The following list summarizes top priority bills for the California Chamber of Commerce and their status as of July 14, when the Legislature began its summer recess.
Within each subject area, the list presents bills in order of priority with the highest priorities at the top.
The CalChamber will publish a second status report in September, showing the status of priority legislation when the Legislature begins its interim recess on September 14.
October 14 is the last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature on or before September 14 and in his possession after September 14.
Bills signed by the Governor will become law on January 1, 2024. Urgency, tax and budget-related measures go into effect immediately upon being signed. In those cases, the date the Governor signed the bill is noted.
Each fall, the CalChamber publishes a record of legislators’ votes on key bills affecting the California business climate. Generally, the bills selected for the vote record have appeared in one of the status reports. This year’s vote record is scheduled to be published on November 3.
Status of legislative action on bills as of July 14, 2023. Dates listed are the date the bill was assigned to a committee, the latest date of committee action, the next hearing date or when the bill reached the Senate or Assembly floor, unless action is stated.
A print-friendly version of the Status Report is available here.
Investment Ban. SB 224 (Hurtado; D-Sanger) Prohibits foreign governments from owning or leasing agricultural land, limiting ability for farmers to get mortgages and invest in their operations. Oppose Unless Amended.
Smoke Exposure Study. AB 54 (Aguiar-Curry; D-Winters) Creates an advisory committee to study impacts of wildfire smoke on grapes and wine and investigate ways to prevent or minimize smoke damage. Support.
Product Regulation. AB 363 (Bauer-Kahan; D-Orinda) Presupposes outcomes of Department of Pesticide Regulation review of neonicotinoid insecticides and dictates regulation of those products. Oppose.
Product Regulation. AB 652 (Lee; D-San Jose) Increases regulatory red tape through creating a duplicative advisory committee. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/1/23
Smoke Exposure Study. AB 54 (Aguiar-Curry; D-Winters) Creates an advisory committee to study impacts of wildfire smoke on grapes and wine and investigate ways to prevent or minimize smoke damage. Support.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 4/19/23; Failed Deadline
Product Regulation. AB 363 (Bauer-Kahan; D-Orinda) Presupposes outcomes of Department of Pesticide Regulation review of neonicotinoid insecticides and dictates regulation of those products. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/6/23
Product Regulation. AB 652 (Lee; D-San Jose) Increases regulatory red tape through creating a duplicative advisory committee. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/5/23
Emission Reduction Credit System. AB 985 (Arambula; D-Fresno) Arbitrarily dismantles a program established by a local air district to allow for the voluntary reduction of emissions beyond current requirements. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/6/23
Fraudulent Financial Transactions. SB 278 (Dodd; D-Napa) Makes it easier for consumer attorneys to sue banks and financial institutions for fraud on elder customers when banks do not have actual knowledge of fraud. Oppose.
Senate Banking and Financial Institutions 6/1/23; Failed Deadline
State Budget Bill, v.2. AB 102 (Ting; D-San Francisco) Updates the state budget and appropriates money to re-start the Industrial Welfare Commission, but limits its authority to change regulations that will unduly burden employers. Oppose.
State Budget Bill, v.2. SB 102 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Updates the state budget and appropriates money to re-start the Industrial Welfare Commission, but limits its authority to change regulations that will unduly burden employers. Oppose.
Corporate Tax Hike. SB 220 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) Increases the corporate tax rate to 10.99% for many California employers which will drive them out of the state and decrease the revenue they contribute to the General Fund. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Signed—Chapter 38 7/10/23
State Budget Bill, v.2. SB 102 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Updates the state budget and appropriates money to re-start the Industrial Welfare Commission, but limits its authority to change regulations that will unduly burden employers. Oppose.
Assembly Budget 6/29/23
Corporate Tax Hike. SB 220 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) Increases the corporate tax rate to 10.99% for many California employers which will drive them out of the state and decrease the revenue they contribute to the General Fund. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review 5/25/23
Streamlines Critical Infrastructure from CEQA. AB 914 (Friedman; D-Glendale) Supports timely permitting of critically needed clean energy infrastructure by exempting from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) any expansion, upgrade or modification to an electrical infrastructure project or the construction of new, expanded or upgraded electrical substations or line facilities in California. In doing so, the bill will protect these clean energy projects from delays and frivolous litigation. Support.
Streamlines Housing. AB 356 (Mathis; R-Porterville) Extends the sunset contained in AB 2341 (Mathis) that provides aesthetic impacts are not a CEQA impact for any project involving the refurbishment, conversion, repurposing or replacement of an existing building into housing. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/13/23
Streamlines Housing. AB 356 (Mathis; R-Porterville) Extends the sunset contained in AB 2341 (Mathis) that provides aesthetic impacts are not a CEQA impact for any project involving the refurbishment, conversion, repurposing or replacement of an existing building into housing. Support.
To Governor 7/13/23
Corporate Climate Accountability Act. SB 253 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Imposes a mandatory climate tracking, and auditing on climate emissions that will fall heavily on all California businesses, impacting competitiveness and increasing costs. Oppose.
Greenhouse Gases. AB 9 (Muratsuchi; D-Torrance) Imposes additional evaluation criteria on California’s cap-and-trade program that will lead to market instability and increased costs for consumers. Job Killer status removed due to April 17, 2023 amendments, but CalChamber remains opposed. Oppose/Former Job Killer 2023.
Arbitrary Greenhouse Gas Target. SB 12 (Stern; D-Canoga Park) Arbitrarily changes the State’s greenhouse gas reduction goal from 40% of 1990 levels by 2030 to 55%. By the State’s own estimate this proposal will force 17 million gas-powered cars off the road in the next 10 years. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Voluntary Carbon Emissions Offsets. AB 1305 (Gabriel; D-Woodland Hills) Imposes duplicative reporting requirements on buyers and sellers of carbon offsets participating in the voluntary carbon offset market. Oppose.
Climate-Related Financial Risk. SB 261 (Stern; D-Canoga Park) Requires any business with revenues over $500 million annually to prepare a climate financial risk assessment on its holdings including any supply chain assets. Oppose.
Carbon Dioxide Removal. SB 308 (Becker; D-Menlo Park) Duplicates existing programs to create an added layer of compliance obligations.
Low Carbon Fuel Standard. SB 709 (Allen; D-Santa Monica) Establishes arbitrary standards for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard which would strand hundreds of millions of dollars in investments toward a key methane emissions reduction program. Oppose.
Low-Methane Natural Gas. SB 781 (Stern; D-Canoga Park) Originally included procurement requirements of certified low-methane natural gas on state entities. Opposition removed after clarification that those requirements would not lead to added costs for ratepayers. Neutral.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Greenhouse Gases. AB 9 (Muratsuchi; D-Torrance) Imposes additional evaluation criteria on California’s cap-and-trade program that will lead to market instability and increased costs for consumers. Job Killer status removed due to April 17, 2023 amendments, but CalChamber remains opposed. Oppose/Former Job Killer 2023.
Assembly Inactive File 6/1/23
Arbitrary Greenhouse Gas Target. SB 12 (Stern; D-Canoga Park) Arbitrarily changes the State’s greenhouse gas reduction goal from 40% of 1990 levels by 2030 to 55%. By the State’s own estimate this proposal will force 17 million gas-powered cars off the road in the next 10 years. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/15/23; Failed Deadline
Voluntary Carbon Emissions Offsets. AB 1305 (Gabriel; D-Woodland Hills) Imposes duplicative reporting requirements on buyers and sellers of carbon offsets participating in the voluntary carbon offset market. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/11/23
Climate-Related Financial Risk. SB 261 (Stern; D-Canoga Park) Requires any business with revenues over $500 million annually to prepare a climate financial risk assessment on its holdings including any supply chain assets. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Carbon Dioxide Removal. SB 308 (Becker; D-Menlo Park) Duplicates existing programs to create an added layer of compliance obligations.
Assembly Natural Resources 6/8/23; Failed Deadline
Low Carbon Fuel Standard. SB 709 (Allen; D-Santa Monica) Establishes arbitrary standards for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard which would strand hundreds of millions of dollars in investments toward a key methane emissions reduction program. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/1/23; Failed Deadline
Low-Methane Natural Gas. SB 781 (Stern; D-Canoga Park) Originally included procurement requirements of certified low-methane natural gas on state entities. Opposition removed after clarification that those requirements would not lead to added costs for ratepayers. Neutral.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Organized Cargo Theft. AB 523 (Vince Fong; R-Bakersfield) Expands definition of organized retail theft to include thefts that occur from cargo containers. Support.
Combatting Retail Theft. AB 1708 (Muratsuchi; D-Torrance) Increases criminal penalties for repeat retail theft offenders. Support.
Assembly Public Safety 2/17/23; Failed Deadline
Combatting Retail Theft. AB 1708 (Muratsuchi; D-Torrance) Increases criminal penalties for repeat retail theft offenders. Support.
Assembly Public Safety 4/17/23; Failed Deadline
Community College Districts Student Housing. AB 358 (Addis; D-Morro Bay) Eases construction of student housing by easing compliance with Field Act. Support.
Truck Driver Shortage Through Student Financial Aid. AB 376 (Villapudua; D-Stockton) Adjusts Cal Grant C award to increase training for truck drivers and helps address existing supply chain issues. Support.
Report on Cybersecurity Regional Alliances Pilot Program. AB 569 (Garcia; D-Coachella) Requires reporting to legislature on existing Cybersecurity Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships Pilot Program. Support.
Workplace Law Education and Work Permits. AB 800 (Ortega; D-San Leandro) Adjusts educational curriculum to add emphasis to labor movement history and its positive contributions, as well as suggesting a labor-sponsored think tank prepare a form for distribution to all students seeking work permits. Oppose.
Vocational Training Information for Inmates. AB 857 (Ortega; D-San Leandro) Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, upon the release of an individual from prison, to provide a form to sign up for the vocational rehabilitation and independent living services provided by the Department of Rehabilitation. Support.
Personal Finance Education. AB 984 (McCarty; D-Sacramento) Requires high school students complete a one-semester course in economics, including personal finance, as part of their history-social science curriculum. Support.
Computer Science Education for All Students. AB 1054 (Berman; D-Palo Alto) Requires each school district or charter school offering high school coursework to adopt a plan to provide at least one course in computer science education by the 2025–2026 school year. Support.
Computer Science Teaching Workgroup. AB 1251 (Luz Rivas; D-San Fernando Valley) Convenes a workgroup to examine which teaching credentials should additionally authorize computer science teaching, with the eventual goal of increasing computer science classes by increasing teacher availability. Support.
Improvements to the Community College System’s Economic and Workforce Development Program. AB 1370 (Ta; R-Westminster) Extends the existing Economic and Workforce Development Program indefinitely, as well as modernizing various portions. Support.
Student Achievement Data. SB 293 (Grove; R-Bakersfield) Requires information from the annual California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASPP) be posted online annually by a specified date. Support.
Middle Class Scholarship Program at Community Colleges. SB 307 (Ashby; D-Sacramento) Expands existing scholarship programs to also cover current or former foster youth pursuing transfer to a 4-year college or technical education certificate. Support.
Financial Literacy for California Students. SB 342 (Seyarto; R-Murrieta) Requires the commission on history-social science to add age-appropriate financial education for students in grades 1–12 as part of the next curriculum revision. Support.
Signed—Chapter 83
Truck Driver Shortage Through Student Financial Aid. AB 376 (Villapudua; D-Stockton) Adjusts Cal Grant C award to increase training for truck drivers and helps address existing supply chain issues. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/12/23
Report on Cybersecurity Regional Alliances Pilot Program. AB 569 (Garcia; D-Coachella) Requires reporting to legislature on existing Cybersecurity Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships Pilot Program. Support.
To Governor 7/13/23
Workplace Law Education and Work Permits. AB 800 (Ortega; D-San Leandro) Adjusts educational curriculum to add emphasis to labor movement history and its positive contributions, as well as suggesting a labor-sponsored think tank prepare a form for distribution to all students seeking work permits. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/12/23
Vocational Training Information for Inmates. AB 857 (Ortega; D-San Leandro) Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, upon the release of an individual from prison, to provide a form to sign up for the vocational rehabilitation and independent living services provided by the Department of Rehabilitation. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/3/23
Personal Finance Education. AB 984 (McCarty; D-Sacramento) Requires high school students complete a one-semester course in economics, including personal finance, as part of their history-social science curriculum. Support.
Assembly Inactive File 5/31/23; Failed Deadline
Computer Science Education for All Students. AB 1054 (Berman; D-Palo Alto) Requires each school district or charter school offering high school coursework to adopt a plan to provide at least one course in computer science education by the 2025–2026 school year. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/12/23
Computer Science Teaching Workgroup. AB 1251 (Luz Rivas; D-San Fernando Valley) Convenes a workgroup to examine which teaching credentials should additionally authorize computer science teaching, with the eventual goal of increasing computer science classes by increasing teacher availability. Support.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 6/26/23
Improvements to the Community College System’s Economic and Workforce Development Program. AB 1370 (Ta; R-Westminster) Extends the existing Economic and Workforce Development Program indefinitely, as well as modernizing various portions. Support.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 7/3/23
Student Achievement Data. SB 293 (Grove; R-Bakersfield) Requires information from the annual California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASPP) be posted online annually by a specified date. Support.
Assembly Appropriations 6/28/23
Middle Class Scholarship Program at Community Colleges. SB 307 (Ashby; D-Sacramento) Expands existing scholarship programs to also cover current or former foster youth pursuing transfer to a 4-year college or technical education certificate. Support.
Assembly Higher Education 6/1/23; Failed Deadline
Financial Literacy for California Students. SB 342 (Seyarto; R-Murrieta) Requires the commission on history-social science to add age-appropriate financial education for students in grades 1–12 as part of the next curriculum revision. Support.
Senate Education 2/15/23; Failed Deadline
Dismantles Referendum Process. AB 421 (Bryan; D-Los Angeles) Dramatically changes state’s direct democracy process to essentially eliminate the ability for anyone to qualify a referendum. Oppose.
Bans Political Contributions. AB 83 (Lee; D-San Jose) This unconstitutional proposal bans corporations with 50% or more of foreign investment from contributing to campaigns or independent expenditures. Oppose.
Burdens on Political Speech. AB 868 (Wilson; D-Suisun City) Requires State’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) to set up massive new database and bureaucracy to manage and compile most digital advertisements, which can already be tracked via Secretary of State. Oppose.
Signature Verification. AB 1004 (Ta; R-Westminster) Streamlines the ability for Californians to ensure that their voice is heard in the initiative and referendum process. Support.
Clarifying Local Bond Measures. SB 798 (Glazer; D-Contra Costa) Makes local bond measures easier to understand for voters by simplifying the ballot description of the amount of new taxes a property owner would pay. Support.
Ballot Measure Transparency. SB 858 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Removes the politics from the ballot measure process by ensuring the Legislative Analyst’s Office completes title and summary rather than Attorney General. Support.
Ballot Measure Transparency. SCA 3 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Removes the politics from the ballot measure process by ensuring the Legislative Analyst’s Office completes title and summary rather than Attorney General. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/10/23
Bans Political Contributions. AB 83 (Lee; D-San Jose) This unconstitutional proposal bans corporations with 50% or more of foreign investment from contributing to campaigns or independent expenditures. Oppose.
Assembly Inactive File 6/1/23
Burdens on Political Speech. AB 868 (Wilson; D-Suisun City) Requires State’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) to set up massive new database and bureaucracy to manage and compile most digital advertisements, which can already be tracked via Secretary of State. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/11/23
Signature Verification. AB 1004 (Ta; R-Westminster) Streamlines the ability for Californians to ensure that their voice is heard in the initiative and referendum process. Support.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 5/10/23; Failed Deadline
Clarifying Local Bond Measures. SB 798 (Glazer; D-Contra Costa) Makes local bond measures easier to understand for voters by simplifying the ballot description of the amount of new taxes a property owner would pay. Support.
Assembly Floor 6/15/23
Ballot Measure Transparency. SB 858 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Removes the politics from the ballot measure process by ensuring the Legislative Analyst’s Office completes title and summary rather than Attorney General. Support.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/1/23; Failed Deadline
Ballot Measure Transparency. SCA 3 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Removes the politics from the ballot measure process by ensuring the Legislative Analyst’s Office completes title and summary rather than Attorney General. Support.
Senate Appropriations 5/8/23
Windfall Profits Tax. SBX1 2 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Sets an arbitrary cap on the amount of profits that a refiner operating in the state of California can earn over a quarterly basis. This measure would further diminish supply, discourages operational efficiencies, and would limit the amount of capital a refiner could reinvest into their infrastructure to support California’s long-term climate goals. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Multistate Regional Transmission Organization. AB 538 (Holden; D-Pasadena) Defines a process by which the California Independent System Operator can join a multistate regional transmission organization that will further enhance reliability and generate savings for electricity customers. Support.
Public Purpose Program Costs. AB 982 (Villapudua; D-Stockton) Lessens impact to all ratepayers by offsetting costs associated with the Public Purpose Program with General Fund dollars. Support.
Electricity Bill Stability. AB 1513 (Calderon; D-Whittier) Creates a financing mechanism to better manage costs associated with infrastructure improvements for the purpose of resiliency, reliability, and safety. Support.
Electrical Transmission Facility Projects. SB 420 (Becker; Menlo Park) Reduces approvals required for upgrades to existing projects and new projects at the sub-transmission and distribution level located in designated areas. Support.
Transportation Network Companies: Participating Drivers: Vehicle Inspections. SB 429 (Bradford; D-Gardena) Streamlines vehicle inspections process for rideshare drivers by allowing for remote or virtual inspections. Support.
Signed—Chapter 1, First Extraordinary Session 3/28/23
Multistate Regional Transmission Organization. AB 538 (Holden; D-Pasadena) Defines a process by which the California Independent System Operator can join a multistate regional transmission organization that will further enhance reliability and generate savings for electricity customers. Support.
Assembly Appropriations 4/27/23; Failed Deadline
Public Purpose Program Costs. AB 982 (Villapudua; D-Stockton) Lessens impact to all ratepayers by offsetting costs associated with the Public Purpose Program with General Fund dollars. Support.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 4/26/23; Failed Deadline
Electricity Bill Stability. AB 1513 (Calderon; D-Whittier) Creates a financing mechanism to better manage costs associated with infrastructure improvements for the purpose of resiliency, reliability, and safety. Support.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 5/17/23; Failed Deadline
Electrical Transmission Facility Projects. SB 420 (Becker; Menlo Park) Reduces approvals required for upgrades to existing projects and new projects at the sub-transmission and distribution level located in designated areas. Support.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Transportation Network Companies: Participating Drivers: Vehicle Inspections. SB 429 (Bradford; D-Gardena) Streamlines vehicle inspections process for rideshare drivers by allowing for remote or virtual inspections. Support.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Oil and Gas Wells: Civil Liability. SB 556 (Gonzalez; D-Long Beach) Sets disturbing precedent by creating liability without proof for oil well owners/operators if individuals who lived within 3,200 feet of a wellhead develop certain health conditions. Oppose.
EPR Program Textiles and Apparel. SB 707 (Newman; D-Fullerton) Establishes the first extended producer responsibility (EPR) program in California for almost all textiles and many household apparel items under an untested concept that could overwhelm CalRecycle and the businesses tasked with implementing such a program. Failure could constrain supply chains and increase costs on everyday items Californians rely on, from shirts, pants and undergarments to diapers and bibs. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/15/23; Failed Deadline
EPR Program Textiles and Apparel. SB 707 (Newman; D-Fullerton) Establishes the first extended producer responsibility (EPR) program in California for almost all textiles and many household apparel items under an untested concept that could overwhelm CalRecycle and the businesses tasked with implementing such a program. Failure could constrain supply chains and increase costs on everyday items Californians rely on, from shirts, pants and undergarments to diapers and bibs. Oppose.
Assembly Natural Resources 6/15/23; Failed Deadline
Food and Beverage Service. AB 1217 (Gabriel; D-Woodland Hills) Extends existing regulatory modifications that allow neighborhood restaurants to continue to serve the public in expanded, outdoor dining areas. Support.
Senate Appropriations; 7/12/23
Allows Proprietary Information to be Shared Publicly. SB 244 (Eggman; D-Stockton) Forces manufacturers of devices and equipment to treat any alleged repair attempt the same as the manufacturer or authorized retailer and allows proprietary equipment and trade secrets to be shared with the public. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/5/23
Distressed Hospital Loan Program. AB 412 (Soria; D-Fresno) Creates a state loan program for non-profit and public hospitals that are either experiencing dire financial distress and in danger of closing or attempting to reopen. Support.
Health Care Cost Driver. AB 874 (Weber; D-San Diego) Increases premiums for California’s employers by requiring health plans, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) take any amounts paid for an enrollee or insured’s out-of-pocket expenses using a discount, repayment, product voucher, or other reduction and count them toward their health plan or policy’s cost-sharing requirement. Oppose.
Pharmacy Network Disruption. AB 913 (Petrie-Norris; D-Irvine) Limits the use of preferred pharmacy networks and financial incentives which will lead to increased drug costs for patients. Oppose Unless Amended.
Dental Benefit Cost Driver. AB 1048 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Increases premiums for California’s employers and employees by prohibiting plans and insurers that cover dental services from imposing dental waiting periods or preexisting condition provisions. Oppose.
Durable Medical Equipment Mandate. AB 1157 (Ortega; D-San Leandro) Increases premiums for California’s employers and employees by requiring health plans and insurers to cover rehabilitative and habilitative services including durable medical equipment (DME), services, and repairs. Oppose.
Prohibits STI Cost Sharing. AB 1645 (Zbur; D-West Hollywood) Increases premiums for California’s employers and employees by prohibiting health plans and insurers from imposing cost sharing requirements for coverage of recommended sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening. Oppose.
Prescription Drug Cost Driver. SB 70 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Increases premiums for California’s employers and employees because it would prohibit limiting or excluding coverage of a drug, dose of a drug, or dosage form of a drug that is prescribed for off-label use if the drug has been previously covered for a chronic condition or cancer, regardless of whether the drug, dose, or dosage form is on the plan’s or insurer’s formulary. Oppose.
Increases Health Care Costs. SB 90 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Increases health care costs by capping cost sharing for insulin prescriptions at $35 for 30-day supply. Oppose.
Expensive Diagnostic Imaging Mandate. SB 257 (Portantino; D-La Cañada Flintridge) Increases premiums for employers and employees by mandating plans and insurers provide coverage without imposing cost sharing for follow up screening mammography and medically necessary diagnostic breast imaging. Oppose.
Costly Coverage Mandate. SB 427 (Portantino; D-La Cañada Flintridge) Increases premiums for employers and employees by mandating health plans and insurers cover all U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended antiretroviral drugs, products, and devices (ARVs) for HIV/AIDS with no cost sharing or utilization review requirements. Oppose.
Expensive Gold Card Program. SB 598 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Prevents health plans and insurers from requiring certain contracted health care providers obtain a prior authorization (PA) for any health care services if those providers meet certain PA approval thresholds. Increases health care costs by eradicating an effective cost control measure, leading to higher premiums for California’s employers. Oppose.
Pharmaceutical Cost Containment. SB 621 (Caballero; D-Merced) Reduces pharmaceutical costs and premiums for employers by allowing plans and insurers to utilize less expensive but equally as effective biosimilar drugs prior to administering a reference biologic. Support.
Health Care Cost Driver. SB 729 (Menjivar; D-Los Angeles) Increases health care costs by mandating plans and insurers provide coverage for fertility services to diagnose and treat infertility, including in vitro fertilization. Oppose.
Government-Run Health Care. SB 770 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Directs the state to create a workgroup to petition the federal government to redirect hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicare and Medi-Cal funding to a costly new, untested state-run health care system. Oppose.
Increases Health Care Premiums. SB 873 (Bradford; D-Gardena) Increases health care premiums by requiring an enrollee or insured’s prescription drug cost sharing be calculated at the point of sale (POS) based on a price that is reduced by an amount equal to 90% of all rebates received, or to be received, in connection with the dispensing or administration of the drug. Oppose.
Senate Health 6/14/23
Health Care Cost Driver. AB 874 (Weber; D-San Diego) Increases premiums for California’s employers by requiring health plans, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) take any amounts paid for an enrollee or insured’s out-of-pocket expenses using a discount, repayment, product voucher, or other reduction and count them toward their health plan or policy’s cost-sharing requirement. Oppose.
Assembly Health 2/23/23; Failed Deadline
Pharmacy Network Disruption. AB 913 (Petrie-Norris; D-Irvine) Limits the use of preferred pharmacy networks and financial incentives which will lead to increased drug costs for patients. Oppose Unless Amended.
Assembly Business and Professions 3/16/23; Failed Deadline
Dental Benefit Cost Driver. AB 1048 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Increases premiums for California’s employers and employees by prohibiting plans and insurers that cover dental services from imposing dental waiting periods or preexisting condition provisions. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 7/10/23
Durable Medical Equipment Mandate. AB 1157 (Ortega; D-San Leandro) Increases premiums for California’s employers and employees by requiring health plans and insurers to cover rehabilitative and habilitative services including durable medical equipment (DME), services, and repairs. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/12/23
Prohibits STI Cost Sharing. AB 1645 (Zbur; D-West Hollywood) Increases premiums for California’s employers and employees by prohibiting health plans and insurers from imposing cost sharing requirements for coverage of recommended sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/12/23
Prescription Drug Cost Driver. SB 70 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Increases premiums for California’s employers and employees because it would prohibit limiting or excluding coverage of a drug, dose of a drug, or dosage form of a drug that is prescribed for off-label use if the drug has been previously covered for a chronic condition or cancer, regardless of whether the drug, dose, or dosage form is on the plan’s or insurer’s formulary. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 6/29/23
Increases Health Care Costs. SB 90 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Increases health care costs by capping cost sharing for insulin prescriptions at $35 for 30-day supply. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 6/20/23
Expensive Diagnostic Imaging Mandate. SB 257 (Portantino; D-La Cañada Flintridge) Increases premiums for employers and employees by mandating plans and insurers provide coverage without imposing cost sharing for follow up screening mammography and medically necessary diagnostic breast imaging. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 6/27/23
Costly Coverage Mandate. SB 427 (Portantino; D-La Cañada Flintridge) Increases premiums for employers and employees by mandating health plans and insurers cover all U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended antiretroviral drugs, products, and devices (ARVs) for HIV/AIDS with no cost sharing or utilization review requirements. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/11/23
Expensive Gold Card Program. SB 598 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Prevents health plans and insurers from requiring certain contracted health care providers obtain a prior authorization (PA) for any health care services if those providers meet certain PA approval thresholds. Increases health care costs by eradicating an effective cost control measure, leading to higher premiums for California’s employers. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/11/23
Pharmaceutical Cost Containment. SB 621 (Caballero; D-Merced) Reduces pharmaceutical costs and premiums for employers by allowing plans and insurers to utilize less expensive but equally as effective biosimilar drugs prior to administering a reference biologic. Support.
Assembly Appropriations 6/20/23
Health Care Cost Driver. SB 729 (Menjivar; D-Los Angeles) Increases health care costs by mandating plans and insurers provide coverage for fertility services to diagnose and treat infertility, including in vitro fertilization. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/11/23
Government-Run Health Care. SB 770 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Directs the state to create a workgroup to petition the federal government to redirect hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicare and Medi-Cal funding to a costly new, untested state-run health care system. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 7/12/23
Increases Health Care Premiums. SB 873 (Bradford; D-Gardena) Increases health care premiums by requiring an enrollee or insured’s prescription drug cost sharing be calculated at the point of sale (POS) based on a price that is reduced by an amount equal to 90% of all rebates received, or to be received, in connection with the dispensing or administration of the drug. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/11/23
De FactoBan of Warehouses. AB 1000 (Reyes; D-San Bernardino) Mandates a statewide setback of 1,000 feet from sensitive receptors for all new or expanded logistics use facilities, regardless of environmental impacts, establishing a de facto ban. Also creates a new private right of action in California. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Quashes Housing. AB 68 (Ward; D-San Diego) Worsens California’s existing housing crisis by preventing local governments from permitting new housing units in most of their jurisdictions. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Costly Housing Mandate. AB 919 (Kalra; D-San Jose) Creates a cumbersome new process and invites costly lawsuits by forcing owners of residential property to offer tenants first right to buy the rental property before placing their property on the open marketplace. The process is convoluted and sets up a costly, unrealistic extended timeline that creates a back-and-forth between the landlord and tenant that forces landlords to respond to any and every demand from the tenant or risk lawsuits, thereby stalling the sale of a property for months. Oppose.
Better Housing Data. SB 405 (Cortese; D-San Jose) Requires local governments to effectively ensure that land they count as available for housing for purposes of regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) number compliance in their housing element is actually going to be available for housing. Such a policy will provide better data to decisionmakers who rely on data provided by locals to craft and make land use policies and decisions. Support.
Ban on Criminal Background Checks: Residential. SB 460 (Wahab; D-Hayward) Prohibits some, but not all, landlords from being able to run criminal background checks before renting to prospective tenants, thereby jeopardizing the owners’ ability to choose whom to safely rent their property to. Oppose.
Failed passage in Assembly Local Government, 4/26/23; Reconsideration granted; Failed Deadline
Quashes Housing. AB 68 (Ward; D-San Diego) Worsens California’s existing housing crisis by preventing local governments from permitting new housing units in most of their jurisdictions. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Assembly Housing and Community Development 3/16/23; Failed Deadline
Costly Housing Mandate. AB 919 (Kalra; D-San Jose) Creates a cumbersome new process and invites costly lawsuits by forcing owners of residential property to offer tenants first right to buy the rental property before placing their property on the open marketplace. The process is convoluted and sets up a costly, unrealistic extended timeline that creates a back-and-forth between the landlord and tenant that forces landlords to respond to any and every demand from the tenant or risk lawsuits, thereby stalling the sale of a property for months. Oppose.
Assembly Judiciary 2/23/23; Failed Deadline
Better Housing Data. SB 405 (Cortese; D-San Jose) Requires local governments to effectively ensure that land they count as available for housing for purposes of regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) number compliance in their housing element is actually going to be available for housing. Such a policy will provide better data to decisionmakers who rely on data provided by locals to craft and make land use policies and decisions. Support.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/15/23; Failed Deadline
Ban on Criminal Background Checks: Residential. SB 460 (Wahab; D-Hayward) Prohibits some, but not all, landlords from being able to run criminal background checks before renting to prospective tenants, thereby jeopardizing the owners’ ability to choose whom to safely rent their property to. Oppose.
Senate Judiciary 2/22/23; Failed Deadline
Special Benefits for Workers. SCA 7 (Umberg; D-Santa Ana) This bill enshrines in the California Constitution unnecessary and unprecedented special benefits that will damage government operations and performance, destabilize the California economy, and is rife with unintended consequences. Oppose.
Costly Sick Leave Expansion on All Employers. SB 616 (Gonzalez; D-Long Beach) Imposes new costs and leave requirements on employers of all sizes, by more than doubling existing sick leave mandate, which is in addition to all other enacted leave mandates that small employers throughout the state are already struggling with to implement and comply. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Prohibits Consideration of Conviction History in Employment. SB 809 (Smallwood-Cuevas; D-Los Angeles) Prohibits nearly every employer from considering conviction history of an applicant or existing employee in employment decisions and imposes cumbersome process on employers that are legally not allowed to hire individuals with certain convictions. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Bans Employer Speech. SB 399 (Wahab; D-Hayward) Chills employer speech regarding religious and political matters, including unionization. Is likely unconstitutional under the First Amendment and preempted by the National Labor Relations Act. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Onerous Return to Work Mandate. SB 627 (Smallwood-Cuevas; D-Los Angeles) Imposes an onerous and stringent process to hire employees based on seniority alone for nearly every industry, including hospitals, retail, restaurants, and movie theaters, which will delay hiring and eliminates contracts for at-will employment. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Public Prosecutor Enforcement. AB 594 (Maienschein; D-San Diego) Allows all public prosecutors to enforce significant portion of the Labor Code, risking inconsistent enforcement and with no protection against additional recovery under a subsequent Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuit. Oppose.
Expansion of Litigation Under FEHA. AB 524 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Exposes employers to costly litigation under the Fair Employment and Housing Act by asserting that any adverse employment action was in relation to the employee’s family caregiver status, which is broadly defined to include any employee who contributes to the care of any person of their choosing, and creates a de facto accommodation requirement that will burden small businesses. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Grocery Workers. AB 647 (Holden; D-Pasadena) Significantly expands statute related to successor grocery employers, including disrupting ability for independent small stores to join together, expands number of workers covered under the law, and creates a significant new private right of action. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Onerous Return to Work Mandate. SB 723 (Durazo; D-Los Angeles) Imposes an onerous and stringent process for specific employers to return employees to the workforce for specified industries, including hotels and restaurants that have been disproportionally impacted by this pandemic, and removes guardrails on existing law by making mandate permanent and significantly broadening the applicability of the law. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Costly Minimum Wage Increase. SB 525 (Durazo; D-Los Angeles) Imposes significant cost on health care facilities and any employer who works with health care facilities by mandating increase in minimum wage to $25. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Franchise Joint Liability. AB 1228 (Holden; D-Pasadena) Creates joint liability between franchisee and franchisor, destroying franchise model in California. Oppose.
WARN Act Expansion. AB 1356 (Haney; D-San Francisco) Significantly expands WARN Act by increasing notice period, changing definition of covered establishment, and expanding applicability to workers under overly broad definition of “employee of a labor contractor.” Oppose.
Improved Labor Law Compliance. SB 592 (Newman; D-Fullerton) Requires labor law guidance to be translated into commonly spoken languages in California and protects business owners from being penalized if they relied in good faith on guidance issued by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE). Sponsor/Co-Sponsor/Job Creator 2023.
Flexible Workweek. SB 703 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Allows for an employee-selected flexible work schedule and relieves employers of the administrative cost and burden of adopting an alternative workweek schedule per division, which accommodates employees, helps retain employees, and allows the employer to invest these savings into growing its workforce. Support/Job Creator 2023.
Sick Leave Reform. SB 881 (Alvarado-Gil; D-Jackson) Significantly improves employers’ ability to implement California mandatory paid sick leave and curb attempts to take leave for impermissible purposes. Support.
Non-Compete Agreements. AB 747 (McCarty; D-Sacramento) Jeopardizes benefits programs by prohibiting employers from offering certain bonuses or tuition payments and imposes steep, mandatory $5,000 per employee penalty on business of any size if it is determined that their program or policy qualifies as a non-compete. Oppose.
Grocery Stores. AB 853 (Maienschein; D-San Diego) Requires grocery stores, including independent stores, to send unnecessary notice to Attorney General that includes proprietary information. Oppose.
Website Accessibility. AB 950 (Maienschein; D-San Diego) Outlines requirements for filing civil action based on website accessibility; creates presumption of compliance. Support If Amended.
Rest Periods for Direct Support Workers. AB 1031 (Blanca Rubio; D-Baldwin Park) Appropriately modifies existing rest period laws to meet needs of direct support workers who must supervise individuals with disabilities who are under their care. Support.
Electronic Notices. AB 1355 (Valencia; D-Anaheim) Allows workers to request certain employment notices to be delivered electronically rather than in paper, benefiting both workers and the environment. Support.
Call Centers. AB 1381 (Weber; D-San Diego) Increases costs of state contracts by requiring call center operations to be located in California where contract is unrelated to call center services. Oppose.
Minimum Wage Working Group. AB 1516 (Kalra; D-San Jose) Requires convening of working group regarding minimum wage increase that does not include employer representatives, which undermines purpose and objectivity of the proposed working group. Oppose Unless Amended.
Airline Worker Benefits. SB 41 (Cortese; D-San Jose) Creates exception to California’s overly rigid meal and rest break rules for flight crew employees who are covered under collective bargaining agreement. Support.
Veterans Hiring Preference. SB 73 (Seyarto; R-Murrieta) Allows employers to take advantage of federal tax credit by clarifying that establishing a veterans hiring preference policy does not violate the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Support.
PAGA Notices. SB 330 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Makes common-sense reforms to required content of Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) notices to provide employers with additional information about alleged Labor Code violations. Support.
90-Day Retaliation Presumption. SB 497 (Smallwood-Cuevas; D-Los Angeles) Implements 90-day retaliation presumption for certain claims, which is unnecessary in light of existing case law and will waste judicial resources by allowing claims to continue regardless of their merit. Oppose.
Mandatory Severance. SB 725 (Smallwood-Cuevas; D-Los Angeles) Unnecessarily requires grocery stores to pay mandatory severance, which should be left to the discretion of the employer. Oppose.
Reproductive-Related Bereavement Leave. SB 848 (Susan Rubio; D-Baldwin Park) Requires employers to provide five days of bereavement leave for various reasons related to fertility, adoption, and surrogacy with no cap on total time that may be taken. Oppose Unless Amended.
Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments 6/26/23
Costly Sick Leave Expansion on All Employers. SB 616 (Gonzalez; D-Long Beach) Imposes new costs and leave requirements on employers of all sizes, by more than doubling existing sick leave mandate, which is in addition to all other enacted leave mandates that small employers throughout the state are already struggling with to implement and comply. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Assembly Appropriations 6/28/23
Prohibits Consideration of Conviction History in Employment. SB 809 (Smallwood-Cuevas; D-Los Angeles) Prohibits nearly every employer from considering conviction history of an applicant or existing employee in employment decisions and imposes cumbersome process on employers that are legally not allowed to hire individuals with certain convictions. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/8/23; Failed Deadline
Bans Employer Speech. SB 399 (Wahab; D-Hayward) Chills employer speech regarding religious and political matters, including unionization. Is likely unconstitutional under the First Amendment and preempted by the National Labor Relations Act. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Assembly Appropriations 7/11/23
Onerous Return to Work Mandate. SB 627 (Smallwood-Cuevas; D-Los Angeles) Imposes an onerous and stringent process to hire employees based on seniority alone for nearly every industry, including hospitals, retail, restaurants, and movie theaters, which will delay hiring and eliminates contracts for at-will employment. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Public Prosecutor Enforcement. AB 594 (Maienschein; D-San Diego) Allows all public prosecutors to enforce significant portion of the Labor Code, risking inconsistent enforcement and with no protection against additional recovery under a subsequent Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuit. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/11/23
Expansion of Litigation Under FEHA. AB 524 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Exposes employers to costly litigation under the Fair Employment and Housing Act by asserting that any adverse employment action was in relation to the employee’s family caregiver status, which is broadly defined to include any employee who contributes to the care of any person of their choosing, and creates a de facto accommodation requirement that will burden small businesses. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Senate Appropriations 7/12/23
Grocery Workers. AB 647 (Holden; D-Pasadena) Significantly expands statute related to successor grocery employers, including disrupting ability for independent small stores to join together, expands number of workers covered under the law, and creates a significant new private right of action. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Senate Appropriations 7/13/23
Onerous Return to Work Mandate. SB 723 (Durazo; D-Los Angeles) Imposes an onerous and stringent process for specific employers to return employees to the workforce for specified industries, including hotels and restaurants that have been disproportionally impacted by this pandemic, and removes guardrails on existing law by making mandate permanent and significantly broadening the applicability of the law. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 7/12/23
Costly Minimum Wage Increase. SB 525 (Durazo; D-Los Angeles) Imposes significant cost on health care facilities and any employer who works with health care facilities by mandating increase in minimum wage to $25. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Franchise Joint Liability. AB 1228 (Holden; D-Pasadena) Creates joint liability between franchisee and franchisor, destroying franchise model in California. Oppose.
Assembly Judiciary 6/28/23; Failed Deadline
WARN Act Expansion. AB 1356 (Haney; D-San Francisco) Significantly expands WARN Act by increasing notice period, changing definition of covered establishment, and expanding applicability to workers under overly broad definition of “employee of a labor contractor.” Oppose.
Senate Appropriations; 7/11/23
Improved Labor Law Compliance. SB 592 (Newman; D-Fullerton) Requires labor law guidance to be translated into commonly spoken languages in California and protects business owners from being penalized if they relied in good faith on guidance issued by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE). Sponsor/Co-Sponsor/Job Creator 2023.
Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement 2/22/23; Failed Deadline
Flexible Workweek. SB 703 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Allows for an employee-selected flexible work schedule and relieves employers of the administrative cost and burden of adopting an alternative workweek schedule per division, which accommodates employees, helps retain employees, and allows the employer to invest these savings into growing its workforce. Support/Job Creator 2023.
Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement 3/1/23; Failed Deadline
Sick Leave Reform. SB 881 (Alvarado-Gil; D-Jackson) Significantly improves employers’ ability to implement California mandatory paid sick leave and curb attempts to take leave for impermissible purposes. Support.
Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement 3/29/23; Failed Deadline
Non-Compete Agreements. AB 747 (McCarty; D-Sacramento) Jeopardizes benefits programs by prohibiting employers from offering certain bonuses or tuition payments and imposes steep, mandatory $5,000 per employee penalty on business of any size if it is determined that their program or policy qualifies as a non-compete. Oppose.
Assembly Inactive File 6/1/23; Failed Deadline
Grocery Stores. AB 853 (Maienschein; D-San Diego) Requires grocery stores, including independent stores, to send unnecessary notice to Attorney General that includes proprietary information. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/13/23
Website Accessibility. AB 950 (Maienschein; D-San Diego) Outlines requirements for filing civil action based on website accessibility; creates presumption of compliance. Support If Amended.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 5/10/23; Failed Deadline
Rest Periods for Direct Support Workers. AB 1031 (Blanca Rubio; D-Baldwin Park) Appropriately modifies existing rest period laws to meet needs of direct support workers who must supervise individuals with disabilities who are under their care. Support.
Assembly Labor and Employment 3/23/23; Failed Deadline
Electronic Notices. AB 1355 (Valencia; D-Anaheim) Allows workers to request certain employment notices to be delivered electronically rather than in paper, benefiting both workers and the environment. Support.
Senate Floor 6/29/23
Call Centers. AB 1381 (Weber; D-San Diego) Increases costs of state contracts by requiring call center operations to be located in California where contract is unrelated to call center services. Oppose.
Assembly Governmental Organization 6/14/23; Failed Deadline
Minimum Wage Working Group. AB 1516 (Kalra; D-San Jose) Requires convening of working group regarding minimum wage increase that does not include employer representatives, which undermines purpose and objectivity of the proposed working group. Oppose Unless Amended.
Assembly Inactive File 5/31/23; Failed Deadline
Airline Worker Benefits. SB 41 (Cortese; D-San Jose) Creates exception to California’s overly rigid meal and rest break rules for flight crew employees who are covered under collective bargaining agreement. Support.
Signed—Chapter 2 3/23/23
Veterans Hiring Preference. SB 73 (Seyarto; R-Murrieta) Allows employers to take advantage of federal tax credit by clarifying that establishing a veterans hiring preference policy does not violate the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Support.
Assembly Judiciary 6/21/23; Failed Deadline
PAGA Notices. SB 330 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Makes common-sense reforms to required content of Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) notices to provide employers with additional information about alleged Labor Code violations. Support.
Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement 3/29/23; Failed Deadline
90-Day Retaliation Presumption. SB 497 (Smallwood-Cuevas; D-Los Angeles) Implements 90-day retaliation presumption for certain claims, which is unnecessary in light of existing case law and will waste judicial resources by allowing claims to continue regardless of their merit. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Mandatory Severance. SB 725 (Smallwood-Cuevas; D-Los Angeles) Unnecessarily requires grocery stores to pay mandatory severance, which should be left to the discretion of the employer. Oppose.
Assembly Labor and Employment 7/12/23
Reproductive-Related Bereavement Leave. SB 848 (Susan Rubio; D-Baldwin Park) Requires employers to provide five days of bereavement leave for various reasons related to fertility, adoption, and surrogacy with no cap on total time that may be taken. Oppose Unless Amended.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 7/12/23
Undermines Arbitration. SB 365 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Discriminates against use of arbitration agreements by requiring trial courts to continue trial proceedings during any appeal regarding the denial of a motion to compel, undermining arbitration and divesting courts of their inherent right to stay proceedings. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Consumer Protection around Ticket Sales. AB 8 (Friedman; D-Glendale) Originally included language that would have protected ticket scalping techniques, hurting fans and artists. Opposition removed after June 19, 2023 amendments removed these provisions. Neutral.
Hotel/Rental Pricing. AB 537 (Berman; D-Palo Alto) Requires hotels and short-term rentals include all taxes and fees in initially displayed price, making California look less competitive than other states where such listings do not include similar taxes and fees. Oppose.
Requiring Additional Proof to Collect Debts in Court. AB 1414 (Kalra; D-San Jose) Disallows a longtime practice of using so-called “book accounts” or “common counts” to prove a debt, and instead requires original contracts and/or documents. Particularly problematic for collection of long-term debts, such as credit cards. Oppose.
Limited and Small Claims Jurisdiction. SB 71 (Umberg; D-Santa Ana) Expands jurisdiction of small claims and limited case courts to higher monetary thresholds without expanding discovery proportionately. Oppose.
Stakeholder Input in Regulatory Economic Analysis. SB 279 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Allows stakeholders to provide public comment on the Standardized Regulatory Impact Assessment (SRIA), including commenting on whether a proposed regulation should qualify for SRIA analysis and whether such analysis is accurate. Support.
New Duplicative Enforcement Authority for the Attorney General. SB 478 (Dodd; D-Napa) Allows the Attorney General and other public attorneys to pursue any potential false advertising under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, which would allow a private right of action. Notably, the Attorney General can already pursue false advertisers under the existing False Advertising Law. Oppose.
Right to Cure. SB 585 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Provides businesses with time to cure an alleged Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violation to curb frivolous litigation. Support.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File; 7/12/23
Consumer Protection around Ticket Sales. AB 8 (Friedman; D-Glendale) Originally included language that would have protected ticket scalping techniques, hurting fans and artists. Opposition removed after June 19, 2023 amendments removed these provisions. Neutral.
Senate Appropriations 7/11/23
Hotel/Rental Pricing. AB 537 (Berman; D-Palo Alto) Requires hotels and short-term rentals include all taxes and fees in initially displayed price, making California look less competitive than other states where such listings do not include similar taxes and fees. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 6/29/23
Requiring Additional Proof to Collect Debts in Court. AB 1414 (Kalra; D-San Jose) Disallows a longtime practice of using so-called “book accounts” or “common counts” to prove a debt, and instead requires original contracts and/or documents. Particularly problematic for collection of long-term debts, such as credit cards. Oppose.
Senate Floor 7/10/23
Limited and Small Claims Jurisdiction. SB 71 (Umberg; D-Santa Ana) Expands jurisdiction of small claims and limited case courts to higher monetary thresholds without expanding discovery proportionately. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/11/23
Stakeholder Input in Regulatory Economic Analysis. SB 279 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Allows stakeholders to provide public comment on the Standardized Regulatory Impact Assessment (SRIA), including commenting on whether a proposed regulation should qualify for SRIA analysis and whether such analysis is accurate. Support.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/8/23; Failed Deadline
New Duplicative Enforcement Authority for the Attorney General. SB 478 (Dodd; D-Napa) Allows the Attorney General and other public attorneys to pursue any potential false advertising under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, which would allow a private right of action. Notably, the Attorney General can already pursue false advertisers under the existing False Advertising Law. Oppose.
Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection 7/11/23
Right to Cure. SB 585 (Niello; R-Sacramento) Provides businesses with time to cure an alleged Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violation to curb frivolous litigation. Support.
Assembly Judiciary 6/8/23; Failed Deadline
Bi-Directional Charging. SB 233 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Imposes a cost on auto manufacturers to include bi-directional charging capabilities by an arbitrarily established date. Oppose Unless Amended.
Conversion to Zero-Emission Vehicles. SB 301 (Portantino; D-La Cañada Flintridge) Incentivizes production of zero-emission vehicle parts in the state, increasing manufacturing and jobs, by offering a rebate for zero-emissions vehicle conversions. Support/Job Creator.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Conversion to Zero-Emission Vehicles. SB 301 (Portantino; D-La Cañada Flintridge) Incentivizes production of zero-emission vehicle parts in the state, increasing manufacturing and jobs, by offering a rebate for zero-emissions vehicle conversions. Support/Job Creator.
Assembly Appropriations 6/26/23
Flavored Tobacco Ban Enforcement. AB 935 (Connolly; D-San Rafael) Originally banned sales of all tobacco products to individuals born in or after 2007. Opposition removed after gut and amend on April 13, 2023 to allow flavored tobacco ban to be enforced in the same manner as law governing the sale of tobacco to underage persons. Neutral.
Senate Appropriations 7/10/23
Increased Fiscal Analysis for Pension Legislation. SB 300 (Seyarto; R-Murrieta) Increases information for elected officials considering divestment legislation affecting the public employees’ retirement fund by requiring the Legislative Analyst’s Office to prepare an economic analysis on each piece of proposed legislation. Support.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/15/23; Failed Deadline
Bias and Discrimination Through Automated Decision Tools. AB 331 (Bauer-Kahan; D-Orinda) Regulates all uses of automated decision tools (ADT) making consequential decisions with overly broad prescriptive mandates on how ADT developers/deployers assess and deploy the tools, including by conducting non-confidential impact assessments and requiring notice and opportunity to opt-out to be provided to individuals subject to an ADT. Makes “algorithmic discrimination” violations subject to a private right of action or civil enforcement action. Sets penalties up to $10,000 for each failure to submit the mandated ADT assessment to the Civil Rights Department and allows CRD to share these assessments for any purpose with other state agencies. Oppose.
Timeline for Enforcing Privacy Act. AB 1546 (Gabriel; D-Woodland Hills) Extends the time within which the Attorney General (AG) may begin civil enforcement actions under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) from one year to 5 years from the date that a cause of action accrued to seemingly provide parity with administrative actions begun by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA). However, unlike CPPA administrative actions, provides no opportunity to cure before the civil action is begun. Does not toll damages if the AG could have begun enforcement within the first year, thereby allowing damages to accrue for the time before the enforcement action made the violation known to the alleged violator. Oppose.
Civil Penalty for Features that Harm Children on Social Media. SB 287 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Prohibits a social media platform from using a design, algorithm, or feature that it knows, or by exercise of reasonable care should have known, can result in any of the following for children, including (1) to receive content or messages that either facilitate the purchase of fentanyl; facilitate suicide by offering information on how to die by suicide; or offer diet pills or products, or ways to reduce eating, purge food that has been eaten, or lose weight; (2) to inflict harm on themselves or others; (3) develop an eating disorder; or (4) experience addiction to the social media platform. Provides that a platform is not in violation of the bill if it both instituted and maintained a program of at least quarterly audits, as specified, of its designs, algorithms, and features to detect such issues and corrected, within 30 days of the audit, any design, algorithm or feature discovered to present a more than de minimis risk of violating the bill. Any platform that knowingly and willingly violates these provisions is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $250,000 per violation, an injunction, and an award of litigation costs and attorney’s fees. Oppose.
Declaring Social Media Platforms a “Traditional First Amendment Forum.” AB 836 (Essayli; R-Corona) Declares any social media platform “located in California” to be a traditional First Amendment forum, as set forth in PruneYard Shopping Center v. Robbins (1980) 447 U.S. 74, and requires them to develop a policy or mechanism to address content or communications that constitute unprotected speech. Ultimately impedes companies’ ability to moderate illegal content on their platforms and exposes users to many forms of harmful speech (both running afoul of the First Amendment and the Section 230 preemption clause of the Communications Decency Act and wasting judicial resources to litigate the issue) and conflicts with recent social media laws passed by the California Legislature. For purposes of this bill, any platform with a user located in California would be considered to be “located in California” even if the person operating the platform does not operate a business in California. Oppose.
Fees for Content Clicks. AB 886 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Requires internet platforms to pay usage fee to any “eligible digital journalism provider” for the platforms’ website links to the provider’s content. Violates the First Amendment and forces social media to fund potentially misleading or otherwise problematic content; favors large conglomerates over small and independent outlets by basing fees on the number of “clicks” or views that they attract, rather than the quality of reporting or number of journalists employed; and also undermines the open internet and conflicts with copyright law, giving content creators unprecedented rights when others merely link to their work. Oppose.
Controlled Substances Online. AB 1027 (Petrie-Norris; D-Irvine) Originally sought to require a social media platform to not only maintain a record of all communications, including private messages, between users, but also made the content of those messages subject to significant liability, raising serious privacy concerns around content retention requirements as well as First Amendment and federal preemption issues. Opposition removed after April 27 amendments removed the liability provisions and addressed privacy concerns, to instead provide law enforcement greater clarity about what information is retained and how long they have to file preservation requests and warrants for electronic communication information. Neutral.
Social Media Platform Liability for User-Generated Content. AB 1394 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Seeks to impose liability on platforms that are actively combatting harmful content. Requires platforms to “permanently block” specific photographs or videos, or versions or reproductions that is “child sexual abuse material” from being viewable on their platforms. Imposes statutory damages of up to $250,000 per violation for failure to meet this standard, which cannot be met technologically. Also imposes civil damages of $5 million for any platform that knowingly or recklessly deploys “a system, design, feature, or affordance” that is a “substantial factor” in causing minors to be victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Negligent violations are subject to damages of no less than $1 million, and up to $4 million. Raises First Amendment issues by being overly vague and by creating incentives for platforms to overly-censor content to avoid liability and is federally preempted under Section 230. Oppose.
In-Vehicle Cameras. SB 296 (Dodd; D-Napa) Originally placed overly restrictive limitations on any sharing of images and recordings collected from in-vehicle cameras, making it impossible for industry to comply due to conflicts between consent requirements and anti-discrimination requirements. Opposition removed after amendments that provide clarity and expansion of necessary exceptions to the general prohibition against sharing data with third parties. Neutral.
Privacy Registration. SB 362 (Becker; D-Menlo Park) Requires a duplicative public registry and payment for companies that manage data that is already covered by the California Privacy Protection Agency. Oppose.
Liability for Creating/ Distributing Illicit Pictures. SB 646 (Cortese; D-San Jose) Frustrates companies’ ongoing efforts to identify and remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as is required by federal law and informed by industry best practices, actually making it more challenging to address CSAM and exploitative content by mandating an unworkable system. Imposes a two-day window to remove, destroy, or return actionable material, which creates unintended consequences. While designed to inspire quick action, special handling requirements divert staff from other detection and reporting activities, slowing down the process of addressing illegal content. Exposes platforms to costly litigation with a private right of action. Oppose.
Civil Penalty for Features that Harm Children on Social Media. SB 680 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Subject to significant liability, prohibits a social media platform from using a design, algorithm, or feature that it knows, or by exercise of reasonable care should have known, can result in any of the following for children, including (1) to inflict harm on themselves or others; (2) develop an eating disorder; or (3) experience “addiction” to the social media platform. Provides that a platform is not in violation if it instituted and maintained a program of at least quarterly audits of its designs, algorithms, and features to detect such issues and it, within 30 days of the audit, corrected any design, algorithm or feature discovered to present a more than de minimis risk of violation. Any platform that knowingly and willingly violates these provisions is subject to a civil penalty of up to $250,000 per violation, an injunction, and an award of litigation costs and attorney’s fees in an action brought by the Attorney General or other public attorneys. Oppose.
Social Media App Requirement. SB 845 (Stern; D-Canoga Park) Requires social media companies to create an app for third party providers, but prohibits them from setting any requirements or limitations on how the third party providers would be able to interface with the company. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 5/17/23; Failed Deadline
Timeline for Enforcing Privacy Act. AB 1546 (Gabriel; D-Woodland Hills) Extends the time within which the Attorney General (AG) may begin civil enforcement actions under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) from one year to 5 years from the date that a cause of action accrued to seemingly provide parity with administrative actions begun by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA). However, unlike CPPA administrative actions, provides no opportunity to cure before the civil action is begun. Does not toll damages if the AG could have begun enforcement within the first year, thereby allowing damages to accrue for the time before the enforcement action made the violation known to the alleged violator. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 6/20/23
Civil Penalty for Features that Harm Children on Social Media. SB 287 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Prohibits a social media platform from using a design, algorithm, or feature that it knows, or by exercise of reasonable care should have known, can result in any of the following for children, including (1) to receive content or messages that either facilitate the purchase of fentanyl; facilitate suicide by offering information on how to die by suicide; or offer diet pills or products, or ways to reduce eating, purge food that has been eaten, or lose weight; (2) to inflict harm on themselves or others; (3) develop an eating disorder; or (4) experience addiction to the social media platform. Provides that a platform is not in violation of the bill if it both instituted and maintained a program of at least quarterly audits, as specified, of its designs, algorithms, and features to detect such issues and corrected, within 30 days of the audit, any design, algorithm or feature discovered to present a more than de minimis risk of violating the bill. Any platform that knowingly and willingly violates these provisions is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $250,000 per violation, an injunction, and an award of litigation costs and attorney’s fees. Oppose.
Senate Inactive File 6/1/23
Declaring Social Media Platforms a “Traditional First Amendment Forum.” AB 836 (Essayli; R-Corona) Declares any social media platform “located in California” to be a traditional First Amendment forum, as set forth in PruneYard Shopping Center v. Robbins (1980) 447 U.S. 74, and requires them to develop a policy or mechanism to address content or communications that constitute unprotected speech. Ultimately impedes companies’ ability to moderate illegal content on their platforms and exposes users to many forms of harmful speech (both running afoul of the First Amendment and the Section 230 preemption clause of the Communications Decency Act and wasting judicial resources to litigate the issue) and conflicts with recent social media laws passed by the California Legislature. For purposes of this bill, any platform with a user located in California would be considered to be “located in California” even if the person operating the platform does not operate a business in California. Oppose.
Assembly Judiciary 2/23/23; Failed Deadline
Fees for Content Clicks. AB 886 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Requires internet platforms to pay usage fee to any “eligible digital journalism provider” for the platforms’ website links to the provider’s content. Violates the First Amendment and forces social media to fund potentially misleading or otherwise problematic content; favors large conglomerates over small and independent outlets by basing fees on the number of “clicks” or views that they attract, rather than the quality of reporting or number of journalists employed; and also undermines the open internet and conflicts with copyright law, giving content creators unprecedented rights when others merely link to their work. Oppose.
Senate Judiciary 6/14/23; Failed Deadline
Controlled Substances Online. AB 1027 (Petrie-Norris; D-Irvine) Originally sought to require a social media platform to not only maintain a record of all communications, including private messages, between users, but also made the content of those messages subject to significant liability, raising serious privacy concerns around content retention requirements as well as First Amendment and federal preemption issues. Opposition removed after April 27 amendments removed the liability provisions and addressed privacy concerns, to instead provide law enforcement greater clarity about what information is retained and how long they have to file preservation requests and warrants for electronic communication information. Neutral.
Senate Appropriations 7/10/23
Social Media Platform Liability for User-Generated Content. AB 1394 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Seeks to impose liability on platforms that are actively combatting harmful content. Requires platforms to “permanently block” specific photographs or videos, or versions or reproductions that is “child sexual abuse material” from being viewable on their platforms. Imposes statutory damages of up to $250,000 per violation for failure to meet this standard, which cannot be met technologically. Also imposes civil damages of $5 million for any platform that knowingly or recklessly deploys “a system, design, feature, or affordance” that is a “substantial factor” in causing minors to be victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Negligent violations are subject to damages of no less than $1 million, and up to $4 million. Raises First Amendment issues by being overly vague and by creating incentives for platforms to overly-censor content to avoid liability and is federally preempted under Section 230. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/13/23
In-Vehicle Cameras. SB 296 (Dodd; D-Napa) Originally placed overly restrictive limitations on any sharing of images and recordings collected from in-vehicle cameras, making it impossible for industry to comply due to conflicts between consent requirements and anti-discrimination requirements. Opposition removed after amendments that provide clarity and expansion of necessary exceptions to the general prohibition against sharing data with third parties. Neutral.
Assembly Appropriations 7/11/23
Privacy Registration. SB 362 (Becker; D-Menlo Park) Requires a duplicative public registry and payment for companies that manage data that is already covered by the California Privacy Protection Agency. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/10/23
Liability for Creating/ Distributing Illicit Pictures. SB 646 (Cortese; D-San Jose) Frustrates companies’ ongoing efforts to identify and remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as is required by federal law and informed by industry best practices, actually making it more challenging to address CSAM and exploitative content by mandating an unworkable system. Imposes a two-day window to remove, destroy, or return actionable material, which creates unintended consequences. While designed to inspire quick action, special handling requirements divert staff from other detection and reporting activities, slowing down the process of addressing illegal content. Exposes platforms to costly litigation with a private right of action. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 6/21/23
Civil Penalty for Features that Harm Children on Social Media. SB 680 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) Subject to significant liability, prohibits a social media platform from using a design, algorithm, or feature that it knows, or by exercise of reasonable care should have known, can result in any of the following for children, including (1) to inflict harm on themselves or others; (2) develop an eating disorder; or (3) experience “addiction” to the social media platform. Provides that a platform is not in violation if it instituted and maintained a program of at least quarterly audits of its designs, algorithms, and features to detect such issues and it, within 30 days of the audit, corrected any design, algorithm or feature discovered to present a more than de minimis risk of violation. Any platform that knowingly and willingly violates these provisions is subject to a civil penalty of up to $250,000 per violation, an injunction, and an award of litigation costs and attorney’s fees in an action brought by the Attorney General or other public attorneys. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/13/23
Social Media App Requirement. SB 845 (Stern; D-Canoga Park) Requires social media companies to create an app for third party providers, but prohibits them from setting any requirements or limitations on how the third party providers would be able to interface with the company. Oppose.
Senate Judiciary 3/1/23; Failed Deadline
Chemical Ban. AB 418 (Gabriel; D-Woodland Hills) Circumvents existing processes that already assess the safety of food additives, including programs of the federal Food and Drug Administration, California Department of Public Health (which already is analyzing synthetic food dyes), and Proposition 65, arguably the most risk-averse chemical law in the world. The current regulatory environment provides significant scientific oversight where qualified regulators review hazards and risks. Oppose Unless Amended.
Senate Appropriations 7/12/23
Bans Critical Packaging. AB 1290 (Luz Rivas; D-San Fernando Valley) Circumvents the Circular Economy framework outlined in SB 54 (Allen-2022) by banning critically needed packaging used for products like over-the-counter medicines and to extend the shelf life of food products. Oppose.
Paper Receipt Ban. AB 1347 (Ting; D-San Francisco) Prohibits any person or entity from printing a paper receipt in California unless expressly asked for by the consumer regardless of whether that entity has that technological capability or uses paper receipt to prevent retail theft. Further, bans BPA/BPS thermal paper by 2024. Oppose Unless Amended.
Unnecessary Regulations on Hotels. AB 1590 (Friedman; D-Glendale) Duplicates and conflicts with existing auditing and reporting requirements with the California Coastal Commission, County Agricultural Commission, California Department of Food and Agriculture that hotels and resorts are already subject to; creates a new whistleblower protection for any disgruntled employee to go to the media with; and conflicts with CRV and SB 54 (Allen) laws that already address single-use plastics and single-serve items. Oppose.
Bans Plastic Gift Cards. SB 728 (Limón; D-Goleta) Prohibits the sale of plastic gift cards starting January 1, 2026, despite the fact that not every consumer is able to accommodate digital gift cards only, nor the fact that paper gift cards are less durable and more prone to being damaged or destroyed. Oppose.
Assembly Inactive File 5/31/23; Failed Deadline
Paper Receipt Ban. AB 1347 (Ting; D-San Francisco) Prohibits any person or entity from printing a paper receipt in California unless expressly asked for by the consumer regardless of whether that entity has that technological capability or uses paper receipt to prevent retail theft. Further, bans BPA/BPS thermal paper by 2024. Oppose Unless Amended.
Senate Appropriations 7/13/23
Unnecessary Regulations on Hotels. AB 1590 (Friedman; D-Glendale) Duplicates and conflicts with existing auditing and reporting requirements with the California Coastal Commission, County Agricultural Commission, California Department of Food and Agriculture that hotels and resorts are already subject to; creates a new whistleblower protection for any disgruntled employee to go to the media with; and conflicts with CRV and SB 54 (Allen) laws that already address single-use plastics and single-serve items. Oppose.
Assembly Natural Resources 4/11/23; Failed Deadline
Bans Plastic Gift Cards. SB 728 (Limón; D-Goleta) Prohibits the sale of plastic gift cards starting January 1, 2026, despite the fact that not every consumer is able to accommodate digital gift cards only, nor the fact that paper gift cards are less durable and more prone to being damaged or destroyed. Oppose.
Assembly Floor 7/13/23
Non-Profits. AB 590 (Hart; D-Santa Barbara) Removes barriers to nonprofits timely receiving funds from grants and state contracts. Support.
Improving CPUC Communications. AB 1068 (Valencia; D-Anaheim) Provides for greater transparency and accountability to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC’s) decision making process, and ensures that all interested stakeholders can participate. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/11/23
Improving CPUC Communications. AB 1068 (Valencia; D-Anaheim) Provides for greater transparency and accountability to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC’s) decision making process, and ensures that all interested stakeholders can participate. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/13/23
Wealth Tax. AB 259 (Lee; D-San Jose) Seeks to impose a massive tax increase upon all forms of personal property or wealth, whether tangible or intangible, despite California already having the highest income tax in the country. This tax increase will drive high-income earners out of the State as well as the revenue they contribute to the General Fund. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Wealth Tax. ACA 3 (Lee; D-San Jose) Seeks to impose a massive tax increase upon all forms of personal property or wealth, whether tangible or intangible, despite California already having the highest income tax in the country. This tax increase will drive high-income earners out of the State as well as the revenue they contribute to the General Fund. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Manufacturing Tax Credit Expansion. AB 52 (Grayson; D-Concord) Expands investment and production in California by expanding the sales and use tax exemption for the purchase of manufacturing and research and development (R&D) equipment. Support/Job Creator 2023.
Student Loan Repayment Tax Relief. AB 509 (Vince Fong; R-Bakersfield) Exempts $5,250 of loan repayments from an employee’s gross state income when those payments are made by an employer. Support.
Targeted Tax. AB 657 (Jackson; D-Moreno Valley) Targeted tax on candy distributors designed to fund a mental health servicing fund. Oppose
Minimum Franchise Tax Exemption. AB 778 (Ta; R-Westminster) Provides new and struggling employers with some financial relief by exempting them from paying the $800 minimum franchise tax until their business has earned gross receipts of at least $20,000. Support.
Hotel Tax Credit. AB 877 (Addis; D-Morro Bay) Establishes a tax credit for hotels, inns, or other temporary lodging that provide accommodations free of charge to a displaced person during a declared state of emergency. Support.
Expanding Use of Net Operating Loss. AB 1105 (Petrie-Norris; D-Irvine) Permits small businesses operating in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields to sell their unused NOL carryover for at least 80% of its value. Support.
Lowers Voter Threshold to Increase Property Taxes. ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry; D-Winters) Overbroad constitutional amendment lowers voter approval threshold from two-thirds to 55% for affordable housing and public infrastructure, thereby providing increased tax authority for every government agency in California — not just cities and counties, but thousands of potentially overlapping special districts. Oppose.
Board of Equalization Elimination. ACA 11 (Ting; D-San Francisco) Eliminates important checks and balances between taxpayers and tax administrators by abolishing the elected State Board of Equalization (BOE). Oppose.
COVID-19 Regulatory Compliance Tax Credit. SB 375 (Alvarado-Gil; D-Jackson) Allows an employer to claim a COVID-19 regulatory compliance credit for expenses incurred as a result of following the state’s stringent and expensive COVD-19 regulations. Support.
Childcare Tax Credit for Employers. SB 533 (Limón; D-Goleta) Provides California’s businesses with a tax credit for startup and construction expenses associated with a childcare facility as well as costs paid for qualified care plan for their employees. Support.
Targeted Tax on Short-Term Rentals. SB 584 (Limón; D-Goleta) Harms California’s tourism economy by implementing a 15% tax on short-term rental stays in order to fund the Laborforce Housing Fund. Oppose.
Assembly Revenue and Taxation 3/30/23
Wealth Tax. ACA 3 (Lee; D-San Jose) Seeks to impose a massive tax increase upon all forms of personal property or wealth, whether tangible or intangible, despite California already having the highest income tax in the country. This tax increase will drive high-income earners out of the State as well as the revenue they contribute to the General Fund. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Assembly Revenue and Taxation 3/30/23
Manufacturing Tax Credit Expansion. AB 52 (Grayson; D-Concord) Expands investment and production in California by expanding the sales and use tax exemption for the purchase of manufacturing and research and development (R&D) equipment. Support/Job Creator 2023.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 6/26/23
Student Loan Repayment Tax Relief. AB 509 (Vince Fong; R-Bakersfield) Exempts $5,250 of loan repayments from an employee’s gross state income when those payments are made by an employer. Support.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 5/18/23
Targeted Tax. AB 657 (Jackson; D-Moreno Valley) Targeted tax on candy distributors designed to fund a mental health servicing fund. Oppose
Assembly Health 3/23/23
Minimum Franchise Tax Exemption. AB 778 (Ta; R-Westminster) Provides new and struggling employers with some financial relief by exempting them from paying the $800 minimum franchise tax until their business has earned gross receipts of at least $20,000. Support.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 3/21/23
Hotel Tax Credit. AB 877 (Addis; D-Morro Bay) Establishes a tax credit for hotels, inns, or other temporary lodging that provide accommodations free of charge to a displaced person during a declared state of emergency. Support.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 5/17/23
Expanding Use of Net Operating Loss. AB 1105 (Petrie-Norris; D-Irvine) Permits small businesses operating in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields to sell their unused NOL carryover for at least 80% of its value. Support.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 4/24/23
Lowers Voter Threshold to Increase Property Taxes. ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry; D-Winters) Overbroad constitutional amendment lowers voter approval threshold from two-thirds to 55% for affordable housing and public infrastructure, thereby providing increased tax authority for every government agency in California — not just cities and counties, but thousands of potentially overlapping special districts. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/13/23
Board of Equalization Elimination. ACA 11 (Ting; D-San Francisco) Eliminates important checks and balances between taxpayers and tax administrators by abolishing the elected State Board of Equalization (BOE). Oppose.
Assembly Revenue and Taxation 6/27/23
COVID-19 Regulatory Compliance Tax Credit. SB 375 (Alvarado-Gil; D-Jackson) Allows an employer to claim a COVID-19 regulatory compliance credit for expenses incurred as a result of following the state’s stringent and expensive COVD-19 regulations. Support.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/8/23; Failed Deadline
Childcare Tax Credit for Employers. SB 533 (Limón; D-Goleta) Provides California’s businesses with a tax credit for startup and construction expenses associated with a childcare facility as well as costs paid for qualified care plan for their employees. Support.
Senate Appropriations 5/3/23
Targeted Tax on Short-Term Rentals. SB 584 (Limón; D-Goleta) Harms California’s tourism economy by implementing a 15% tax on short-term rental stays in order to fund the Laborforce Housing Fund. Oppose.
Assembly Housing and Community Development 6/15/23
Undoes Statewide Video Agreements. AB 41 (Holden; D-Pasadena) Undoes statewide video franchise agreements and creates complex and duplicative local government oversight. Oppose.
Digital Equity. AB 414 (Reyes; D-San Bernardino) Originally required state agencies to deploy broadband prescriptively. Opposition removed after March 9 amendments encouraging equal access to broadband. Neutral.
Deploys Broadband Faster. AB 965 (Juan Carrillo; D-Palmdale) Streamlines deployment of broadband infrastructure and will allow for higher speed internet to be provided to more Californians. Support.
Reduces Broadband Access. AB 1714 (Wood; D-Santa Rosa) Places broadband service under the Public Utilities Commission, which is already overburdened with their current responsibilities. Will slow the deployment of broadband and lead to less investment in California. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/13/23
Digital Equity. AB 414 (Reyes; D-San Bernardino) Originally required state agencies to deploy broadband prescriptively. Opposition removed after March 9 amendments encouraging equal access to broadband. Neutral.
Senate Floor 6/22/23
Deploys Broadband Faster. AB 965 (Juan Carrillo; D-Palmdale) Streamlines deployment of broadband infrastructure and will allow for higher speed internet to be provided to more Californians. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/12/23
Reduces Broadband Access. AB 1714 (Wood; D-Santa Rosa) Places broadband service under the Public Utilities Commission, which is already overburdened with their current responsibilities. Will slow the deployment of broadband and lead to less investment in California. Oppose.
Assembly Communications and Conveyance 3/9/23; Failed Deadline
Refundability of All Hotels and Short-Term Rentals for 24 Hours After Purchase. SB 644 (Glazer; D-Contra Costa) Requires all rentals be refundable for 24 hours after initial purchase. Opposition removed after June 22, 2023 amendments to ensure a minimum cutoff of refundability prior to check-in and other clean-up. Neutral.
Hotel/Rental Pricing. SB 683 (Glazer; D-Contra Costa) Requires hotels and short-term rentals include all taxes and fees in initially displayed price, making California look less competitive than other states where such listings do not include similar taxes and fees. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations Suspense File 7/12/23
Hotel/Rental Pricing. SB 683 (Glazer; D-Contra Costa) Requires hotels and short-term rentals include all taxes and fees in initially displayed price, making California look less competitive than other states where such listings do not include similar taxes and fees. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 6/28/23
Autonomous Vehicles. AB 316 (Aguiar-Curry; D-Winters) Sets prohibition on the deployment of Heavy Duty Autonomous Vehicles with arbitrary timelines that circumvent current regulatory process at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Oppose.
Electric Vehicle Service Equipment. AB 591 (Gabriel; D-Woodland Hills) Creates a standard that conflicts with federal guidelines for electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment. Oppose.
Transit Operators: Street Harassment Survey. SB 434 (Min; D-Irvine) Requires California’s 10 largest transit districts to collect and publish data on street harassment that occurs on public transit systems with the intent of improving the safety of ridership on public transit systems. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/11/23
Electric Vehicle Service Equipment. AB 591 (Gabriel; D-Woodland Hills) Creates a standard that conflicts with federal guidelines for electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment. Oppose.
Senate Transportation 5/10/23; Failed Deadline
Transit Operators: Street Harassment Survey. SB 434 (Min; D-Irvine) Requires California’s 10 largest transit districts to collect and publish data on street harassment that occurs on public transit systems with the intent of improving the safety of ridership on public transit systems. Support.
Assembly Appropriations 7/5/23
Water Rights. AB 1337 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Gives broad authority to State Water Board to curtail water rights of any seniority or claim of right. Allows curtailments to issue without a hearing, depriving water rights holders of due process. Oppose.
Water Rights. AB 460 (Bauer-Kahan; D-Orinda) Gives State Water Board broad authority to issue interim relief orders for a wide variety of alleged water use violations, with little or no opportunity to be heard. Prevents judicial review of an interim relief order. Oppose.
Water Rights. SB 389 (Allen; D-Santa Monica) Originally would have empowered State Water Board to investigate claimed water rights with little process and more easily strip water rights holders of rights. Opposition removed after July 6, 2023 amendments focused the bill on the Board’s information-gathering abilities and removed provisions relating to forfeiture of rights. Neutral.
Groundwater Restriction. AB 1563; Bennett; D-Ventura) Adds new regulatory layer to groundwater well permitting processes. Increases costs and liability risks associated with well permitting. Oppose.
Investments in Water Rights. AB 1205 (Bauer-Kahan; D-Orinda) Originally would have banned the sale or transfer of water rights from agricultural land by an investment fund for profit as an illegal waste and unreasonable use of water. Opposition removed after July 13, 2023 amendments removed the ban component. Neutral.
Improved Reservoir Operations. AB 30 (Ward; D-San Diego) Integrates forecast-informed reservoir operations into water supply operations to better store water during storm events and to reduce flood risk. Support.
Groundwater Restriction. AB 429 (Bennett; D-Ventura) Adds new regulatory layer to groundwater well permitting processes with unclear triggers for applicability. Increases costs and liability risks associated with well permitting. Oppose.
Groundwater Adjudication Proceedings. AB 560 (Bennett; D-Ventura) Imposes new requirements for courts to consult with State Water Board prior to entering a final judgment in a groundwater adjudication, raising questions about role of executive in the judiciary. Oppose.
Water Use Definitions. AB 676 (Bennett; D-Ventura) Originally would have vaguely defined “domestic use” of water, creating confusion and possible litigation. Opposition removed after June 12, 2023 amendments aligned the definition with existing law. Neutral.
Groundwater Adjudications. AB 779 (Wilson; D-Suisun City) Originally would have imposed burdensome and duplicative requirements on parties in comprehensive groundwater adjudications. Opposition removed after July 3, 2023 amendments reduced burdens on litigants and avoided separation of powers concerns. Neutral.
Permit Streamlining for Groundwater Recharge. AB 830 (Soria; D-Fresno) Exempts groundwater recharge projects using flood flows from needing to obtain duplicative and burdensome California Department of Fish and Wildlife authorizations. Support.
Turf Ban. AB 1572 (Friedman; D-Glendale) Prohibits the use of potable water for irrigating non-functional turf on commercial and institutional properties. Opposition removed after April 20, 2023 amendments reduced burdens on private water providers and consolidated enforcement powers. Neutral.
Cross-Border Rivers. AB 1597 (Alvarez; D-San Diego) Funds cleanup efforts for highly polluted rivers that flow from Mexico into California. Support.
Water Project Streamlining. SB 23 (Caballero; D-Merced) Keeps permitting processing on track for water supply and flood control projects by setting deadlines for agency action. Incentivizes use of regional programs to guide mitigation for project impacts. Support.
California Water Plan Update. SB 366 (Caballero; D-Merced) Requires California Water Plan to be updated to include water supply targets and outlines meaningful steps toward achieving supply goals. Support.
CEQA Streamlining. SB 651 (Grove; R-Bakersfield) Makes groundwater recharge and other Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)-related water supply projects eligible for quicker judicial resolution under CEQA, saving time and money on important projects. Support.
Groundwater Recharge. SB 659 (Ashby; D-Sacramento) Requires state to plan for creating 10 million acre-feet of new groundwater recharge storage by 2035. Support.
Delta Conveyance. SB 687 (Eggman; D-Stockton) Stops progress on the Delta Conveyance Project until Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan is updated and fully implemented. Holds infrastructure project to modernize California’s water system hostage until a lengthy planning process is both complete and “fully implemented.” Oppose.
Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife 6/7/23; Failed Deadline
Water Rights. AB 460 (Bauer-Kahan; D-Orinda) Gives State Water Board broad authority to issue interim relief orders for a wide variety of alleged water use violations, with little or no opportunity to be heard. Prevents judicial review of an interim relief order. Oppose.
Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife 6/7/23; Failed Deadline
Water Rights. SB 389 (Allen; D-Santa Monica) Originally would have empowered State Water Board to investigate claimed water rights with little process and more easily strip water rights holders of rights. Opposition removed after July 6, 2023 amendments focused the bill on the Board’s information-gathering abilities and removed provisions relating to forfeiture of rights. Neutral.
Assembly Appropriations 7/11/23
Groundwater Restriction. AB 1563; Bennett; D-Ventura) Adds new regulatory layer to groundwater well permitting processes. Increases costs and liability risks associated with well permitting. Oppose.
Assembly Governance and Finance 6/22/23; Failed Deadline
Investments in Water Rights. AB 1205 (Bauer-Kahan; D-Orinda) Originally would have banned the sale or transfer of water rights from agricultural land by an investment fund for profit as an illegal waste and unreasonable use of water. Opposition removed after July 13, 2023 amendments removed the ban component. Neutral.
Senate Floor 7/13/23
Improved Reservoir Operations. AB 30 (Ward; D-San Diego) Integrates forecast-informed reservoir operations into water supply operations to better store water during storm events and to reduce flood risk. Support.
Passed Senate 7/13/23
Groundwater Restriction. AB 429 (Bennett; D-Ventura) Adds new regulatory layer to groundwater well permitting processes with unclear triggers for applicability. Increases costs and liability risks associated with well permitting. Oppose.
Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife 3/2/23; Failed Deadline
Groundwater Adjudication Proceedings. AB 560 (Bennett; D-Ventura) Imposes new requirements for courts to consult with State Water Board prior to entering a final judgment in a groundwater adjudication, raising questions about role of executive in the judiciary. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations 7/11/23
Water Use Definitions. AB 676 (Bennett; D-Ventura) Originally would have vaguely defined “domestic use” of water, creating confusion and possible litigation. Opposition removed after June 12, 2023 amendments aligned the definition with existing law. Neutral.
Senate Floor 7/12/23
Groundwater Adjudications. AB 779 (Wilson; D-Suisun City) Originally would have imposed burdensome and duplicative requirements on parties in comprehensive groundwater adjudications. Opposition removed after July 3, 2023 amendments reduced burdens on litigants and avoided separation of powers concerns. Neutral.
Senate Appropriations 7/11/23
Permit Streamlining for Groundwater Recharge. AB 830 (Soria; D-Fresno) Exempts groundwater recharge projects using flood flows from needing to obtain duplicative and burdensome California Department of Fish and Wildlife authorizations. Support.
Senate Appropriations 7/10/23
Turf Ban. AB 1572 (Friedman; D-Glendale) Prohibits the use of potable water for irrigating non-functional turf on commercial and institutional properties. Opposition removed after April 20, 2023 amendments reduced burdens on private water providers and consolidated enforcement powers. Neutral.
Senate Appropriations 7/10/23
Cross-Border Rivers. AB 1597 (Alvarez; D-San Diego) Funds cleanup efforts for highly polluted rivers that flow from Mexico into California. Support.
Senate Environmental Quality 6/14/23; Failed Deadline
Water Project Streamlining. SB 23 (Caballero; D-Merced) Keeps permitting processing on track for water supply and flood control projects by setting deadlines for agency action. Incentivizes use of regional programs to guide mitigation for project impacts. Support.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/15/23; Failed Deadline
California Water Plan Update. SB 366 (Caballero; D-Merced) Requires California Water Plan to be updated to include water supply targets and outlines meaningful steps toward achieving supply goals. Support.
Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife 6/8/23; Failed Deadline
CEQA Streamlining. SB 651 (Grove; R-Bakersfield) Makes groundwater recharge and other Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)-related water supply projects eligible for quicker judicial resolution under CEQA, saving time and money on important projects. Support.
Assembly Natural Resources 6/20/23; Failed Deadline
Groundwater Recharge. SB 659 (Ashby; D-Sacramento) Requires state to plan for creating 10 million acre-feet of new groundwater recharge storage by 2035. Support.
Assembly Appropriations 7/12/23
Delta Conveyance. SB 687 (Eggman; D-Stockton) Stops progress on the Delta Conveyance Project until Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan is updated and fully implemented. Holds infrastructure project to modernize California’s water system hostage until a lengthy planning process is both complete and “fully implemented.” Oppose.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 5/8/23; Failed Deadline
Expands Costly Presumption of Injury. AB 1156 (Bonta; D-Alameda) Significantly increases workers’ compensation costs for public and private hospitals by presuming certain diseases and injuries are caused by the workplace and establishes an extremely concerning precedent for expanding presumptions into the private sector. Oppose/Job Killer 2023.
Workers’ Compensation Presumption. AB 597 (Rodriguez; D-Pomona) Costly expansion of workers’ compensation presumption for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to private employees that is not supported by data. Oppose.
Tolling Temporary Disability Payments. AB 1213 (Ortega; D-San Leandro) Requires tolling of temporary disability payments if utilization review decision is overturned during Independent Medical Review, which will drastically increase the number of unnecessary Independent Medical Review requests and is unnecessary in light of data supporting accuracy of utilization review decisions. Oppose.
Physician Licensing. SB 636 (Cortese; D-San Jose) Unnecessarily requires physicians in utilization review process to be licensed in California, which will reduce number of physicians available to review claims. Oppose.
Assembly Insurance 3/2/23; Failed Deadline
Workers’ Compensation Presumption. AB 597 (Rodriguez; D-Pomona) Costly expansion of workers’ compensation presumption for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to private employees that is not supported by data. Oppose.
Assembly Insurance 2/17/23; Failed Deadline
Tolling Temporary Disability Payments. AB 1213 (Ortega; D-San Leandro) Requires tolling of temporary disability payments if utilization review decision is overturned during Independent Medical Review, which will drastically increase the number of unnecessary Independent Medical Review requests and is unnecessary in light of data supporting accuracy of utilization review decisions. Oppose.
Senate Appropriations Suspense File 7/3/23
Physician Licensing. SB 636 (Cortese; D-San Jose) Unnecessarily requires physicians in utilization review process to be licensed in California, which will reduce number of physicians available to review claims. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 6/28/23
New One-Size-Fits-All Workplace Violence Regulation. SB 553 (Cortese; D-San Jose) Takes a regulation written for hospitals related to workplace violence and applies it to all workplaces, regardless of size and resources. Will require changes to workplace setup, equipment, and staffing across all industries. Oppose.
Assembly Appropriations 7/10/23
