Legislative Wins: 9 Bills Signed by the Governor!
Dear Neighbor,
We have wrapped up the first year of the Legislature’s two-year Session. I am proud to share that nine of my 12 bills that reached Governor Newsom’s desk have been signed into law including our entire fire recovery and immigration packages.
Here’s a summary of the legislation.
Wildfire Response and Recovery Package Signed
SB 293 (Generational Homeownership Protection Act) establishes a pathway for homeowners, whose homes were destroyed or damaged during a declared emergency, to update their property transfer records without financial penalty and without being at greater risk of losing their homes altogether. This ensures continuity for families who have inherited their homes. Additionally, it reduces the immediate tax burden from property value reassessments to help homeowners avoid unexpected financial hardships.
SB 547 (Commercial Insurance Protection Act) will help small businesses recover from future disasters by prohibiting commercial insurance cancellations or non-renewals for one year following a declared emergency, protections that homeowners already receive. This new law will help small businesses, condominiums, affordable housing communities and nonprofit organizations get back on their feet.
SB 610 (Disaster Protections for Homeowners and Renters) will provide clarity to existing law and establishes key protections for tenants and homeowners following a disaster. It creates a presumption that the presence of debris from a disaster makes a unit uninhabitable; clarifies that landlords are responsible for repairing damage, including from smoke and ash, to the unit; clarifies tenants are not obligated to pay rent during a mandatory evacuation order; and requires the state to coordinate with mortgage lenders and servicers to facilitate mortgage forbearance for financially-impacted homeowners.
SB 782 (Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District) creates a streamlined option for cities and counties to form a disaster recovery financing district following a Governor-declared state of emergency. The formation and implementation of the district requires public engagement and transparency, including multiple public hearings and public access to the infrastructure financing plan before approval. All district revenues are strictly dedicated to projects that repair, rehabilitate, or replace disaster-damaged infrastructure, and initiatives that mitigate future disaster risks. This includes economic recovery projects, resiliency enhancements, small business recovery, and workforce development programs.
Immigrant Community Support Package Signed
SB 98 (Sending Alerts to Families in Education (SAFE) Act) requires K-12 schools and higher education institutions to notify campus community members if immigration enforcement authorities show up on campus.
SB 281 (Immigration Advisement) ensures consistency across California courts in delivering the mandatory advisement of potential immigration consequences whenever a person enters into a plea agreement.
SB 805 (No Vigilantes Act) expands the scope of existing police impersonation laws by making it illegal to impersonate peace officers, including federal agents, and requires all law enforcement operating in California to clearly display identification that includes their agency and either a name or badge number or both. This bill also authorizes law enforcement to request identification from anyone claiming to be law enforcement, under certain circumstances, and bans bounty hunters from engaging in any form of immigration enforcement in California.
Protecting Vulnerable Groups Package Signed
SB 848 (Safe Learning Environments Act) will strengthen student safety in California by requiring schools to update their Comprehensive School Safety Plans with clear procedures for preventing, detecting, and addressing employee sexual misconduct. It will also broaden mandated reporting requirements, enhance employee training and revise relevant provisions in law to ensure stronger protections. California has been one of just 16 states that did not have a comprehensive, standardized approach to preventing abuse in K-12 schools. Now, we can better prevent the devastating and long-term trauma caused whenever a young person is abused.
SB 634 (Unhoused Service Providers Protection Act) will ensure charities and organizations can provide supportive services, including food, medical and legal services to unhoused individuals. This commonsense law will allow these groups to continue their vital work without the threat of local governments outlawing their services.
Constituent Services
I am grateful for the support and engagement of my constituents during this first year! If you need assistance with state government services, please contact my office or visit my Senate website at: sd25.senate.ca.gov/
Please reach out if I can be of assistance.