SB 15 clamps down on gun trafficking and ensures that gun dealers are following the rules designed to prevent criminal activity. The bill requires more detailed records to be kept of guns for sale and greater scrutiny of gun dealers providing high numbers of firearms for criminal activity. In addition, the legislation allows the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to revoke dealer licenses for two years for those who fail to allow a DOJ inspection of their premises, don’t keep accurate business hours or don’t correct violations within 90 days.
SB 92 requires developers to devote two-thirds of the floor space of their projects to residential housing in order to qualify for exemptions from local restrictions allowed under the state’s density bonus law. This is in response to the Vela Project proposed in Pacific Beach. The 239-foot, 22-story mixed-use project qualifies for the state’s density bonus under current law and thereby can exceed the community’s three-story height limit, but it only contains 10 affordable housing units and primarily consists of luxury hotel rooms, subverting the law’s intent.
SB 99 will allow family child care (FCC) providers who are already certified by the U.S. Department of Defense to avoid duplicative state licensure requirements, provided they only care for military families off-base and follow California’s health and safety requirements for licensed FCCs.
SB 242 will require health insurance companies to provide seniors and people younger than 65 with End Stage Renal Disease an annual open enrollment period to purchase Medicare supplemental coverage (Medigap) plans. During these open enrollment periods, companies will be prohibited from using medical underwriting to deny coverage or set premiums based on customers’ pre-existing medical conditions.
SB 329 would require the state Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), the department responsible, to assign complaints about alcohol or drug treatment facilities to staff within 10 days of receiving them and complete an investigation within 60 days.
SB 427 would remove the July 1, 2030, sunset date for the Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF), which was established under Proposition 117, the California Wildlife Protection Act passed by voters in June 1990. The fund pays to acquire, restore and enhance wildlife habitats across the state.
SB 569 would require the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to develop encampment resolution plans and work with stakeholders in each of its 12 administrative districts. In addition, it would make it easier for Caltrans to contract for assistance in clearing the encampments.
In order to improve transparency and hold beverage container manufacturers accountable, SB 633 requires them to report third-party verification of the country of origin and amount (in pounds) of post-consumer recycled plastic to the state.
SB 710 continues an exclusion to solar panels from being assessed as part of property taxes beyond its 2027 expiration date, helping to move the state toward alternative energy and maintain progress in meeting the state’s clean energy goals.
SB 741 ensures the timely approval and delivery of projects in coastal areas needed to address emerging dangers and emergency situations, such as unstable bluffs that cannot be addressed under existing permitting processes.
SB 755 requires the largest state contractors to report their greenhouse gas emissions annually. Provisions of SB 755 apply to companies with $5 million or more in state contracts, which is presently about 500 companies, and would take effect in 2027.
SB 1053 halts the distribution of plastic bags at grocery store checkouts beginning in 2026. Instead of being asked “Do you want paper or plastic?”, consumers will simply be asked if they want a paper bag. This easy change eliminates plastic bags from the point of sale and helps California significantly reduce plastic waste that is contaminating our environment and waters.
SB 1002 improves the implementation of a law aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of people experiencing mental health crises. Current law mandates that anyone placed on a 72-hour mental health hold must refrain from possessing a firearm, but many with guns never turn them in.
SB 1019 requires that firearms turned in as part of gun-buyback programs or confiscated by law enforcement during investigations are completely destroyed. In some cases, parts of guns collected in such programs end up being resold online as part of gun kits that can easily be turned into “ghost” guns.
SB 689 cuts unnecessary red tape in the development of bike lanes, dedicated transit lanes and pedestrian walkways in California’s coastal communities.
SB 1098 revitalizes the rail corridor that runs from San Diego through six Southern California counties to San Luis Obispo by providing stronger management and planning for the rail line to optimize passenger service.
SB 7 makes changes to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process to ensure local governments are properly accounting for people in their communities who have special housing needs.
SB 1077 aims to harmonize coastal permitting requirements with state ADU law thereby making it easier to apply for, and receive, permits to build ADUs.
SB 1361 prevents shelters and services provided to the homeless through contracts with local governments from being delayed or blocked by legal challenges under the California Environmental Quality Act.
SB 1476 makes the board of trustees and designated employees of the State Bar of California subject to conflict-of-interest provisions of the Political Reform Act.
SB 1493 reduces the number of copies of the state voter information guide that the Secretary of State is required to mail to specified individuals and educational institutions. In the age of digital information, multiple copies are not needed.
SB 1257 modernizes San Diego County’s Medi-Cal advisory board program to help it improve health outcomes for vulnerable people, reduce Medi-Cal system costs and reduce homelessness.
The Senate commends and honors journalists across the state for their invaluable contributions to society and recognizes May 3, 2024, as World Press Freedom Day in California.
The Senate proclaims the week of May 6, 2024, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week in California, and commends the observance of the week to all residents of the state.
The Legislature recognizes the significance of July 4 as Independence Day, and Californians are encouraged to celebrate Independence Day on July 4, 2024, with reverence, reflection, and gratitude for the blessings of freedom and democracy bestowed upon us.
The Senate proclaims the month of August 2024 as California Life Sciences Month in appreciation for the vast contributions the life sciences have made to public health, the economy, and innovation in environmental sustainability in California, the nation, and the world.
SB 360 expands the range of local agencies that a Coastal Commission member can jointly serve on, now including a Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) or Joint Powers Authority (JPA).
SB 417 requires gun sellers to post the following notice: “WARNING: If you or a loved one is experiencing distress or depression or is contemplating suicide, please call 988 (The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Access to a firearm in the home significantly increases the risk of suicide, death, and injury during domestic violence disputes, and the unintentional death and traumatic injury to children, household members, and guests.”
SB 428 provides public employers with the ability to seek a temporary civil restraining order on behalf of an employee who is being harassed at work by a member of the public, beginning in 2025. Under current law, it’s up to the individual workers themselves to seek such restraining orders, often at their own time and expense, even though the harassment occurs while they are on the job.
SB 452 prohibits the sale or transfer of a semiautomatic pistol made after Jan. 1, 2028, unless it has been verified as a microstamping-enabled pistol. By using microstamping, the handguns would etch unique identifiers on expended cartridges, providing law enforcement with valuable information to help identify shooters.
SB 482 encourages the development of housing units that serve unhoused individuals with little or no income and the greatest needs. It does this by requiring the state Department of Housing and Community Development to offer capitalized operating subsidy reserves (COSRs) to special needs units funded through the Multifamily Housing Program. COSRs are important because if granted, they set aside upfront money to cover 15-20 years’ worth of deficits in annual operating revenues for housing developments, making it easier for the developments to get financed and built.
SB 677 directs the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, which oversees the corridor in coordination with rail owners, operators and planning agencies, to include an assessment of the impacts of climate change in its annual business plan that outlines the agency’s major goals and objectives. The assessment must also identify projects to increase climate resiliency and funding options for those projects. This bill complements work that has been moving through my Senate Transportation Subcommittee on LOSSAN Rail Corridor Resilience.