodily injury to themselves or another person.
This bill would, except as specifically exempted, prohibit the sale and distribution of a nitrous oxide
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container that is capable of holding more than 8 grams of nitrous oxide or from which an individual
may directly inhale nitrous oxide. The bill would also prohibit the sale and distribution of a nitrous
oxide that has, or is marketed as having, the taste or smell of any food. The bill would prohibit
knowingly selling or distributing a device that allows an individual to inhale nitrous oxide from the
container or hold nitrous oxide for the purposes of inhalation. The bill would punish a violation of
these provisions as an infraction, as specified. The bill would also authorize a court to suspend the
business license, including a license to sell tobacco products or cannabis, if the business has a
prior conviction for violating these prohibitions. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws. (Based on 04/28/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
SB 1013 (Cervantes) Automated license plate recognition systems. (Amended 03/25/2026)
Existing law prohibits a public agency, which includes the state, a city, a county, a city and county,
or any agency or political subdivision of the state, a city, a county, or a city and county, including,
but not limited to, a law enforcement agency, from selling, sharing, or transferring automated
license plate recognition (ALPR) information, except to another public agency, and only as
otherwise permitted by law. Existing law defines ALPR information as information or data collected
through the use of an ALPR system. This bill would provide that “public agency” does not include a
transportation agency, a public transit operator, or a local department of transportation or public
works department, as specified. The bill would, beginning January 1, 2027, require new, updated,
expansions of, or addendums of contractual agreements with ALPR vendors, manufacturers, or
suppliers to mandate that no default access is provided to any national ALPR database and that an
agency’s collected scans are by default not accessible to any other agency, and would impose new
requirements on sharing between California state law enforcement agencies. The bill would
authorize a law enforcement agency to use ALPR information only for purposes of locating vehicles
or persons when either are reasonably suspected of being involved in the commission of a public
offense. The bill would prohibit a public agency from retaining ALPR information for more than 30
days after the date of collection if it does not match information on an authorized hot list, as
defined, and as of January 1, 2027, would require a public agency to delete all ALPR information
that has been held for more than 30 days and does not match information on an authorized hot list
within 14 days. By imposing new requirements on public agencies, which include local agencies,
this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (Based on 03/25/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
SB 1156 (Caballero) Vehicles: driving under the influence. (Amended 04/09/2026)
Existing law makes it a crime to operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and
sets forth the penalties for a violation of these provisions. Under existing law, if a person is
convicted of a driving under the influence violation and the offense occurs within 10 years of one or
more separate driving under the influence violations that resulted in convictions, the offense is
subject to escalating fines, suspensions, and other sanctions. This bill would require a court, when
imposing a sentence for certain driving under the influence offenses to prohibit the person from
purchasing alcohol for a period of 3 to 10 years. The bill would require the court to consider certain
factors in imposing the prohibition. (Based on 04/09/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
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Transportation and Public Works
AB 1421 (Wilson) Vehicles: Road Usage Charge Technical Advisory Committee. (Amended
01/05/2026)
Existing law requires the Chair of the California Transportation Commission to create a Road Usage
Charge Technical Advisory Committee in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation to guide
the development and evaluation of a pilot program assessing the potential for mileage-based
revenue collection as an alternative to the gas tax system. Existing law additionally requires the
Transportation Agency, in consultation with the commission, to implement the pilot program, as
specified. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2027. This bill would require the
commission, in consultation with the Transportation Agency, to consolidate and prepare research
and recommendations related to a road user charge or a mileage-based fee system. The bill would
require the commission to submit a report, as specified, on the research and recommendations
described above to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by no later than
January 1, 2027. The bill would require the commission to consult with appropriate state agencies
and other stakeholders, as specified, in preparing the research and recommendations and report
described above. (Based on 01/05/2026 text)
Location: 01/29/2026 - Senate Rules
AB 1557 (Papan) Vehicles: electric bicycles. (Amended 04/16/2026)
Existing law defines an electric bicycle as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an
electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts of power. Existing law classifies electric bicycles into
3 classes with different restrictions. Existing law defines a “class 1 electric bicycle” as a bicycle
equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, that is not capable
of exclusively propelling the bicycle, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle
reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. Existing defines a “class 2 electric bicycle” as a bicycle
equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and that is not capable of
providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. Existing law defines
a “class 3 electric bicycle” as a bicycle equipped with a speedometer and a motor that, in pertinent
part, provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance
when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime.
This bill would instead define a class 1 electric bicycle as a bicycle equipped with a motor that
provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, that is not capable of exclusively propelling the
bicycle, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 16 miles per
hour. The bill would define a class 2 electric bicycle as a bicycle equipped with a motor that may be
used exclusively to propel the bicycle, and that is not capable of providing assistance when the
bicycle reaches the speed of 16 miles per hour. The bill would provide that, notwithstanding these
definitions, an electric bicycle manufactured prior to January 1, 2027, that was equipped with a
motor that is not capable of exceeding 750 watts of continuous power and otherwise met the legal
requirements for the relevant class at the time of manufacture shall retain its classification. This
bill would authorize a cargo electric bicycle to be equipped with an electric motor with a maximum
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continuously rated power of 750 watts. The bill would define a cargo electric bicycle as an electric
bicycle that is built with a reinforced frame and integrated rack or platform designed to transport
goods or additional persons. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing
laws. (Based on 04/16/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
Position: Support
Notes1:
2/10/26: EN tagged as support. 2/13/26: EN sent draft support letter to the City for review. 2/24/26:
EN followed up on draft letter. 02/27/26: DA submitted letter to portal and delegation. 03/26/26: SG
sent revised letter to the City. To be discussed further at check in. 04/01/26: KB submitted letter of
support to delegation and transportation committee. 4/13/26: CS called author's office; bill moved
to 4/20 hearing. 4/21/26: EN gave support testimony in Asm Judiciary.
AB 1569 (Davies) Pupil safety: electric bicycle: safety and training program. (Amended
04/13/2026)
Existing law establishes the State Department of Education in state government, and vests the
department with specified powers and duties relating to the state’s public school system. Existing
law establishes the Department of the California Highway Patrol, under the control of the
Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, within the Transportation Agency. Existing law
requires the Department of the California Highway Patrol to develop statewide safety and training
programs based on evidence-based practices for users of electric bicycles. This bill would require,
on or before March 1, 2028, the State Department of Education, in consultation with the
Department of the California Highway Patrol, to develop a standardized electric bicycle safety and
training program for pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, as provided. In developing the program, the
bill would authorize the State Department of Education and the Department of the California
Highway Patrol to collaborate with local law enforcement agencies or local governments that have
implemented electric bicycle training programs already to ensure the program reflects proven best
practices. The bill would encourage local educational agencies and parent organizations to offer
training demonstrations to pupils and parents on electric bicycle operations in collaboration with
local law enforcement agencies or local governments, as specified. (Based on 04/13/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #2 A-SECOND READING FILE -- ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Consent Calendar
Position: Support
Notes1:
2/19/26: Bill introduced; EN tagged as support. 2/24/26: EN sent draft support letter to City for
review. EN received final letter and sent to delegation and author's office. Bill not yet referred to a
committee. 3/10/26: DA submitted support letter to portal and delegation. 4/8/26: CS attended
Asm. Education Committee - bill on consent. 4/17/26: KB sent draft letter to City for review.
AB 1614 (Dixon) Vehicles: bicycles. (Introduced 01/21/2026)
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Existing law, the California Bicycle Transportation Act, establishes 4 classifications of facilities,
referred to as bikeways, that provide primarily for, and promote, bicycle travel. Existing law requires
a person operating a bicycle, which includes an electric bicycle, upon a highway to ride the bicycle
upon or astride a permanent and regular seat unless the bicycle was designed by the manufacturer
to be ridden without a seat. Existing law requires a person riding as a passenger on a bicycle upon a
highway to be upon or astride a seat attached to the bicycle, as specified. A violation of these
provisions in punishable as an infraction. This bill would make those provisions applicable to the
operation of a bicycle upon a Class I bikeway. By expanding an existing infraction, this bill would
impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws. (Based on 01/21/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #121 A-THIRD READING FILE - ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 04/23/2026 - Assembly Third Reading
Position: Support
Notes1:
2/10/26: EN tagged as support. 2/13/26: EN sent draft support letter to the City for review. 2/24/26:
EN followed up on draft letter. 02/27/26: DA submitted letter to portal and delegation. 4/6/26: EN
testified in support in Assembly Transportation.
AB 1942 (Bauer-Kahan) Electric bicycles: registration and special license plates. (Introduced
02/13/2026)
Existing law prohibits a person from driving, moving, or leaving standing upon a highway, or in an
offstreet public parking facility, any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole or pipe dolly, or logging
dolly, unless it is registered and the appropriate fees have been paid, except as specified. Existing
law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon registering a vehicle, to issue to the owner
license plates that identify the vehicles for which they are issued for the period of their validity, as
specified. Existing law also requires a motorized bicycle to display a special license plate issued by
the department. Existing law authorizes a city or county to adopt a bicycle licensing ordinance or
resolution, authorizes the licensing agency, by ordinance or resolution, to adopt rules and
regulations for the collection of license fees, as specified, and sets the fee for each new bicycle
license and registration certificate at a sum of no more than $4 per year. Existing law defines an
electric bicycle as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than
750 watts, and classifies electric bicycles into 3 classes with different restrictions. This bill would
require class 2 electric bicycles and class 3 electric bicycles to be registered with the department
and to display a special license plate issued by the department. The bill would require the
department to adopt regulations to implement these requirements, and would make a person
operating a class 2 or class 3 electric bicycle in violation of these requirements guilty of an
infraction punishable by specified fines. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-
mandated local program. The bill would create the Electric Bicycle Registration Fund in the State
Treasury, require all moneys received by the department pursuant to these provisions to be
deposited in the fund, and require all moneys in the fund to be available, upon appropriation by the
Legislature, to the department for the administration of these provisions. The bill would also
appropriate an unspecified sum of moneys from the General Fund to the Electric Bicycle
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Registration Fund as a loan for purposes of administering these provisions, as specified. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 02/13/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
Position: Watch
Notes1:
4/16/26: KB marked as watch per client request.
AB 1976 (Wicks) Streets and highways: pedestrian and bicycle facilities. (Amended
04/27/2026)
Existing law grants the legislative body of a city certain powers with respect to city streets and
highways, including the power to construct and maintain those streets and highways. Existing law
grants the board of supervisors of a county general supervision, management, and control of
county highways and authorizes the board of supervisors to lay out, construct, improve, and
maintain county highways. This bill would prohibit a city or county from holding a community input
meeting to gather input from the general public on a proposed pedestrian or bicycle safety project
after the project is included in an approved plan that will be implemented as part of the circulation
element of the city or county’s general plan. At a public meeting where a contract is awarded for, or
when county or city staff, as applicable, are directed to begin, the construction of a pedestrian or
bicycle safety project, or anytime thereafter, the bill would prohibit the city or county from
terminating the project unless the city or county makes specified findings at a public meeting. If a
city or county establishes a process for residents of the city or county to submit a petition to
request the installation of a traffic calming measure, the bill would prohibit the city or county from
requiring the petition to contain the signatures of more than a majority of the total number of
persons whose residences are located, in whole or in part, within 1,000 feet of the proposed traffic
calming measure, as specified. To the extent that the bill increases the duties of local officials, the
bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and
other existing laws. (Based on 04/27/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/23/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
AB 2059 (Wilson) California Environmental Quality Act: transportation impacts: vehicle miles
traveled: mitigation. (Amended 04/22/2026)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or
cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project
that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to
adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires
a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant
effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is
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no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the
environment. CEQA requires the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to prepare, develop,
and transmit to the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency for certification and adoption
proposed revisions to the CEQA implementation guidelines to establish criteria for determining the
significance of transportation impacts of projects within transit priority areas, and requires the
criteria to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multimodal
transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses. CEQA requires the office to recommend
potential metrics, including, among other metrics, vehicle miles traveled, to measure these
transportation impacts. This bill would, except as provided, specify that a transportation project is
presumed to have a less than significant transportation impact as determined by the vehicle-miles-
traveled metric if at least 80% of the project lies within one or more nonmetropolitan counties.
Because the bill would impose additional duties on a lead agency in its analysis of significant
transportation impacts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains
other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/22/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/13/26 A-APPROPRIATIONS 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1100 WICKS, BUFFY,
Chair
Location: 04/21/2026 - Assembly Appropriations
AB 2346 (Wilson) Vehicles: electric bicycles and speed limits. (Amended 03/26/2026)
Existing law defines an electric bicycle as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an
electric motor of less than 750 watts, and classifies electric bicycles into 3 classes with different
restrictions for various purposes. This bill would require all class 1 and class 2 electric bicycles
manufactured, sold, or offered for sale on or after January 1, 2029, to be equipped with a
speedometer. The bill would also require all electric bicycles manufactured, sold, or offered for
sale on or after January 1, 2029, to be equipped with an integrated front lamp and a rear lamp, as
specified. The bill would also require manufacturers and distributors of electric bicycles to include
a written description of California’s electric bicycle laws with the bicycle’s packaging to be
provided to the consumer. The bill would also require sellers and distributors of electric bicycles to
provide specified disclosures at or before the point of sale. The bill would make a violation of these
provisions punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed $15,000 for a first violation and not to exceed
$50,000 for each subsequent violation, upon an action brought by the Attorney General, a city
attorney, a county counsel, or a district attorney. The bill would specify that a violation of these
provisions is not a criminal offense. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing
laws. (Based on 03/26/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
Position: Support
Notes1:
3/22/26: SG sent draft support letter to the City for review. 3/26/26: KB added support. Still awaiting
letter. 04/01/26: KB submitted letter of support to delegation and Asm transportation committee.
AB 2453 (Rodriguez, Michelle) Vehicles: off-highway motor vehicles. (Amended 03/26/2026)
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Existing law regulates the operation of recreational off-highway motor vehicles on lands, other than
a highway, that are open and accessible to the public. Existing law generally prohibits a motor
vehicle from being driven upon a highway unless it is registered. However, existing law authorizes
off-highway motor vehicles that are issued identification plates or devices to cross highways in
certain situations, including, among others, a peace officer operating an off-highway motor vehicle
in an emergency response situation. This bill would expand the above-described provision to
additionally authorize first responders, as defined, to operate off-highway motor vehicles in an
emergency response situation. The bill would also authorize peace officers and first responders to
operate off-highway motor vehicles upon a highway, at a distance not to exceed 5 miles, for the
purpose of accessing off-highway recreational areas or locations of patrol, within jurisdictions that
have adopted a policy or plan for the operation of those off-highway motor vehicles pursuant to the
provisions described below. The bill would require peace officers and first responders operating
off-highway motor vehicles pursuant to these provisions to comply with the terms and
requirements of the policy or plan adopted by the applicable local authority. This bill contains other
related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 03/26/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #182 A-CONSENT CALENDAR 2ND DAY-ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 04/29/2026 - Assembly Consent Calendar
Position: Sponsor
Notes1:
4/6/26: AB 1909 folded into AB 2453. SG sent draft co-sponsor letter to the City for review. EN
tagged as sponsor. 4/7/26: AB 2453 on consent in Assembly Transportation 4/13/26: KB submitted
sponsor letter to delegation and portal (Assembly Appropriations Committee, Assembly
Transportation Committee)
AB 2595 (Papan) Vehicles: electric bicycles. (Introduced 02/20/2026)
Existing law defines an electric bicycle and classifies electric bicycles into 3 classes with different
restrictions. Under existing law, a “class 1 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that
provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when the
bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. Under existing law, a “class 2 electric bicycle” is a
bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and is not
capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. Under
existing law, a “class 3 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a speedometer and a motor that
provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when
the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour. Existing law prohibits a person under 16 years
of age from operating a class 3 electric bicycle. This bill, the San Mateo Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot
Program, would, until January 1, 2031, authorize a local authority within the County of San Mateo,
or the County of San Mateo in unincorporated areas, to adopt an ordinance or resolution that
would prohibit a person under 12 years of age from operating a class 1 or 2 electric bicycle. For the
first 60 days following the adoption of an ordinance or resolution for this purpose, the bill would
make a violation of the ordinance or resolution punishable by a warning notice. After 60 days, the
bill would make a violation of the ordinance or resolution punishable by a fine of $25, except as
specified. This bill would make a parent or legal guardian with control or custody of an
unemancipated minor who violates the ordinance or resolution jointly and severally liable with the
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minor for the amount of the fine imposed. The bill would, if an ordinance or resolution is adopted,
require the county to, by January 1, 2030, submit a report to the Legislature that includes, among
other things, the total number of traffic stops initiated for a violation of the ordinance or resolution,
the results of those traffic stops, and the actions taken by a peace officer during a traffic stop, as
specified. The bill would require a local authority or county to administer a public information
campaign for at least 30 calendar days prior to the enactment of the ordinance or resolution, as
specified. (Based on 02/20/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #133 A-THIRD READING FILE - ASSEMBLY BILLS
Location: 04/27/2026 - Assembly Third Reading
SB 555 (Caballero) Workers’ compensation: average annual earnings. (Amended 01/22/2026)
Existing law establishes a workers’ compensation system, administered by the Administrative
Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries
sustained in the course of employment. Existing law provides for temporary disability, permanent
total disability, or permanent partial disability benefits, among other benefits, for an injured
employee and requires the computation of an injured employee’s average annual earnings and
average weekly earnings for purposes of determining those disability benefits. Existing law
requires, for computing average annual earnings for purposes of permanent partial disability
indemnity, that average weekly earnings be taken at various amounts, including between $240 and
$435 for injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2014, except as specified. This bill would require,
for computing average annual earnings for purposes of permanent partial disability indemnity, that
average weekly earnings be taken at between $____ and $____ for injuries occurring on or after
January 1, 2027. (Based on 01/22/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Assembly Insurance
SB 909 (Smallwood-Cuevas) Public works. (Introduced 01/26/2026)
Existing law requires that, except as specified, not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem
wages be paid to workers employed on public works and imposes misdemeanor penalties for a
willful violation of this requirement. Existing law defines “public works” for the purposes of
regulating public contracts as, among other things, construction, alteration, demolition,
installation, or repair work done under contract and paid for, in whole or in part, out of public funds.
Existing law generally requires a contractor or subcontractor to be registered with the Department
of Industrial Relations to be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or engage in the
performance of any public work contract. Existing law requires a contractor or subcontractor to
meet specific conditions to qualify for this registration, including that a contractor or subcontractor
pay an initial application fee and an annual renewal fee set by the Director of Industrial Relations.
Existing law authorizes the department to establish and adjust annual registration and renewal fees
up to $800 by publishing the fees on the department’s internet website. This bill would exempt the
establishment and adjustment of those fees from the Administrative Procedure Act and would
remove the $800 fee limit. The bill would instead require the director to annually adjust registration
and renewal fees, as specified, and would no longer require the director to publish the fees on the
department’s internet website. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing
laws. (Based on 01/26/2026 text)
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Location: 04/27/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
SB 922 (Laird) Vehicles: local agency charges: use of streets or highways. (Amended
03/11/2026)
Existing law prohibits a local agency from imposing a tax, permit fee, or other charge for the
privilege of using its streets or highways, other than a permit fee for an extralegal load unless the
local agency had imposed the fee prior to June 1, 1989. This bill would expressly limit this
prohibition to charges based on weight. The bill would also explicitly state that a fee, charge, or
surcharge imposed by or for a local agency to recover the cost of street maintenance and repair
and other costs associated with the use of its streets, roads, or highways to provide public services
or public works is not a tax, permit fee, or other charge that is prohibited by the provision above.
The bill would provide that nothing in the Vehicle Code prohibits a local agency from imposing or
collecting this fee, charge, or surcharge. The bill would delete obsolete references and make other
technical changes. (Based on 03/11/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/07/26 #16 S-SENATE BILLS -THIRD READING FILE
Location: 03/19/2026 - Senate Third Reading
Notes1:
Cal Cities sponsored bill.
SB 1087 (Cabaldon) Transportation planning: sustainable communities strategies:
transportation funding programs. (Amended 04/09/2026)
Existing law requires certain transportation planning agencies to prepare and adopt regional
transportation plans directed at achieving a coordinated and balanced regional transportation
system. Existing law requires a regional transportation plan to include a policy element, a
sustainable communities strategy prepared by a metropolitan planning organization, an action
element, and a financial element, as provided. Existing law requires those transportation planning
agencies to adopt and submit every 4 years, except as provided, an updated regional
transportation plan to the California Transportation Commission and the Department of
Transportation. Existing law requires a sustainable communities strategy to achieve regional
targets set by the State Air Resources Board for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from
the automobile and light truck sector in the region for 2020 and 2035, respectively, and requires the
state board to update those targets every 8 years, consistent with each metropolitan planning
organization’s timeframe for updating its regional transportation plan, as specified. Existing law
establishes certain procedural requirements for setting and updating those targets and authorizes
the state board to revise the targets every 4 years based on changes in specified factors. This bill
would instead require, commencing with the first or 2nd regional transportation plan prepared on
or after January 1, 2027, as determined by the applicable metropolitan planning organization, the
regional transportation plan to include an 8-year sustainable communities strategy prepared by the
metropolitan planning organization. Upon the submission of a regional transportation plan that
does not include a new sustainable communities strategy, the bill would require the metropolitan
planning organization to submit a sustainable communities strategy implementation report. This
bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based on 04/09/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
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SB 1136 (Blakespear) Intercity rail and commuter rail: special events service plans: fare
system integration. (Amended 04/06/2026)
Existing law sets forth various provisions applicable to all public transit and transit districts and
includes specific requirements applicable to public entities that operate commuter rail or rail
transit systems. This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2027, a regional rail operator, as
defined, operating within an intercity rail corridor to ensure that its fare systems are fully integrated
with the fare systems of the intercity rail operator, and any other regional rail operator, operating in
the intercity rail corridor. By imposing additional duties on regional rail operators, the bill would
impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws. (Based on 04/06/2026 text)
Location: 04/27/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
SB 1167 (Blakespear) Vehicles: electric bicycles. (Amended 04/09/2026)
Existing law defines an electric bicycle as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an
electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts of power. Existing law classifies electric bicycles into
3 classes with different restrictions for various purposes, and requires, among other things, a class
3 electric bicycle to be equipped with a speedometer. Existing law prohibits certain vehicles that do
not meet the definition of an electric bicycle from being advertised, sold, offered for sale, or labeled
as an electric bicycle, as specified. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime. This bill would amend
the type of vehicles that are prohibited from being advertised, sold, offered for sale, or labeled as
electric bicycles, including, among others, motor-driven cycles and mopeds. The bill would
additionally make a violation of this provision a misleading statement for purposes of unfair
competition and false advertising provisions of the Business and Professions Code. By creating
new crimes related to the advertisement, sale, offer, and labeling of electric bicycles, and by
expanding the application of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local
program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/09/2026 text)
Location: 05/04/2026 - Senate Appr. Suspense File
Position: Support
Notes1:
3/22/26: SG sent draft support letter to the City for review. 3/26/26: KB added support. Still awaiting
letter. 04/01/26: KB submitted letter of support to delegation and Sen Transportation Committee.
04/07/26: KR testified at Senate Transportation Committee. 4/16/26: KB submitted letter of support
to portal. (Senate Transportation Committee, Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senate
Natural Resources and Water Committee)
SB 1324 (Blakespear) Passenger and freight rail: LOSSAN Rail Corridor: working group report.
(Amended 03/23/2026)
Existing law establishes the Department of Transportation in the Transportation Agency. Existing
law authorizes the department, subject to approval of the Secretary of Transportation, to enter into
an interagency transfer agreement under which a joint powers board assumes responsibility for
administering state-funded intercity rail service in certain rail corridors, including the LOSSAN Rail
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Corridor. Existing law defines the LOSSAN Rail Corridor as the intercity passenger rail corridor
between San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Luis Obispo. Pursuant to this authority, the department
entered into an interagency transfer agreement with the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency to
administer intercity passenger rail service in the LOSSAN Rail Corridor. Existing law requires the
Secretary of Transportation to convene a working group composed of representatives of certain
types of entities, including, among others, representatives from county transportation
commissions and metropolitan planning organizations from specified counties. Existing law
requires the working group to submit consensus recommendations and feedback in a report to the
Legislature on or before February 1, 2026, on various topics relating to rail service in the LOSSAN
Rail Corridor. This bill would instead require the working group to submit this report to the
Legislature on or before February 1, 2027. By extending the duties of representatives of local
agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other existing
laws. (Based on 03/23/2026 text)
Location: 04/30/2026 - Assembly Desk
Water and Wastewater
AB 2180 (Ward) Local government: Proposition 218 Omnibus Implementation Act: proportional
cost of service. (Amended 03/11/2026)
The California Constitution specifies various requirements with respect to the levying of
assessments and property-related fees and charges by a local agency. As part of those
requirements, the California Constitution mandates that such fees or charges that are extended,
imposed, or increased satisfy certain requirements, including, but not limited to, that the amount
of the fee or charge imposed upon any parcel or person as an incident of property ownership not
exceed the proportional cost of the service attributable to the parcel. Existing law, known as the
Proposition 218 Omnibus Implementation Act (act), prescribes specific procedures and
parameters for local jurisdictions to comply with these requirements and, among other things,
authorizes an agency providing water, wastewater, sewer, or refuse collection services to adopt a
schedule of fees or charges authorizing automatic adjustments that pass through increases in
wholesale charges for water, sewage treatment, or wastewater treatment or adjustments for
inflation under certain circumstances. This bill would authorize a local government to demonstrate
the proportional cost of the service attributable to the parcel by any method that reasonably
allocates the ascertainable cost of providing service to all parcels, if substantiated as provided.
The bill would, however, provide that for water or sewer service fee or charge impositions, a local
government is not required to provide an exact measure of the cost of the service at each parcel
and may instead impose uniform or tiered rates to parcel or customer classes that are defined
based on common characteristics indicative of likely water or sewer use. The bill would provide
that the proportional cost of service within each tier of water service may be substantiated by using
any reasonable basis for allocating costs attributed to the tier, as described, and would provide a
local government discretion to determine the costs allocated to each tier as long as the rate for
each tier does not exceed the proportional cost of service reasonably allocated to parcels subject
to (Based on 03/11/2026 text)
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Location: 05/06/2026 - Senate Local Government
AB 2469 (Papan) Data centers: water use disclosures. (Amended 04/08/2026)
The Planning and Zoning Law authorizes the legislative body of any county or city to adopt
ordinances that, among other things, regulate the use of buildings, structures, and land as between
industry, businesses, residences, and open space, as specified. This bill would prohibit a city,
county, or city and county from approving a discretionary or ministerial permit or other entitlement
that would result in the construction, or an expansion that increases the maximum peak water use,
of a data center unless specified conditions are satisfied, including, among others, that the
applicant provides the city, county, or city and a county prescribed information. The bill would
include in this prescribed information a water scarcity plan, a water supply assessment, and a
water use assessment, each as provided. The bill would also include in the specified conditions
that the construction or expansion is not within the boundaries of a groundwater basin designated
as critically overdrafted by the Department of Water Resources, except as specified, and that the
applicant assumes responsibility for the full cost of any required water conveyance, treatment or
storage, or distribution infrastructure improvements necessary to serve the project, as determined
by the Department of Water Resources or the applicable water supplier. By expanding the duties of
local agencies to administer these provisions, this bill would impose a state-mandated local
program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/08/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
SB 1085 (Durazo) Water supply planning: housing developments. (Amended 04/23/2026)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to be
responsible for determining whether a project is exempt from CEQA and whether an environmental
impact report, a negative declaration, or a mitigated negative declaration is required. Existing law
requires a city or county that determines a certain type of project is subject to the requirements of
CEQA to identify any public water system that may supply water for the project and to request
those public water systems to prepare a specified water supply assessment, as provided. This bill,
among other things, would instead require a city or county, upon receipt of a preliminary
application for a housing development project that meets certain conditions, or upon a
development application for certain projects being determined as complete or deemed complete,
to make that identification of public water systems. The bill would require a city or county, within
15 days of receiving an application that meets either of the above-mentioned criteria, to request
each identified public water system to determine whether the projected water demand associated
with the proposed project was included in the most recently adopted urban water management
plan. By imposing additional duties on a city or county, the bill would impose a state-mandated
local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. (Based
on 04/23/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 04/22/2026 - Senate Appropriations
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SB 1313 (McNerney) Drinking water: perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. (Amended
04/27/2026)
Existing law establishes the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and moneys in the fund are
continuously appropriated to the State Water Resources Control Board for the provision of grants
and revolving fund loans to provide for the design and construction of projects for public water
systems that will enable suppliers to meet safe drinking water standards. Existing law provides that
moneys in the fund and its special accounts may be expended for additional purposes provided in
the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. This bill would provide that moneys in the fund and its special
accounts may be considered eligible and expended for projects that address perfluoroalkyl and
polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water. By expanding the purposes for which a continuously
appropriated fund may be expended, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would authorize
the state board to implement the bill through updating an existing policy handbook, which would
be exempt from the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act. (Based
on 04/27/2026 text)
Calendar: 05/11/26 S-APPROPRIATIONS 10 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 CERVANTES,
SABRINA, Chair
Location: 04/22/2026 - Senate Appropriations
Wildfire
AB 1642 (Harabedian) Wildfires: contamination standards. (Amended 03/02/2026)
Existing law establishes the Office of the State Fire Marshal in the Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection and establishes the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and
Mitigation within the office. Existing law makes the deputy director responsible for fire
preparedness and mitigation missions of the department, as provided. The Department of Toxic
Substances Control regulates the handling and management of hazardous waste and hazardous
materials. This bill would require the Department of Toxic Substances Control to adopt, no later
than July 1, 2027, emergency regulations specifying the science-informed, health-based standards
for investigation, environmental testing, and clearance, to guide the removal of lead and asbestos
inside and outside of homes, schools, workplaces, and other structures in residential areas after a
wildfire, as provided. The bill would also require the department, in consultation with the Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, to adopt regulations by July 1, 2028, specifying science-
informed, health-based standards for hazardous chemicals following a wildfire, and would require
those standards to be established at chemical levels to ensure safe reoccupancy and prevent new
cancer cases attributable to such fires, as provided. This bill would declare that it is to take effect
immediately as an urgency statute. (Based on 03/02/2026 text)
Location: 04/08/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
AB 2517 (Calderon) Fire safety: fire hazard severity zones. (Amended 04/08/2026)
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Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state that are not state
responsibility areas, commonly known as local responsibility areas, as moderate, high, and very
high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of
fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to
periodically review and make recommendations relative to very high fire hazard severity zones
within local responsibility areas. Under existing law, this review is required to coincide with review
of state responsibility area lands every 5 years and, when possible, fall within the timeframes for
each county’s general plan update. Existing law requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance,
moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of
receiving the recommendations from the State Fire Marshal. Existing law authorizes a local agency
to, at its discretion, include areas within its jurisdiction not identified as very high fire hazard
severity zones by the State Fire Marshal as very high fire hazard severity zones and areas not
identified as moderate and high fire hazard severity zones by the State Fire Marshal as moderate
and high fire hazard severity zones. Under existing law, a local agency is required to transmit a copy
of this adopted ordinance to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection within 30 days of
adoption. Existing law provides that changes made by a local agency to the recommendations
made by the State Fire Marshal are final. This bill would require the State Fire Marshal to, no fewer
than 180 days before finalizing the designation of local responsibility areas as moderate, high, and
very high fire hazard severity zones, post specified information relating to those designations on its
public internet website, provide at least one workshop on the draft maps for stakeholder
participation, host a 30-day public comment period to receive written comments from interested
stakeholders, respond to all written comments by local agencies regarding land use and zoning
matters that address the accuracy of the data used by the State Fire Marshal for those designations
within 30 days of the end of the public comment period, and coordinate with other state agencies
to help educate their constituencies, as specified. The bill would also require, on or before January
1, 2030, and every 5 years thereafter, the State Fire Marshal to review the local responsibility area
lands designated as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones and to recommend
changes. The bill would end the requirement that this review, when possible, fall within the
timeframes for each county’s general plan update. The bill would authorize a local agency to, at its
discretion, increase the level of fire hazard severity applicable to a parcel in its jurisdiction if a
parcel contains 2 or more designations, so that the higher level of fire hazard severity would apply
to the entire parcel and include documentation of existing wildfire mitigation efforts or programs
implemented locally within the fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction. The bill would require
the State Fire Marshal to publish within 60 days the local ordinance transmitted to the board, as
described above, on its internet website. (Based on 04/08/2026 text)
Location: 05/06/2026 - Assembly Appr. Suspense File
Position: Support
Notes1:
3/22/26: SG sent draft support letter to the City for review. 3/26/26: KB added support. Still awaiting
letter. 04/01/26: KB submitted letter of support to delegation and Asm Committee on Natural
Resources. 4/6/26: CS attended hearing in Asm. Natural Resources - Consent. 4/10/26: KB
submitted letter of support to delegation and ASAM Committee on Emergency Management.
May 12, 2026 Item #2 Page 76 of 87
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Total Measures: 109
Total Tracking Forms: 109
May 12, 2026 Item #2 Page 77 of 87
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THE ENERGY BILLS RELIEF ACT
A Roadmap to Lower Your Energy Bill
Electricity rates are soaring across the country, and millions of families are struggling to pay their
rising energy bills. The most effective way to lower utility costs for American households is to expand
access to renewable energy — the fastest, most reliable, and most affordable energy source.
We have the tools to power America with abundant, reliable, American-made clean energy. The
missing link between those tools and expanded access to that affordable and efficient energy is a
consumer-first energy policy.
For too long, U.S. energy policy has boosted the profits of energy producers at the expense of energy
consumers. The Energy Bills Relief Act shifts our focus to lowering costs and increasing reliability for
American homes and businesses by deploying more renewable energy. It is firmly rooted in the
American values of choice and competition. It prioritizes consumers and ensures access to affordable
energy for our homes, businesses, and economy.
The Energy Bills Relief Act is what American families need to see costs go down, reliability to go up,
and ensure our electric grid can meet rising demand.
Reverses attacks on low-cost, clean energy
Authored by SEEC Clean Energy Deployment Task Force Co-Chairs
Rep. Sean Casten (IL) and Rep. Mike Levin (CA)
WHAT DOES THE ENERGY BILLS RELIEF ACT DO?
Recently raised taxes and regulatory attacks on clean energy will increase
Americans’ costs in the coming years. The Energy Bills Relief Act will:
Restore the historic tax credits for clean energy that Congress enacted in 2022 and
revoked in 2025.
Prevent presidents from abusing federal permitting processes to block clean energy.
Prevent presidents from invoking “energy emergencies” to prop open expensive
fossil plants.
(Updated 3/13/26)
Lowers energy bills for American families and consumers
American consumers and households currently pay too much for energy.
The Energy Bills Relief Act will:
Provide energy assistance to millions of households, protecting families from utility
shutoffs.
Support weatherization and energy efficiency programs to reduce household energy
consumption.
Protect domestic natural gas prices from the higher-priced international market.
Exhibit 4
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4
Unclogs the clean energy bottleneck
5
Builds out a 21 century electricity gridst
Establish a tax credit for transmission infrastructure to reduce the cost
of connecting clean energy to the grid.
Improve planning between electricity transmission regions and ensure
that neighboring regions can support each other with additional energy
during emergencies.
Allocate the cost of upgrading the grid fairly.
Reduce the risk that costly and devastating wildfires pose to the grid.
Increase the authority of the bipartisan independent Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) to site transmission lines of national
importance.
Expedite the process of connecting new energy sources to the grid.
Expand community solar and streamline local permitting for distributed
energy systems.
Increase the capacity of the existing grid by promoting the use of
advanced grid technologies.
Increase the supply of electricity transformers, the linchpins of any
electricity system, currently in critically short supply.
Our grid needs to be modernized to match the dynamic nature of the economy
it powers. The Energy Bills Relief Act will:
It takes far too long for low-cost, clean energy to connect to the electric grid
and power our homes. The Energy Bills Relief Act will:
Develops clean energy responsibly on public lands & waters
America’s public lands and waters can deliver abundant low-cost, clean
energy. The Energy Bills Relief Act will:
Provide states and local governments a share of the revenue to promote
responsible development of renewable energy on our public lands and waters.
Ensure the interoperability of offshore wind turbines with onshore grids.
Allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to charge geothermal energy
developers fees to fund BLM’s processing of their permit applications.
May 12, 2026 Item #2 Page 79 of 87
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7
Too often, electricity markets are regulated to serve energy producers at the expense
of energy consumers. The Energy Bills Relief Act will:
Protects consumers in electricity markets
Incentivize electric utilities to save consumers’ money.
Avoid burdening families with the costs of powering new large energy consumers
on the grid, such as data centers.
Prevent energy companies from manipulating prices to charge consumers more.
Promotes local collaboration for successful deployment
Energy projects move faster when communities are involved from the start.
The Energy Bills Relief Act will:
Provide incentives to work with communities and historically-
disadvantaged groups early — reducing risk, avoiding conflict, and
sharing the benefits from America's clean energy boom
Establish dedicated personnel to work with communities to address
problems.
Ensure state and local governments have the resources they need to
incorporate community input to inform project development.
Ensure our federal agencies are adequately staffed and resourced to
review and process permits expeditiously.
May 12, 2026 Item #2 Page 80 of 87
(Updated 4/10/26) 1
The Energy Bills Relief Act
H.R. 7977 of the 119th Congress
Section-by-Section Summary
Sec. 1. Short Title; Table of Contents.
Title I: Reversing Attacks on Low-Cost, Clean Energy
Subtitle A— Restoring Tax Credits for Low-Cost, Clean Energy.
Sec. 101. Repealing H.R. 1 rollbacks of low-cost, clean energy tax credits. Restores the tax
credits for low-cost, clean energy enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of
2022 by rescinding the provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 that
rolled back the tax credits.
Subtitle B— Stopping Administration Overreach Against Low-Cost, Clean Energy.
Sec. 111. Reversing grant terminations for low-cost, clean energy. Blocks the Department
of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of
Transportation (DOT) from terminating a Federal award based on a change in
administration policy goals. Reinstates any awards that were terminated for this
reason since January 19, 2025.
Sec. 112. Prevention of administrative abuse of Federal permitting of low-cost, clean
energy. Ensures parity in energy permitting by prohibiting the Administration
from instating burdensome procedural requirements for low-cost, clean energy
projects that are not required for fossil fuel projects. Requires renewable energy
projects to be permitted as fossil energy projects are permitted. Ensures that
reviews are completed in a timely manner. Allows for expedited judicial review
for permitted projects that are cancelled by the Administration.
Sec. 113. Ratepayer protection against uneconomic fossil plants. Amends section 202(c) of
the Federal Power Act, which allows DOE to extend the lives of power plants past
their planned expiration dates during “energy emergencies,” even at significant
cost to ratepayers. These amendments would restrict these orders to only apply to
emergencies that will occur within six months and require that they expire after 90
days. Before an order can be renewed, FERC would be required to publish cost
estimates of the original order and DOE must consider lower-cost alternatives.
Title II: Cutting Energy Bills for American Families.
Sec. 201. Lowering household heating and cooling bills. Expands and modernizes the Low
Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to ensure year-round access
to affordable and reliable heating and cooling for lower-income households who
experience disproportionately high energy burdens.
•Adapted from: Rep. Ansari’s Heating and Cooling Relief Act of 2025 (H.R.
2486)
Sec. 202. Home weatherization. Reauthorizes the Weatherization Assistance Program
(WAP) and raises the statutory Average Cost Per Unit from $6,500 to $12,000, so
that households can receive more assistance, and WAP implementers can pay
competitive wages and retain their workforces. Authorizes the Weatherization
Exhibit 5
May 12, 2026 Item #2 Page 81 of 87
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Readiness Program to address structural, plumbing, roofing, and electrical issues
that are unable to receive effective assistance from WAP.
• Adapted from: Rep. Tonko's Weatherization Act of 2025 (H.R. 1355)
Sec. 203. Reflective roofing. Establishes a rebate program for reflective roofing products to
lower home temperatures and reduce energy consumption and costs.
• Adapted from: Rep. Foushee’s Cool Roof Rebate Act of 2025 (H.R. 2679)
Sec. 204. Domestic natural gas price protection. Requires the Secretary of Energy to
determine, before approving a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal,
that the terminal would not likely materially increase energy prices or energy
price volatility for US consumers, contribute significantly to climate change, or
create a disproportionate health or environmental burden on rural, low-income,
minority, and other vulnerable communities.
• Adapted from: Rep. Casten's LNG Public Interest Determination Act of
2025 (H.R. 381)
Sec. 205. Rural energy savings. Reauthorizes Rural Energy Savings Program which
provides interest-free loans to electric cooperatives and other utilities which they
then lend to consumers to make affordable, energy efficiency improvements to
their homes or businesses.
• Adapted from: Rep. Clyburn's Rural Energy Savings Act of 2024 (H.R.
3849 in the 118th Congress)
Title III: Unclogging the Low-Cost, Clean Energy Bottleneck.
Sec. 301. Expedited generator interconnection. Requires the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) to address the ineffectiveness of existing procedures for
processing interconnection requests, including by promoting the use of
automation and standardized study criteria to help expedite interconnection
studies.
• Adapted from: Rep. Castor's Expediting Generator Interconnection
Procedures Act of 2025 (H.R. 2986)
Sec. 302. Advanced transmission technologies. Requires FERC to establish a shared
savings incentive for advanced transmission technologies (ATT), which would
allow a developer to be reimbursed for the cost of an ATT project, plus some of
the cost savings generated by it. The rest of the savings would go to ratepayers.
• Adapted from: Rep. Castor's Advancing GETs Act of 2025 (H.R. 2703)
Sec. 303. Electricity transformers. Authorizes $2.1 billion to address the shortage of
electricity transformers and complementary grid security technologies through the
Defense Production Act. Creates a transformer resilience program to reduce
vulnerabilities for critical grid equipment and ensure timely replacement of grid
components.
Sec. 304. Streamlining permitting of distributed energy. Incentivizes communities to adopt
DOE’s SolarApp model permitting system.
• Adapted from: Rep. Susie Lee’s SHINE Act of 2026 (H.R. 6981)
Sec. 305. Community solar. Requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to expand
community solar options to individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations,
States, local government, and Tribal governments. Also requires DOE to expand
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(Updated 4/10/26) 3
the existing grant, loan and financing programs to include community solar
projects.
• Adapted from: Rep. Castor's Community Solar Consumer Choice Act of
2025 (H.R. 4162)
Sec. 306. Low-cost, clean energy in United States territories. Creates a grant program for
investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, smart grid and
micro grid projects as well as training for local residents in U.S. territories.
• Adapted from: Rep. Lieu’s Renewable Energy for U.S. Territories Act of
2025 (H.R. 4339)
Title IV: Building Out a 21st Century Electricity Grid.
Subtitle A—Amendments to the Federal Power Act
Sec. 401. Definitions.
Sec. 402. Interregional electric transmission planning. Directs FERC to increase the
effectiveness of the existing planning processes of Transmission Organizations in
advancing interregional transmission projects that are efficient, cost-effective, and
broadly beneficial. Directs FERC to publish an annual report on the progress of
each Transmission Organization in advancing interregional transmission projects.
• Adapted from: Rep. Casten's Interregional Transmission Planning
Improvement Act of 2021 (H.R. 2678 in 117th Congress)
Sec. 403. Allocation of costs of interregional electric transmission facilities. Directs FERC
to allocate the costs of any “transmission facility of national significance” to
customers in a manner that is roughly commensurate with the reasonably
anticipated transmission benefits over the lifetime of the facility. Defines
“transmission benefits” (in section 401) as the broad range of economic,
operational, safety, resilience, public policy, environmental benefits, as identified
by FERC. Defines “transmission facility of national significance” as (a) an
interstate transmission line with more than 1000 megawatts of capacity, (b) an
upgrade of an existing transmission line of more than 500 megawatts, or (c) an
offshore transmission line.
• Adapted from: Rep. Castor's Enhancing Electric Grid Resilience Act of
2023 (H.R. 2750 in 118th Congress)
Sec. 404. Minimum interregional transfer capability. Directs FERC to establish minimum
levels of electricity transfer capabilities between each region, and to require each
transmission planning region to coordinate with its neighbors to plan for the
required interregional transmission. Proposes as minimum transfer levels 30% of
a region’s peak electricity demand (or 15% in the case of a transmission planning
region that borders only one other transmission planning region), unless FERC
finds, upon a showing by a transmission planning region, that a lower level can
achieve the same or greater transmission benefits.
• Adapted from: Rep. Casten's Reinforcing the Grid Against Extreme
Weather Act of 2025 (H.R. 603)
Sec. 405. Increased FERC transmission siting authority. Gives FERC exclusive siting
authority for national interest transmission lines, defined as crossing two or more
States and with a capacity that exceeds 1000 megawatts. Directs FERC to base its
decision to exercise such authority on the extent to which a given transmission
May 12, 2026 Item #2 Page 83 of 87
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line will improve electricity reliability and resilience, enable the use of low-cost,
clean energy, utilize existing facilities, and minimize the use of eminent domain.
• Adapted from: Rep. Quigley's SITE Act of 2023 (H.R. 1766 in the 118th
Congress)
Sec. 406. Prohibiting expensive, unjust queue jumping. Directs FERC to prohibit requests
to jump to the front of the interconnection queue based on the type of generation,
in particular prohibiting fossil projects from jump in front of low-cost, clean
energy projects solely on the basis of being fossil projects. Queue jumping would
be allowed only if determined necessary for the continued reliable operation of
the grid.
Subtitle B—Tax and grants
Sec. 411. Transmission investment tax credit. Establishes an investment tax credit to pay
30% of the cost of new electricity transmission lines, modified existing
transmission lines, and related property. If new, the line must be used primarily to
enhance resilience, address clearance concerns, facilitate electric interconnection,
or address high load needs of over 2000 amperes; it must also either include an
advanced transmission conductor of more than 100 kilovolts, a superconducting
transmission line of more than 750 megawatts, or a superconducting transmission
line collocated in the same right-of-way as another transmission with an aggregate
capacity of 1000 megawatts. If an existing transmission line, the project must
increase the transmission capacity of the existing line by 500 megawatts. If a
related property, the project may consist of interconnections, generator tie lines,
grid enhancing technologies, or subcomponents.
• Adapted from: Rep. Horsford’s Grid Resiliency Tax Credit Act of 2023
(H.R. 5803 in the 118th Congress)
Sec. 412. Reduced wildfire risks to the grid. Creates a grant program to support electric grid
upgrades that prevent the risk of grid equipment starting wildfires and increase the
ability of the grid to withstand wildfires. This will keep household energy bills
down by reducing the amount of ratepayer dollars that have to go towards wildfire
prevention and mitigation.
Subtitle C—Transmission governance reform
Sec. 421. FERC staffing. Gives the FERC chairman the authority to directly appoint
employees with scientific, technical, engineering, mathematical, legal, or
otherwise highly specialized expertise in the event as severe shortage of
candidates or a critical hiring need. Also allows FERC to proceed with its new
compensation plan if the Office of Personnel Management has taken no action on
FERC's proposed plan within 120 days of its submission.
Sec. 422. FERC fee assessments. Directs FERC to reassess every five years whether its fees
are sufficient to allow it to handle its workload in an expedient manner.
Sec. 423. State public utility commission capacity grants. Directs DOE to create a grant
program to increase administrative capacity of state public utility commissions.
Sec. 424. Independent transmission monitors. Requires each Regional Transmission
Operator (RTO) and Independent System Operator (ISO) to establish an
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independent transmission monitor to facilitate the transparent, efficient, and cost
effective deployment and operation of transmission facilities.
Sec. 425. Aggregator bidding into organized wholesale electric markets. Makes aggregated
electricity demand response eligible to participate in all wholesale energy
markets, regardless of the State in which they are located.
• Adapted from: Rep. Casten's REDUCE Act of 2025 (H.R. 604)
Sec. 426. RTO and ISO governance and participation. Requires FERC to reform the
governance and stakeholder participation practices of RTOs and ISOs.
• Adapted from: Rep. Casten’s Empowering RTO Stakeholders Act of 2022
(H.R. 8302 in the 117th Congress)
Sec. 427. Modernized grid data and analytics. Requires utilities to report information that
researchers, operators, regulators, and decision-makers can use to understand how
the electric grid performs, where it fails, how to build it up, and how much it
costs.
• Adapted from: Rep. Casten’s Grid Research and Development Act of 2025
(H.R. 6177)
Title V: Deploying Low-Cost, Clean Energy Responsibly on Public Lands and Waters.
Subtitle A—Public land renewable energy development
Sec. 501. Public land renewable energy development. Balances low-cost, clean energy
development with conservation by responsibly incentivizing wind, solar, and
geothermal energy development on public lands and directing the Department of
the Interior and US Forest Service to permit at least 60 gigawatts of renewable
energy by 2030.
• Adapted from: Rep. Levin’s Public Land Renewable Energy Development
Act (H.R. 2301)
Sec. 502. Geothermal cost recovery. Allows the Bureau of Land Management the flexibility
to charge cost recovery for inspections, monitoring and related activities, and
enable BLM to review permit applications.
• Adapted from: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority
Act of 2025 (H.R. 398)
Sec. 503. Geothermal Gold Book development. Establishes consistent procedures and
guidelines for geothermal leasing, exploration, permitting, and development by
directing the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), to create a “Gold Book” for geothermal energy, similar to gold books
already in use for oil, wind, and solar development.
• Adapted from: Rep. Ansari’s Geothermal Gold Book Development Act
(H.R. 5617)
Subtitle B—Offshore renewable deployment
Sec. 511. Responsible development of offshore renewable energy. Amends the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act to provide greater certainty for offshore renewable
energy development by codifying processes for the leasing and permitting of
offshore wind projects. These provisions include increasing access to offshore
renewable energy revenue for States, formalizing an offshore renewable energy
leasing schedule, establishing a compensation fund for impacted ocean users,
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incorporating project labor agreements and domestic content requirements,
clarifying the siting of transmission infrastructure in the National Marine
Sanctuary System, and clarifying the judicial review process for such projects.
• Adapted from: Rep. Tonko's Offshore Energy Modernization Act of 2025
(H.R. 3742)
Sec. 512. Compensation for offshore renewable energy projects. Establishes the Offshore
Renewable Energy Compensation Fund in the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management to compensate eligible ocean users for damages experienced as a
result of the development of an offshore renewable energy project through a
claims-based process and to provide grants to eligible recipients to mitigate future
damages from such projects.
• Adapted from: Rep. Tonko's Offshore Energy Modernization Act of 2025
(H.R. 3742)
Sec. 513. Interoperability of offshore electric transmission infrastructure. Requires DOE to
assess the need and establish a program to standardize interoperability of
equipment for shared offshore transmission networks.
Title VI: Protecting Consumers in Electricity Regulation.
Sec. 601. Utility earnings tied to ratepayer benefits. Requires FERC to establish a shared
savings program under which utilities are rewarded for providing real
independently-verified cost savings to consumers.
• Adapted from: Rep. Casten's SURGE (Shared Utility Rewards for Grid
Efficiency) Act of 2026 (H.R. 7729)
Sec. 602. Consumer protection from energy market manipulation. Provides FERC
additional tools to enforce existing law by allowing it to ban companies from
trading in energy markets if they manipulate the electricity or natural gas markets
or file false market information.
• Adapted from: Rep. Schakowsky’s Energy Consumer Protection Act of
2023 (H.R. 3116 in the 118th Congress)
Sec. 603. Avoiding cost shifts onto families. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies
Act (PURPA) to direct states to consider adopting a standard to prevent
households from paying for grid upgrades for energy intensive large load
facilities. Also directs states to consider adopting a standard to prioritize demand
side interconnection requests for large load facilities that are powered with zero
emission electricity and employ energy saving measures.
• Adapted from: Rep. Levin’s SHIELD Act (H.R. 7066)
Sec. 604. True costs and value of energy for economic and public benefit. Updates the
national energy accounting system to provide a more complete picture of the
primary energy resources available to the United States, including as nuclear and
renewable energy, and the economy’s efficiency at converting these resources into
productive activity.
• Adapted from: Rep. Casten's Powering Productivity Act (H.R. 7606) and
Modernizing EIA Tracking and Reporting to Increase Consistency Act
(METRIC) Act of 2026 (H.R. 7607)
May 12, 2026 Item #2 Page 86 of 87
(Updated 4/10/26) 7
Sec. 605. Grid performance disclosure. Establishes a standardized, independently-verified
reporting framework that requires all electricity transmission providers and grid
operators to publish an annual scorecard on key outcomes.
• Adapted from: Rep. Casten's Electricity Transmission Scorecard Act of
2025 (H.R. 6176)
Title VII: Collaborating with Communities for Successful Deployment.
Sec. 701. Federal permitting capacity. Directs agencies with permitting responsibilities to
maintain appropriate personnel capacity to prepare environmental documents with
community input. Provides for expediting hiring for staff to process permits if
needed.
Sec. 702. Interagency environmental data system. Establishes a framework for agencies to
implement a digital permitting system and unified portal based on reports from
the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), including the development of
standardized permitting data standards, tools to support environmental reviews,
guidelines to implement modern technologies, and the build out of a unified,
interconnected system for environmental reviews.
• Adapted from: Rep. Peters’ and Johnson’s ePermit Act of 2025 (H.R.
4503)
Sec. 703. Timely public release of NEPA documentation. Requires a lead agency to post
links to final environmental documents to enhance transparency.
Sec. 704. Community benefits agreements. Prioritizes permitting reviews for projects that
have entered into a community benefit agreement to share project benefits with
local communities, such as job creation, or the mitigation of legacy harms or
adverse project impacts.
Sec. 705. Intervenor funding at FERC Office of Public Participation. Requires FERC to
provide compensation to individuals or parties from disadvantaged communities
seeking to intervene in FERC proceedings.
Sec. 706. Senior community engagement officers and Tribal community engagement
officers. Designates Senior Community Engagement Officers and Tribal
Community Engagement Officers in each agency to oversee and improve
community engagement, and Tribal community engagement and consultation, and
assist in identifying and resolving conflicts.
Sec. 707. Capacity grants for permitting and community engagement. Directs EPA to make
grants to State, Tribal, and local agencies, to increase capacity for completing
environmental reviews, facilitating the siting of renewable energy projects, and
engaging with communities early on to mitigate potential conflicts. Authorizes
$500 million per year for grants.
May 12, 2026 Item #2 Page 87 of 87
CALIFORNIA PUBLIC POLICY GROUP • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM
2026 Legislative Calendar
•January 1: All legislation signed into law in 2025, unless otherwise stated, goes into effect
•January 5: The Legislature reconvenes for the 2026 legislative session
•January 10: The Governor releases fiscal year 2026-27 budget proposal
•January 31: Last day for two-year bills to advance out of their house of origin
•February 20: Last day for the Legislature to introduce bills
•March 25: Spring Recess begins upon adjournment
•April 6: Legislature reconvenes from Spring Recess
•Mid-May: Governor releases the May revision of the state budget
•May 29: Last day for the Legislature to pass bills out of their house of origin
•June 15: Legislature must pass the primary budget bill
•June 30: Governor must sign the primary budget bill
•July 2: Summer Recess begins upon adjournment
•August 3: Legislature reconvenes from Summer Recess
•August 31: Last day for the Legislature to pass bills; end of the 2026 session
•September 30: Last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills
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Sponsored and
Positioned Bills
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City Sponsored Bill
AB 2179 (Patel) Workplace violence: restraining orders.
This bill would, beginning on July 1, 2027, allow any party or witness to a petition for a restraining order to
appear remotely at a hearing and would prohibit any fee for appearing remotely.
Status: Senate Rules
AB 2453 (Rodriguez, Michelle)Vehicles: off-highway motor vehicles.
This bill would authorize first responders to operate off-highway motor vehicles in an emergency response
situation. The bill would also authorize peace officers and first responders to operate off-highway motor
vehicles upon a highway, at a distance not to exceed 5 miles, for the purpose of accessing off-highway
recreational areas or locations of patrol, within jurisdictions that have adopted a policy or plan for the
operation of those off-highway motor vehicles pursuant to the provisions as specified.
Status:Senate Rules
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Positioned Bills: Environment and Climate
AB 35 (Alvarez) Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and
Clean Air Bond Act of 2024: Administrative Procedure Act: exemption: program
guidelines and selection criteria.
This bill would exempt the adoption of regulations needed to effectuate or implement programs of the act
from the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act.
Status: Senate Natural Resources And Water
Position: Support
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Positioned Bills: E-Bikes
AB 1557 (Papan) Vehicles: electric bicycles.
This bill would lower the assisted speed limit for class 1 and class 2 electric bicycles from 20 mph to 16 mph
and prohibits manufacturers and retailers from equipping or selling any device labeled as an electric bicycle
with a motor exceeding 750 watts of peak power.
Status:Assembly Appropriations – Suspense File
Position:Support
AB 1569 (Davies) Pupil safety: electric bicycle parking: safety program.
This bill would require the CA Department of Education to work with CHP to develop an online ebike safety
course that is developmentally appropriate for use by students in seventh to twelfth grade.
Status: ASSEMBLY CONSENT CALENDAR – 05/11/26
Position:Support
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Positioned Bills: E-Bikes
AB 1614 (Dixon) Vehicles: bicycles.
Anyone riding a bicycle, including electric bicycles, on a highway must use a permanent seat unless the bike was designed otherwise. This
bill makes it applicable to the operation of a bicycle upon a Class I bikeway.
Status:05/11/26 – ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
Position:Support
AB 2346 (Wilson)Vehicles: electric bicycles and speed limits.
Requires all class 1 and class 2 electric bicycles manufactured or sold on or after January 1, 2029, to be equipped with a speedometer,
and requires all electric bicycles to include integrated front and rear lamps and written disclosures of California's electric bicycle laws at
or before the point of sale.
Status:Assembly Appropriations – Suspense File
Position:Support
SB 1167 (Blakespear)Vehicles: electric bicycles.
Expands the types of vehicles prohibited from being advertised or sold as electric bicycles to include motor-driven cycles and mopeds,
and makes violations of this prohibition actionable under unfair competition and false advertising law.
Status:Senate Appropriations – Suspense File
Position:Support
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Positioned Bills: Housing and Land Use
SB 677 (Wiener) Housing development: transit-oriented development.
This bill would change the definitions of “high-frequency commuter rail” and “commuter rail” for purposes of
implementing Senate Bill 79.
Status: Assembly Desk
Position: Oppose
SB 722 (Wahab) Housing development: transit-oriented development.
This bill exempts parcels governed by Mobilehome and Recreation Vehicle Park Occupancy Laws.
Status: Assembly Housing And Community Development
Position: Support
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Positioned Bills: Housing and Land Use
AB 2373 (Dixon) The California Coastal Act: local coastal program: sea level rise plan: neighborhood-scale
adaptation approach.
This bill would authorize local governments lying within the coastal zone to include a neighborhood-scale adaptation approach when
including land use policies and implementation measures in their local coastal program or sea level rise plan. Neighborhood-scale
adaptation approach would include the identification of areas and assets that are subject to the approach and policies that reflect the
shared planning features and specific preferred adaptation strategies for different areas or development types based on the geophysical
and land use characteristics intended to minimize, mitigate, or avoid coastal impacts.
Status: Assembly Appropriations – Suspense File
Position: Support
AB 748 (Harabedian) Single-family and multifamily housing units: preapproved plans.
The bill requires each local agency to develop a program for the preapproval of single-family and multifamily residential housing plans —
by July 1, 2027 for large jurisdictions and January 1, 2029 for small jurisdictions — and to post approved plans and applicant contact
information on the agency's website.
Status: Senate Rules
Position: Oppose
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Positioned Bills: Housing and Land Use
AB 2296 (Papan) Planning and zoning: housing element: regional housing needs allocation.
This bill would extend the timeline for cities and counties to form a subregional entity to allocate the subregion’s housing need from 28 months to 34
months, and the timeline for the council of governments to determine the share of regional housing need assigned to each subregion from 25
months to 31 months.
Status: Assembly Appropriations – Suspense File
Position: Support
SB 1014 (Grayson) Development projects: preliminary estimate of required improvements: onsite and offsite improvements.
This bill would permits development proponents submitting a preliminary application for a housing development project to request a preliminary
estimate of required onsite and offsite improvements, and requires the city, county, or city and county to provide that estimate within 30 business
days of the request.
Status: 05/11/26 – SENATE APPROPRIATIONS
Position: Oppose
SB 1318 (Allen)Coastal resources: local coastal program: coastal development permit: non-owner-occupied short-term rentals.
This bill would require the commission to approve a coastal development permit or a local coastal program amendment restricting or prohibiting
non-owner-occupied short-term rentals, regardless of the availability of other visitor-serving accommodations.
Status: 05/11/26 – SENATE APPROPRIATIONS
Position: Support
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Positioned Bills: Homelessness
AB 1708 (Solache)Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program: round 8:
smaller jurisdictions.
Summary:This bill would apply to the allocation of funding available under round 8 of the program and require
a round 8 regionally coordinated homelessness action plan to include certain components, including a
description of programs and interventions provided by smaller jurisdictions that serve the objects and goals of
the program.
Status:Assembly Appropriations - Suspense File
Position:Support
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Positioned Bills: Public Safety
AB 1667 (Boerner) Serious felonies: furnishing fentanyl to a minor.
Currently, there is a 5-year sentencing enhancement for repeat offenses involving serious felonies. This bill
would classify supplying fentanyl and its analogs to a minor as a serious felony, expanding the circumstances
under which sentencing enhancements can be applied.
Status: Assembly Appropriations - Suspense File
Position: Support
SB 758 (Umberg) Public health: nitrous oxide.
This bill would extend the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act of 2003 provisions by prohibiting the
sale of nitrous oxide at retail locations, under certain conditions. The bill creates a state-mandated local
program, necessitating local administrations to fulfill these new obligations.
Status: Assembly Desk
Position: Support
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Positioned Bills: Emergency Response and
Disaster Preparedness
AB 1866 (Rogers)California Disaster Assistance Act: minimum damages thresholds.
Summary:This bill would require the Director of Emergency Services, in administering the California Disaster Assistance
Act provisions, to prioritize local agencies that are not eligible for federal funding due to the agency’s inability to meet
minimum damage thresholds under federal law.
Status:Assembly Appropriations – Suspense File
Position:Support
AB 2517 (Calderon)Fire safety: fire hazard severity zones.
Summary:This bill would require the State Fire Marshal, at least 180 days before finalizing fire hazard severity zone
designations in local responsibility areas, to post draft information publicly, hold a stakeholder workshop, conduct a 30-
day public comment period, and respond to local agency comments within 30 days.
Status:Assembly Appropriations – Suspense File
Position:Support
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Positioned Legislation: Governmental Operations
AB 1821 (Pacheco) California Public Records Act: agency response time.
The bill changes the existing 10-calendar-day deadline for agencies to respond to public records requests to 10 business
days, with the existing allowance for up to a 14-day extension under unusual circumstances remaining in place.
Status: 05/11/26 - ASSEMBLY THIRD READING FILE
Position:Support
AB 1337 (Ward) Information Practices Act of 1977.
Existing law exempts counties, cities, any city and county, school districts, municipal corporations, districts, political
subdivisions, and other local public agencies from the provisions of the Information Practice Act of 1977. This bill would
recast those provisions to, among other things, remove that exemption for local agencies, and would revise and expand the
definition of “personal information.”
Status: Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, And Consumer Protection
Position:Oppose
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Positioned Legislation: Health and Human
Services
SB 490 (Umberg) Alcohol and drug programs.
This bill would require investigations into alcohol and drug treatment facility licensing violations to begin
within 10 days of receiving an allegation, and generally be completed within 60 days. If a complaint is outside
the department's jurisdiction, the complainant must be informed. Additionally, follow-up site visits are
mandated to ensure compliance. The bill allows counties with the Drug Medi-Cal organized delivery system to
request approval for site visits of alleged unlicensed recovery residences, under certain conditions.
Status: Assembly Desk
Position: Support
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Legislative Update
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Legislative Update: Housing and Land Use
AB 1738 (Carrillo) State Housing Law: remote inspections.
This bill would require a city, including a charter city, county, or city and county to offer a homeowner or contractor the option of requesting remote
inspections for all or a subset of an inspection required by a building permit for specified works in one- or 2-family dwelling units. The bill would apply the
above-described immunities to remote inspections.
Status: Assembly Appropriations – Suspense File
AB 1914 (Schiavo) General plan elements: childcare.
This bill would require a city, county, or city and county, no later than January 1, 2033, to prepare and adopt a childcare plan or integrate a childcare plan into
the next adoption of the city, county, or city and county’s general plan to address the childcare needs of the jurisdiction, as specified. The bill would include
findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including
charter cities.
Status: 05/11/26 - ASSEMBLY THIRD READING FILE
AB 2433 (Alvarez) Housing development: density bonus
This bill would, instead, require a city or county to grant a density bonus, other incentives or concessions, and waivers or reductions of development
standards to an applicant for a housing development when the applicant submits an application for a housing development that a city, county, or city and
county determines meets specified criteria, including, among others, the housing development includes specified percentage of units for very low income,
lower income, or senior citizen housing.
Status: Assembly Appropriations – 05/13
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Legislative Update: Homelessness
SB 866 (Blakespear) Planning and Land Use: Unhoused Population
This bill will require a local government that does not receive funding under the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and
Prevention (HHAP) Program, to include in their housing elements additional data on unhoused populations and actions
taken to address homelessness,
Status: Senate Appropriations – Suspense File
CALIFORNIA PUBLIC POLICY GROUP • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM
Legislative Update: Energy and Utilities
SB 886 (Padilla) California Technology Innovation and Ratepayer Protection Act.
This bill would require the Public Utilities Commission to establish an electrical corporation tariff for customer facility
interconnection that prevents cost shifts to nonparticipating customers, assigns transmission upgrade costs to applicable
participating customers, and mandates disclosure of interconnection applications filed in other service territories or
jurisdictions.
Status: Senate Appropriations – Suspense File
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Legislative Update: Governmental Operations
AB 1577 (Bauer-Kahan) Data centers: reporting.
This bill would require data center owners to submit operational information — including location, size, power usage, and fuel
consumption — to the State Energy Commission and to local agencies upon applying for discretionary permits, and requires the
commission to include data center electrical load assessments in its biennial integrated energy policy report beginning in 2029.
Status: Assembly Appropriations – Suspense File
SB 887 (Padilla) California Environmental Quality Act: environmental leadership development projects: data centers: clean energy
powerplant projects.
This bill would prohibit the application of CEQA categorical exemptions to data center development and operation projects, thereby
requiring full environmental review for any such project.
Status: Senate Appropriations – Suspense File
SB 1159 (Cabaldon) Artificial intelligence: transparency and governance.
This bill would specify that, for purposes of the California Public Records Act, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, the Ralph M. Brown
Act, the Political Reform Act of 1974, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), “person,”
“interested person,” “participant,” “member of the public,” as applicable, and any other similar terms under each act referring to those
who may engage with governmental agencies, do not include artificial intelligence, as defined, systems, autonomous agents, robots, or
other nonhuman entities, whether physical or digital.
Status: Assembly Desk
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Legislative Update: Public Safety and EMS
SB 1156 (Caballero) Vehicles: driving under the influence.
This bill would require a court, when imposing a sentence for certain driving under the influence offenses to prohibit the person from
purchasing alcohol for a period of 3 to 10 years. The bill would require the court to consider certain factors in imposing the prohibition.
Status: Senate Appropriations – Suspense File
AB 1605 (Ransom) Driving under the influence: alcohol sales.
This bill authorizes courts to prohibit repeat DUI offenders and those convicted of vehicular manslaughter from purchasing alcohol,
requires the DMV to issue driver's licenses or ID cards with an appropriate designation reflecting such orders, and requires alcohol sellers
to refuse service to persons subject to those orders.
Status: Assembly Appropriations - 05/13
SB 1013 (Cervantes) Automated license plate recognition systems.
This bill requires new or updated contracts with ALPR vendors to prohibit default access to national ALPR databases and restrict sharing
of collected scans, while limiting law enforcement use of ALPR information to locating vehicles or persons reasonably suspected of
involvement in a public offense.
Status: Senate Appropriations – Suspense File
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Legislative Update: Wildfire
AB 1642 (Harabedian) Wildfires: contamination standards.
This bill would require the Department of Toxic Substances Control to adopt emergency regulations establishing science-
informed, health-based standards for lead and asbestos removal following wildfires, and to adopt standards for other
hazardous chemicals.
Status: Assembly Appropriations – Suspense File
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Legislative Update: Environment and Climate
SJR 12 (Laird) Proposed 2026–2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program:
opposition.
This bill would request that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management hold public hearings in California on the
proposed 2026–2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, prepare an environmental impact
statement to accompany the program, and provide the public the opportunity to comment on a draft programmatic
environmental impact statement for potential offshore oil and gas leasing in California. The measure would strongly and
unequivocally oppose any new offshore drilling and declare unequivocal support for the current federal prohibition on new
oil or gas drilling in federal waters offshore of the Pacific coast.
Status: Assembly Desk
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Questions/Discussion
Thank You!
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