Lead Author: Pan Summary: Healthcare behemoth Kaiser Permanente currently lumps its financial disclosures -- information on the revenue and profits of individual hospitals -- into broad categories instead of following the rules every other hospital does, and listing this information by specific hospital. Kaiser controls 40% of the healthcare market in California and earned over $2B in profit in 2018. Mandating clearer financial disclosures from Kaiser will increase transparency and create more cost pressure, helping healthcare consumers across California. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Leyva Summary: Many of California’s regulations regarding nurse-to-patient ratios go unenforced -- this has been the case for nearly two decades. When hospitals fail to follow these regulations, both patients and nurses suffer. SB227 creates unannounced inspections for hospitals with a special focus on adherence to nurse-to-patient ratios. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Dodd Summary: ATVs (Automated Transit Vehicles) are nascent technology in a field (transportation) where runaway tech has often gotten so far ahead of regulation as to put at risk the well-being of Californians. SB336 reins in this not yet fully vetted technology by requiring any public transit operator to have at least one employee fully onboard any ATV it puts into service. This bill did not receive a vote in the House.

Lead Author: Wiener Summary: Current law requires employers to provide reasonable break time for lactation needs, but often does not mandate adequate space to produce lactation with privacy. Employment law truly devoted to gender equity would ensure this space existed. SB142 mandates that, in a new construction of commercial space, including those undergoing significant renovation, reasonable amount of lactation spaces be created. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Roth Summary: The Mojave Desert sustains legally-protected wildlife and untold acres of public land. The Trump Administration has imperiled the desert and its surrounding ecosystem by unrolling environmental protections, including those related to a potential pipeline which would drain 16 millions tons of water from the desert each year, courtesy of Cadiz, Inc. SB307 would require a full, state level environmental review of the Cadiz Pipeline, overriding federal attempts to lower environmental safeguards. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Authors: Glazer, Caballero Summary: CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act, requires state and local agencies to identify environmental impacts of their actions and then avoid or mitigate those impacts. This longstanding law has proven instrumental in retaining a seat the table for environmental considerations related to housing and construction projects. SB621 was one of two bills, along with SB621, that would have weakened CEQA processes in order to expedite new construction. While perhaps well-intentioned, both bills laid blame for California’s lack of affordable housing at the feet of CEQA and environmental concerns – an unfair attribution of blame. We and our allies contend affordable housing scarcity can be – and must be – addressed without sacrificing environmental protections. This bill passed the Senate but did not see a vote in the Assembly.

Lead Author: Mitchell Summary: Landlords are legally prohibited from discriminating against a renter based on the source of their income -- but not required to accept housing vouchers. This freedom to deny renters can limit the mobility of low-income people to move from poverty-concentrated areas. This law passed and was signed into law.

Lead Authors: Glazer, Caballero Summary: CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act, requires state and local agencies to identify environmental impacts of their actions and then avoid or mitigate those impacts. This longstanding law has proven instrumental in retaining a seat the table for environmental considerations related to housing and construction projects. SB621 was one of two 2019 bills, along with SB25, that would’ve weakened CEQA processes in order to expedite new construction. While perhaps well-intentioned, both bills laid blame for California’s lack of affordable housing at the feet of CEQA and environmental concerns – an unfair attribution of blame. We and our allies contend affordable housing scarcity can be – and must be – addressed without sacrificing environmental protections. This bill passed the Senate but did not see a vote in the Assembly.

Lead Author: Wiener Summary: Incarcerating individuals costs California citizens $80,000 per individual year. Current law includes mandatory sentencing enhancements that add 1 year of incarceration for each past offense committed by the accused -- a mandatory add-on that impacts a third of the incarcerated population. Significant research suggests these enhancements do not deter crime. SB 136 repeals these enhancements, ending this costly practice which leads to major inequities in the justice system. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Wiener Summary: California law mandates that offenders who engage in consensual, yet illegal, sex with 14-17 year old be treated differently, based on whether the sex is penile-vaginal, or anal and oral intercourse. This distinction creates more significant penalties for LGBT offenders, despite having committed the same offense -- resulting in disproportionate numbers of LGBT people on the sex offender registry. SB145 ends this irrational, discriminatory distinction. This bill did not receive a Floor vote in the Assembly.

Lead Author: Durazo Summary: Renters across California create and join tenants organizations as a way to level the playing field in negotiations with landlords. However, many tenants who join such organizations are met with retaliatory evictions. SB529 would explicitly forbid tenants from being evicted from homes as a consequence for joining tenant associations. This bill failed in the Senate by 1 vote.

Lead Author: Durazo Summary: Undocumented people live among us, work alongside us, and are often the most vulnerable when it comes to emergency medical costs. SB29 extends Medi-Cal to all these people, as an attempt to improve health care while lowering emergency room costs across the state, which often end up burdening all Californians. This bill did not receive a Floor vote in the Assembly.

Lead Author: Durazo Summary: Renters across California create and join tenants organizations as a way to level the playing field in negotiations with landlords. However, many tenants who join such organizations are met with retaliatory evictions. SB529 would explicitly forbid tenants from being evicted from homes as a consequence for joining tenant associations. This bill failed in the Senate by 1 vote.

Lead Author: Jackson Summary: Under current law, the Department of Conservation regulates the operation and maintenance of oil and gas wells in the state. This bill would require the division to develop a mechanism to assess the cost of cleanup and remediation of infrastructure related to the oil and gas industry, including pipeline, pump and storage facilities. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Wieckowski Summary: Aggressive collection practices can wipe out families and send them into poverty instead of moving debt collection toward resolution. Allowing debt collectors to empty entire bank accounts is harmful and dangerous. SB616 forces debt collectors to leave the final $1,724 -- the minimum amount a family of four needs to survive a month -- in a debtor’s bank account, leaving them breathing room to work out repayment terms. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Wicks Summary: School districts that use a merit-based classification for employee hiring currently allow new hires to be considered probationary for a period of up to 1-year. AB1353 limits the time unclassified employees can spend in this period to 6-months or 130 days of paid service, streamlining hiring processes and preventing abuses. This bill passed and has been signed into law.

Lead Authors: Mark Stone, Lorena Gonzalez, Reyes Summary: Many California employers settle threatened claims or lawsuits with agreements that includes a no re-hire provision, preventing the aggrieved employee from ever applying for a job within the company or its subsidiaries again. No re-hire provisions do nothing more than punish an employee who has been harmed. AB749 prohibits these provisions from being included in settlement agreements. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Leyva Summary: Many of California’s regulations regarding nurse-to-patient ratios go unenforced -- this has been the case for nearly two decades. When hospitals fail to follow these regulations, both patients and nurses suffer. SB227 creates unannounced inspections for hospitals with a special focus on adherence to nurse-to-patient ratios. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Lorena Gonzalez Summary: Employers make common practice of forcing workers, as a condition of employment, to sign mandatory arbitration agreements -- in effect, demanding they waive their full legal right to pursue damages in a potential dispute -- to get a job. This practice is unethical and protects offending companies from being held fully accountable for causing injury -- especially in cases made more visible through the #MeToo movement. AB51 ends the practice of forced arbitration and has been passed and signed into law.

Lead Authors: Kalra Summary: Health insurance premiums for employer coverage have increased at 6 times the rate of inflation in the past 15 years. For coverage sold to individuals and small employers, California regulators use “rate review” to assess whether proposed rate hikes are based on credible data and realistic projections of increased costs. AB731 expands this practice to large group plans, which saves money for the 10 million Californians covered under these plans or union trust funds. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Wood Summary: The American Kidney Fund (AKF) is primarily funded by the two largest dialysis providers in the US -- DaVita and Fresenius. AKF steers dialysis patients from Medi-Cal and toward private insurance, where the reimbursement rates they receive are much higher. This practice has helped enable these two companies to make profits exceeding four billion dollars since 2017. AB290 stops this heinous, price-gouging practice and will benefit both patients and taxpayers. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Mark Stone Summary: Under current code, people are entitled to a hearing for early parole if they were less than 26 years old at the time of the controlling offense. However, the Department of Corrections holds a confusing, problematic definition of ‘initial hearing’ when measuring the time served of those incarcerated as youth. AB965 clarifies the definition and offers these folks the opportunity to earn credit toward earlier release dates, benefitting from the provisions of Prop 57 and having a smoother path toward rehabilitation and reintegration into society. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Authors: Chiu, Bloom, Bonta, Grayson, Wicks Summary: The systemic lack of affordable housing in California grants landlords extraordinary power to gauge renters. Limiting rent increases creates stability, helps vulnerable Californians plan for their future and balances the playing field between renters and landlords. AB1482 will cap rent increases at 5% over 12-month periods, as well as force landlords to show “just cause” before evicting. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Chiu Summary: Affordable housing is a priority concern all across our state, and no region has a bigger housing problem than the Bay Area. AB1487 creates the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority, which will raise and distribute funds for affordable housing and tenant protection. Unlike previous attempts at similar relief, the BAHFA will assess and meet challenges on a region, not just municipality level. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Kalra Summary: A defendant facing trial should have every opportunity to know if an officer involved in their case has any instances of documented police misconduct. AB1600 helps to expedite this process by shortening the notice requirement from 16 days to 10 days after the defendant has filed a motion to obtain these records. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Ting Summary: Facial recognition technology is a nascent technology, both invasive and prone to systematic errors when used on women and people of color. As privacy concerns grow around personal privacy and our increasing surveillance state, AB1215 prohibits police departments across the state from using this harmful technology until 2023. This bill passed and has been signed into law.

Lead Authors: Smith, McCarty, O’Donnell Summary: Due to a loophole in California law, school districts have been allowed to authorize charter schools not within their geographic boundaries -- often leading to charters popping up within geographic districts that expressly oppose them. AB1507 closes this strange loophole, and was passed and signed into law.

Lead Authors: Chiu, Santiago Summary: Nationally-owned banks dominate the financial marketplace, and time and again, invest resources in causes opposed to the values of Californians. Wall Street-backed banks often charge whatever exorbitant fees they can, enabled by their stranglehold on the market. AB857 allows local governments to sponsor public banks, which will be FDIC-insured, likely to charge lower fees and invest in locally-oriented resources while increasing competition in the marketplace. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Mitchell Summary: Landlords are legally prohibited from discriminating against a renter based on the source of their income -- but not required to accept housing vouchers. This freedom to deny renters can limit the mobility of low-income people to move from poverty-concentrated areas. This law passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Wiener Summary: Incarcerating individuals costs California citizens $80,000 per individual year. Current law includes mandatory sentencing enhancements that add 1 year of incarceration for each past offense committed by the accused -- a mandatory add-on that impacts a third of the incarcerated population. Significant research suggests these enhancements do not deter crime. SB 136 repeals these enhancements, ending this costly practice which leads to major inequities in the justice system. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Wiener Summary: California makes it very difficult to generate revenues for essential services, often requiring two-thirds majority of voters to approve any tax hike. A recent law mandates ballots include descriptions of these proposals that do not exceed 75 words. However, this makes it nearly impossible to pass progressive-minded parcel taxes, which often contain multiple tiers that can not be detailed in 75 words. SB268 allows detailed information to be included in the official voter guide, which has more space, instead of the ballot itself. This bill passed but was vetoed by the Governor.

Lead Author: Ting Summary: One potential remedy for California’s housing crisis is ADUs -- Accessory Dwelling Units -- being constructed on single-family lots. ADUs are small structures, typically under 1,000 square feet, that could both increase the housing supply and allow homeowners to earn rental income, at no cost to taxpayers. AB68 permits construction of two ADUs on the same property, overriding the strict and onerous barriers set up by some municipalities, often driven by NIMBY groups opposed to affordable housing construction. This bill passed and was signed into law.

Lead Author: Lorena Gonzalez Summary: Corporations have vastly more resources than individual workers, and often leverage those resources during a strike to “starve out” a workforce -- negotiating slowly as workers worry their bank accounts will run dry. AB1066 grants workers an opportunity to collect unemployment benefits for the first three weeks of a strike, lending essential support to the bargaining power of labor. This bill failed by 2 votes in the Senate.

Lead Author: Lorena Gonzalez Summary: Current practice allows schools in the University of California system to subcontract out many staff positions, relieving them of the burden to offer certain benefits and protections a worker receives as part of a union. The UC system has displaced more than 7,000 of these jobs in recent years. ACA14 would force UC campuses to increase the percent of union workers on their payrolls. This proposed amendment fell 4 votes short in the Senate.

Lead Authors: Atkins, Portantino, Stern Summary: In just three years, the Trump administration has gutted many federal environmental regulations and attempted to roll back dramatic environmental progress made in California. SB 1 would override Trump-era concessions made to corporations and Big Ag, in order to protect California’s environment. SB 1 cements any rolled back environmental standards as state law, particularly as they apply to the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. It passed but was vetoed by the Governor.

Author: Talamantes Eggman Co-authors: Wiener, Friedman, Lara   4,654 people died of drug overdoses in 2016 in California alone, according to the Center for Disease Control. AB 186 would authorize local governments to operate safe, hygienic, and secure injection sites for IV drug users and protect users and staff from prosecution. Permitting local governments to start these pilot programs would also prevent needless overdoses by managing dosages and prevent the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B and C by assuring access to clean needles. Additionally, the sites would refer people to treatment and housing services.

Author: Wood   The negative impacts health insurance mergers have on consumers -- such as spikes in premium costs -- are serious but can be mitigated by increasing oversight and accountability. AB 595 would provide that accountability by improving and expanding state oversight over health plan mergers by requiring insurance companies to receive authorization from the California Department of Managed Healthcare before a merger.

Authors: Ting, Muratsuchi, Reyes Co-author: Allen   Currently, family members and law enforcement may make a request to the court when they believe someone is a danger to themselves or others. If a judge agrees, that person must temporarily give up possession of their firearms and is banned from buying new ones, generally for 21 days. AB 2888 would add employers, coworkers, high school and college staff, and mental health workers to the list of individuals who can seek this type of restraining order.

Author: Ting Co-authors: Carrillo, Jones-Sawyer   AB 748 would mandate that, if requested, law enforcement agencies publicly provide audio and visual recordings of incidents in which lethal force was used. With so many jurisdictions and departments all over California, transparency and accountability would increase dramatically if body camera footage were made more available to the public.

Author: Reyes Co-author: Lara   Communities deserve the right to know when new pollution sources are proposed to be built in their neighborhoods. AB 2447 would protect environmentally vulnerable and economically disadvantaged communities from further degradation by mandating that land use notices be provided in the languages spoken by local residents.

Authors: Gloria, Chiu Co-author: Hill   The increased militarization of local law enforcement has made of our neighborhoods feel like warzones. AB 3131 would restore transparency and accountability by making sure that law enforcement agencies provide notice to the public before they decide to acquire military equipment.

authors: Caballero, Gonzalez co-authors: Gipson, Wiener   Many immigrants are often prone to fraud when obtaining services from unqualified immigration consultants. AB 638 would protect immigrants by only allowing state-authorized lawyers and paralegals or federally-authorized representatives from engaging in immigration consultation.

Authors: Mitchell, Lara Co-author: Kamlager-Dove   Currently, California lacks any law to prevent young children from being prosecuted as adults, leaving young children within the criminal justice system particularly vulnerable to prosecution and unfair convictions. SB 439 establishes 12 years as the minimum age for prosecution in juvenile court unless a minor younger than 12 has committed murder or rape.

Author: Talamantes Eggman Co-authors: Wiener, Friedman, Lara   4,654 people died of drug overdoses in 2016 in California alone, according to the Center for Disease Control. AB 186 would authorize local governments to operate safe, hygienic, and secure injection sites for IV drug users and protect users and staff from prosecution. Permitting local governments to start these pilot programs would also prevent needless overdoses by managing dosages and prevent the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B and C by assuring access to clean needles. Additionally, the sites would refer people to treatment and housing services.

Authors: Mitchell, Lara Co-author: Kamlager-Dove   Currently, California lacks any law to prevent young children from being prosecuted as adults, leaving young children within the criminal justice system particularly vulnerable to prosecution and unfair convictions. SB 439 establishes 12 years as the minimum age for prosecution in juvenile court unless a minor younger than 12 has committed murder or rape.