Nine bills authored by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-West Hollywood/Santa Monica) have been approved by the Assembly and are now headed to the Senate, tackling the issues of climate change, preventing homelessness, protecting affordable housing, and expanding and upholding civil rights for LGBTQ+ and all Californians.
“My bill package has focused on three priority areas: addressing the housing and homelessness crisis, combating climate change, and advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights and social justice for everyone,” said Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur. “We’ve been extremely successful in passing these bills in the Assembly and are ready to do the hard work to pass them in the Senate, and fight for these laws that will protect our communities.”
Below is a summary of each bill and a link to more information:
TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE
AB 3: California Offshore Wind & Jobs Advancement Act
Offshore wind energy will play a crucial role in meeting California’s goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2045 and has the potential to create a significant number of high-paying jobs in the state. AB 3 requires the California Energy Commission to study and recommend strategies maximizing job opportunities for the state and creating pathways for developing port infrastructure to achieve our climate change goals through offshore wind energy. Sponsor: Environment California
AB 1176: Requiring Local Climate Action and Electrification Plans
In order to meet the state’s climate goals, Californians will need over one million chargers to support the eight million electric vehicles anticipated on the road by 2030, and more to meet the state’s 2035 electric vehicle mandate. Residential and commercial buildings will also need upgrades and retrofitting and installation of electric appliances and equipment to cut greenhouse gas emissions. AB 1176 requires local governments to adopt a Climate Action Electrification Element with strategies and goals in their General Plans or community action plans to meet the needs of residents, visitors, employees, and businesses in their communities. The bill requires consideration of solutions like on-street electric vehicle charger corridors and electrification funding strategies for disadvantaged communities. Sponsor: ClimatePlan California
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS
AB 1620: Apartment Swaps for Tenants with Permanent Physical Disabilities
People with physical disabilities who are living in rent controlled apartments are at risk of becoming homeless if they become unable to access their home and cannot find an accessible unit at a similar rental rate. AB 1620 will address this problem by authorizing local jurisdictions to require that tenants with permanent physical disabilities be allowed to relocate to an available accessible unit at the same rental rate and terms. Sponsors: City of West Hollywood, City of Santa Monica
AB 369: Independent Living Program for Foster Youth
Young people aging out of the foster care system frequently experience homelessness. AB 369 brings California in line with 30+ other states by authorizing counties to increase the age for foster youth to receive support through the Independent Living Program from age 21 to 23. The bill also clarifies that young adults are allowed to accumulate cash savings while in extended foster care, better equipping them to successfully transition into independent adulthood.
Sponsors: California Coalition for Youth, Alliance for Children’s Rights, and Children Now
AB 1335: Regional Housing and Sustainability Planning
In order to meet their local housing needs and ensure that development is sustainable, regional authorities undertake extensive planning through the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) program and the Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS) program. However, the RHNA and SCS programs rely on inconsistent data and assumptions. AB 1335 requires planning and reporting for sustainable housing development to be more transparent and makes clarifying changes so that housing and sustainability goals under the RHNA and SCS programs are better aligned. The bill will incentivize sustainable housing near transit to reduce our reliance on cars.
HEALTH CARE, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND LGBTQ+ CIVIL RIGHTS
AB 5: Safe & Supportive Schools Act
Every child deserves to attend a safe and supportive school where they have the greatest possible opportunity to learn and succeed. Despite much progress, LGBTQ+ students still experience harassment, violence, and lack of affirmation in school settings far too often. Lack of adequate support in schools results in high dropout rates, which leads to high rates of poverty, homelessness and engagement with the criminal justice system for LGBTQ+ people. AB 5 will provide public school teachers and staff, who are on the front lines of supporting California students, with the training and support they need to better serve LGBTQ+ and all students.
Sponsors: CFT, California Teachers Association, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Equality California
AB 383: Improving the Classified School Staff to Teacher Pipeline
This bill will reduce California’s current teacher shortage by helping classified school employees become fully credentialed teachers. It allows participants in the state’s Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program to use funds received through the Program to cover their living expenses while in training and enhances their ability to take leave so that they can accomplish their training. Sponsor: CFT
AB 1484: Bargaining Rights for Temporary Employees
The ability of workers to bargain for basic workplace rights and protections is a bedrock value in our state. Temporary employees are a vital part of the public workforce for many local governments and are often employed for long periods of time, yet they are often not allowed to bargain alongside their permanent coworkers for good wages, benefits, and working conditions. AB 1484 provides temporary employees of cities and counties the option to join existing bargaining units, providing them with basic workers’ rights without significantly increasing costs or limiting the employer’s ability to hire temporary workers as needed. Sponsors: SEIU California, California Labor Federation, AFSCME
AB 1645: Enhanced Consumer Protections for Preventive Care
Every Californian deserves access to preventive health care that is comprehensive, inclusive, and affordable. Current California law relating to preventive health care and screenings for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) contains loopholes that need closing. AB 1645 ensures that patients can access not only preventive care but also all of the services and office visits that are necessary for delivering that care without cost-sharing, including medication management and lab testing for PrEP, a life-saving HIV prevention medication. Sponsors: California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, APLA Health, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Equality California
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur represents the 51st Assembly District, which includes the cities of Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Santa Monica and portions of Los Angeles.
CONTACT: Vienna Montague, (916) 319-2051, Vienna.Montague@asm.ca.gov