Legislative Bills That Determined The Courage Score

Requires that pre-treated seeds sold in the state be labeled with the pesticide they are treated with, including the toxicity level and EPA registration number.

Would eliminate the authority to tow or boot a vehicle for five or more unpaid parking citations, and increases the number of unpaid tickets that keeps a driver from renewing their vehicle registration. Passed by the Assembly; held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Would have prohibited the sale of two or more newly constructed homes to institutional investors in an effort to increase the availability of housing stock for first-time homebuyers.

Allows civil penalties on refineries and other non-vehicular sources of air contamination to be tripled for violation of air quality standards.

Prohibits the use of preferential admission standards for legacy or donor applicants at independent institutions of higher education.

Would have updated a 2006 law to establish more modern requirements for the application and renewal of state video franchises and broadband, and adds increased penalties for customer service violations.

Would have prohibited the Department of Housing and Community Development from denying an affordable housing loan to any individual who meets all stated requirements solely on the basis of their immigration status.

Strengthens the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s reporting requirements for pesticides used within 1/4 mile of a school site.

Accelerates the state’s idle well clean-up processes by raising the annual fee structure, and increasing the percentage of idle wells that must be plugged annually by operators.

Improves statewide conservation by requiring cities and counties to consider the movement and habitats of local wildlife when making determinations about infrastructure and development projects.

Prohibits any educational entity from establishing policies that forcibly out LGBTQ+ students, and requires the State Department of Education to develop in-service training resources for the support of LGBTQ+ students.

Requires the Department of Pesticide Regulation to reevaluate the toxic and commonly used weedkiller paraquat dichloride, which has been linked to cancers and brain disease, for cancellation or suspension by 2029.

Would have prohibited commissioners from the Public Utilities Commission and Public Advocate’s Office from seeking employment at the entities they regulate within one to two years of the end of a term, and imposed new requirements on utilities for recouping overspent forecasts.

Would have mandated that local groundwater enforcement agencies adhere to a 30-day exploratory window and data reporting requirements before approving a permit for the construction of a new large-diameter, high-capacity well.

Strengthens reporting and review requirements for new and existing pesticides in use, and increases the pesticide mill fee that funds the Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Expands legal protections for drug-checking services to encourage more jurisdictions, research institutions, and community-based organizations to provide these critical services to the public.

Would have required that state prisons maintain average daily empty bed thresholds that are annually reported to the state legislature by the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Would have closed the loophole in 2014’s plastic bag legislation to formally ban the use of any plastic bags at grocery store checkouts.

Would have required the State Department of Social Services to conduct a Guaranteed Income Statewide Feasibility Study to make recommendations on the benefits, challenges, and scalability of creating a permanent program across the state.

Strengthens labor law enforcement outlined in the 2004 Private Attorney General’s Act (PAGA) by increasing transparency, amending the statute of limitations, and creating protections against retaliation for employees who have experienced workplace violations.

Bans the toxic chemical Di-2-ethylhexyl (DEHP) in the manufacture, sale, and distribution of medical IV bags and tubing in the state.

Closes a loophole to ensure that tenants are not unfairly penalized on rental applications if they have had previous civil eviction cases.

Extends the time that a tenant has to respond to an eviction notice from five days to ten days.

Improves employment standards for janitorial labor within the state.

Would have strengthened employment protections by requiring a successor subcontractor to maintain contracts for janitorial staff for 90 days, and to offer continued employment if their performance is satisfactory after the 90-day window closes.

Would have reduced juvenile justice involvement by eliminating the requirement that school personnel report disruptive behavior and student drug possession to law enforcement officials.

Would have required all gas stoves sold in the state to include an adhesive warning label that states the risk of air pollutants from the appliance.

Would have improved transparency by requiring private contractors working with local governments to submit reports that detail service costs, workforce data, and performance reports

Mandates that public agencies make a presentation of their vacancies and recruitment efforts in a public hearing once annually, and that a union implement a plan to reduce vacancies if they exceed 20%.

Would have prohibited a business that has an interest in more than 1,000 single-family properties from purchasing or leasing any additional single-family properties.

Protects Californians from inflated utility prices by requiring the Public Utilities Commission to compare general fixed rates to past actual costs.

Expands the tools available to public enforcement agencies to ensure that worker health and safety training requirements are met for individuals working for live events at public venues.

Would have enacted the Reducing Toxics in Packaging Act to prohibit the use of PFAS, PVC, or PVDC in plastic packaging manufactured, sold, or distributed in the state.

Would have Improved protections for seniors by reducing the burden of proof for claims of elder abuse against a residential care or skilled nursing facility.

Strengthens tenant protects by allowing them to attend the move-out inspection, limiting the deductions that can be made from a security deposit, and requiring landlords to provide unit photos from before move-in and after move-out to make any claims against a security deposit.

Strengthens the notification requirements for wage garnishments and bank levies, including providing time to request an exemption.

Would have required detectives and prosecutors investigating a police-related death to follow clear identification and declaration procedures when speaking to the family of the deceased, to provide any requested information about the status of their loved one, and to be transparent about whether the conversation was being recorded.

Would have given the California Attorney General the authority to approve, deny, or impose conditions on private equity or hedge funds when they make an effort to take over health facilities or medical providers

Gives a local entity the authority to prohibit oil and gas operations or development in a jurisdiction.

Would strengthen the authority of the State Water Resources Control Board to prevent illegal or wasteful uses of water, and increases penalties. Passed by the Assembly; held in Senate Committees on Natural Resources and Water and Judiciary.

Would have provided grants to county election offices in San Benito, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties to create a pilot program to increase voter participation in county jail facilities.

Amends ACA 1 to require a lower 55% vote threshold to pass any local bond measure in a special district, city, or county; retains the requirement that special taxes for construction, repair, or replacement of public infrastructure pass with a two-third majority. Failed on the 2024 general election ballot.

Would have deepened the protections of the Fair Employment and Housing Act by setting the statute of limitations to bring a group or class complaint with the California Civil Rights Department to seven years.

Would have amended the membership requirements of county juvenile justice councils to include at least 50% community representatives, an at-promise youth, and an individual who has experience in the juvenile court system or is a system-impacted family member.

Requires a credit union to provide notice to a member every time an overdraft fee is charged, and mandates that the fee cannot exceed $14 or the CFPB’s federal minimum after 2026.

Increases protections for small businesses and non-profits by requiring their commercial landlords provide advance notification of rent changes, and prohibiting landlords from charging tenants any fees for unexpected building repairs or taxes.

Would have allowed workers engaged in a trade dispute with their employer, including those on strike, to claim unemployment benefits after two weeks.

Would have improved the pretrial bail process by requiring the court to review both the fixed bail amount and whether there is clear and convincing evidence that the detained person poses a risk to the victim, public safety, or flight; would have required a review of nonmonetary conditions for release after 60 days of compliance.

Accelerates decarbonization by authorizing a gas corporation to end service if an alternative substitute energy service is available, and requires each gas corporation to file an annual map of all potential gas distribution line replacement projects.

Replaces the existing process for determining a defendant’s mental fitness to stand trial with a requirement that up to two psychologists or psychiatrists evaluate a defendant and provide a written report to the court for evaluation.

Would have Imposed a 7.25% state tax on the sale of user data to advertisers, also known as data extraction transactions, for companies generating more than $2.5 billion annually from such sales, and reallocated those funds to local news and journalism outlets in California.

Would have improved transparency by requiring that the top three funders of a referendum petition be printed directly on the petition, and required signers to initial to acknowledge that they read the names of the funders.

Protects workers against retaliation or adverse action if they choose not to participate in an employer-hosted meeting about politics or religion that is unrelated to their job.

Mandates that all firearms must be properly stored in a residence when they are not being carried or controlled by a lawful user, regardless of whether there are children in residence.

Would have protected communities from toxic emissions by requiring refineries to issues community notices when safe levels are surpassed, provide real-time air quality data, submit quarterly reports, conduct third-party audits, and perform analyses within 24-hours of any incident.

Would have increased protections for incarcerated people who have been the victim of sexual abuse while in custody by extending the statute of limitations, providing access to reduced sentencing, mandating 90-day protection from retaliation, and accelerating internal investigations.

Would have given local governments more control over the use of driverless commercial vehicles by requiring that an ordinance be passed before they are permitted to operate in a local jurisdiction.