California Film & Television Tax Credit Expansion
AB 1138 (SB 630) California Film & TV Jobs Act
As other states and countries have adopted aggressive programs to lure California's iconic film and television industry away, California has seen an unprecedented drop in jobs in this industry. Until recently, the entertainment industry accounted for over 200,000 direct jobs in California, which resulted in billions of dollars in economic activity. However, other states and countries have adopted highly competitive film and television tax incentives, luring jobs and productions away from California. California's iconic film and television production industry is in crisis. AB 1138 (and its companion bill, SB 630) will address this crisis by strengthening and modernizing the Film and TV Tax Credit Program. These bills increase the base tax credit rate to be competitive with other jurisdictions, expand eligibility for a broader range of types of production, and adjust qualified expenditures to account for full production costs more accurately. These enhancements seek to retain and expand entertainment industry jobs, boost small businesses that support production, and reinforce California's status as the global leader in creativity and innovation.
Housing & Homelessness
AB 648 - Streamlining Student & Staff Housing
With 25% of community college students experiencing homelessness, AB 648 will combat housing insecurity and homelessness among community college students and staff while addressing California's broader housing crisis by increasing the supply of affordable housing in local communities. Specifically, the bill ensures that Community College Districts have the same authority as the UCs and CSUs to build housing on property they own or lease—authority they already have for classroom facilities—while eliminating barriers that slow or prevent construction. In addition, this bill would be a significant benefit in addressing our housing crisis by opening up other affordable units in communities that students and staff would have otherwise occupied. AB 648 cuts through red tape while still maintaining important environmental and permitting protections and ensures that students can focus on their studies and staff can focus on their work without the stress of not knowing where they will sleep at night.
Infrastructure & Transportation
AB 891 - Bikeway Quick-Build Project
AB 891 improves the safety of bicyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and road workers by requiring the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to develop a Quick-Build program that will expeditiously and cost-efficiently create safe routes on California state highways for people to travel by bike, on foot, or by alternative low-impact, low-cost modes of transportation. Quick-Build projects condense timelines, minimize planning and engineering costs, and use inexpensive materials to create safe, active transportation infrastructure in months rather than years. This bill would require that Caltrans pick and commit funding to at least six quick-build projects across the state by the end of 2028 as part of the Quick-Build Project Pilot Program. These projects are intended to immediately address safety needs by allowing a community to benefit quickly from improvements while providing the opportunity to test project improvements before they are permanently constructed.
Disaster Response
AB 478 - FOUND Act (Friends of Oreo Uniting During Disasters)
AB 478 ensures that pets are protected during emergencies and that local governments implement clear procedures to support pet owners during mandatory evacuations. The bill was inspired by the heartwarming story of Oreo,as seen here on the Today Show, a Pomeranian who went missing during the Palisades Fire and survived for five days in the debris before being reunited with his owner. This bill requires cities and counties to update emergency plans for pet rescues in mandatory evacuation zones, directs local governments to provide clear online resources for pet evacuation and reunification—including a list of rescued pets—and extends the holding period for rescued animals to at least 90 days before adoption, euthanasia, or transfer, giving owners more time to reclaim them.
Climate and Environmental Protection
AB 39 – Electrification Plans
AB 39 will help to ensure that everyone – particularly low-income communities, renters, and those who may need to park on the street – has the electric vehicle charging infrastructure they need and is able to retrofit their homes to install electric appliances. Local governments will play a critical role in ensuring California has an equity-based approach to achieving a clean energy future. AB 39 will empower local jurisdictions to develop solutions that meet communities' unique needs, ensure equal access, and implement long-term climate solutions. AB 39 will require cities and counties with populations of 75,000 or more to create and adopt a plan to meet their electrification goals. These plans will outline strategies to meet local transportation and building electrification needs, aligning state and local efforts for maximum efficiency and ensuring equitable access to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and building electrification for renters, multi-family housing residents, commercial fleets, visitors, and disadvantaged communities.
AB 729 – Climate Credit Improvement
AB 729 shifts the distribution of climate credits to when ratepayers need financial relief most — electric credits in the summer and a natural gas credit in the winter — making energy more affordable. The Climate Credit Improvement bill directs the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to require electric utilities to distribute climate credits to ratepayers during the hottest months instead of spring and fall, when energy costs are highest. Additionally, it requires natural gas utilities to deliver gas credits to residents during the winter. Currently, a natural gas credit is issued in April and two credits to electric bills are issued in April and October. This bill would require a natural gas credit to be issued in December, and an electric credit in August and September. By shifting the distribution to the peak usage months, AB 729 ensures that ratepayers receive financial relief when their electricity and natural gas usage—and costs—are at their highest.
AB 941 – Electrical Infrastructure Projects
One way to reduce electric bills for Californians is to reduce the extraordinarily lengthy time period for permitting priority transmission and distribution projects. Specifically, AB 941 establishes a 270-day timeline for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to determine whether or not to certify the environmental impact report (EIR) of completed permit applications for priority electrical infrastructure projects. This legislation addresses the need for a more efficient and predictable regulatory process within the CPUC. California's steadfast commitment to carbon neutrality by 2045 requires the state to decarbonize expeditiously. Among many efforts to do so, the build-out of electrical infrastructure is critical to achieve this goal.
LGBTQ+ Civil Rights and Health Care
AB 309 - HIV and Hepatitis Prevention
AB 309 supports California's comprehensive strategy to prevent the spread of HIV & viral hepatitis by preserving existing laws that allow pharmacists to distribute sterile syringes and that allow adults to possess syringes for personal use without a prescription. Extensive research and data collection has proven time and time again that increased access to sterile syringes reduces transmission rates and prevents needless deaths. By removing unnecessary barriers to accessing sterile syringes, AB 309 can protect vulnerable populations, and reduce health care costs.
AB 1084 - Accurate and Affirming Records for Transgender Californians
AB 1084 will improve the ability of transgender and nonbinary Californians to obtain accurate identification documents and protect themselves from growing threats to their safety and well-being. The bill will streamline the process for transgender and nonbinary individuals to receive a court order recognizing their gender change and changing their legal name by shortening the court processing time for uncontested petitions from a minimum of six weeks to a maximum of two weeks. The bill will also require the State Registrar or county clerk, as applicable, to issue a new birth certificate or marriage license within two weeks if it includes a request to change gender.
Education
AB 715 Combating Hate in K-12 Education
AB 715 strengthens protections against antisemitism and all forms of discrimination in K-12 education by setting clear classroom standards, increasing accountability for local educational agencies, establishing trainings, and creating a state-level Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator. Together, these measures will help ensure that our schools are safe and affirming learning environments for Jewish and all students.
AB 1053 - Transparency for Digital Instructional Materials
AB 1053 increases transparency and oversight in the procurement of digital supplemental instructional materials for education. This legislation will ensure stakeholder input is gathered before a local education agency's governing board approves any expenditure for licensing software that provides instructional materials or assessments.
Jobs & Labor
AB 465 Right to Fair Discipline
AB 465 will ensure that city and county employees receive fair treatment by requiring that minimum standards for employee discipline and grievance procedures are included in Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for bargaining units governed under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA). These include provisions to guarantee progressive discipline practices, just cause protections against unfair termination and arbitrary workplace discipline, compensation protections for union representatives, and binding arbitration following the grievance process. In doing so, this bill will protect workers against unjust employer actions and bring their contracts up to the same standard as other public sector employees.