Speaker Rivas Announces Successful Completion of First-in-the-Nation ‘Outcomes Review’ Oversight Program’s Pilot Year

Monday, August 17, 2026

Assembly members examined how enacted laws they've championed are working in practice - covering housing, health care, worker protections, wildfire recovery, and more. Through public hearings and community meetings, lawmakers gathered direct input from Californians and identified concrete fixes to strengthen implementation. The effort builds on Speaker Rivas' broader push for accountability and investments in oversight.

SACRAMENTO - Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas believes passing a law is only the first step - the real test is making sure laws truly work for Californians.

That's the idea behind the Assembly's first-in-the-nation Outcomes Review project. On Monday, Speaker Rivas announced the first group of reviews is complete, with findings, real results and concrete next steps for improving how state laws are put into practice.

"Passing a law isn't the finish line. The Outcomes Review project makes sure we're checking our work - and it's already led to real changes at the Capitol: bringing Californians to the table, asking what's working and what isn't, delivering real solutions. This isn't oversight for its own sake - it's what accountability looks like, and we're just getting started," Speaker Robert Rivas said.

The Assembly is also announcing it will continue the Outcomes Review program in 2027, with expanded oversight, a larger group of participating members and more public hearings and meetings expected to take place next session.

This year, 15 Assemblymembers took part in the pilot round, examining 14 laws covering housing, affordability, energy, health care, worker protections, wildfire recovery, foster care and more.

Each review included at least one public hearing or community meeting, held between February and August of this year, where lawmakers heard directly from the Californians affected by these laws and identified specific fixes to help them work better. (A full rundown of the reviews is available on our Outcomes Review Project Tracker.)

Oversight and Accountability, From Day 1

Since his inauguration as Assembly Speaker, Robert Rivas has made a clear commitment: California taxpayers deserve to know their money is being spent wisely, and Californians deserve to know the laws passed on their behalf are actually delivering.

That means legislators can't always author a bill and move on - there is a responsibility to follow-up and make sure it's working as intended.

This commitment has shaped how the Assembly operates. Speaker Rivas created a new Budget subcommittee dedicated to oversight and accountability, and cut the number of bills lawmakers can introduce each two-year session from 50 to 35 - pushing the Assembly to focus on getting solutions right rather than passing as many laws as possible.

In November 2025, that commitment took a new form: Speaker Rivas launched the Outcomes Review project, a first-in-the-nation effort giving Assemblymembers a structured way to check in on laws they've authored or championed - asking hard questions about whether those laws are working, and fixing what isn't.

The project got underway in February 2026, with Assembly policy committees coordinating hearings, lining-up partners, and working with staff and community stakeholders to make sure the people directly affected by these laws had a real voice in the process.

Since then, dozens of hearings have brought together experts, advocates, community groups, and local leaders to dig into how these laws are playing out on the ground. Lawmakers asked tough questions, took public input, and - most importantly - made progress on concrete solutions to strengthen implementation and deliver lasting benefits for Californians.

Today, lawmakers who led the debut Outcomes Review program are sharing their findings and next steps:

The 2026 Outcomes Review Program: Overview, Findings, Next Steps

Expanding Telehealth Access for Families:

Overview: Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry continued her work on health care access for California families by reviewing implementation of AB 744 (2019) and AB 32 (2021), which expanded telehealth services to improve access to care statewide.

What We Learned: An August 4 hearing in the Assembly Health Committee demonstrated that expanding telehealth has largely succeeded in improving access to care and adding flexibility for patients. Providers and stakeholders identified areas where more work is needed, including expanding access to broadband and asynchronous care.

What Comes Next: Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry and other legislators intend to use lessons learned in the Outcomes Review process to strengthen California's telehealth policies moving forward.

Strengthening California's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline:

Overview: Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan reviewed implementation of AB 988 (2022), which established the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in California, to assess statewide implementation, staffing and funding capacity, and coordination with 911 to ensure Californians experiencing a mental health crisis receive timely and appropriate care.

What We Learned: The Outcomes Review brought together information on 988 implementation that had previously been spread across agencies and jurisdictions, giving legislators a clearer picture of where implementation is falling short and allowing frontline stakeholders to raise concerns directly with state agencies.

What Comes Next: Issues raised during the review helped inform amendments to AB 2093, which would strengthen statewide oversight of the 988 system, improve coordination between 988 and 911, and establish clearer standards for crisis response and mobile crisis services. AB 2093 is pending on the Senate Floor.

Accelerating Affordable Housing:

Overview: Assemblymember Buffy Wicks reviewed implementation of AB 2011, the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022, enacted to streamline the approval of affordable and mixed-income housing along resource-rich commercial corridors.

What We Learned: Analysis by UC Berkeley and other testimony indicates that AB 2011 has been effective for 100% affordable housing projects, but could be further refined, particularly to facilitate more mixed-income projects.

What Comes Next: Assemblymember Wicks plans to meet with stakeholders to explore possible clean-up legislation during the 2027-28 session.

Reducing Costs and Delays in Affordable Housing Finance:

Overview: Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo reviewed implementation of AB 519 (2023), which created a multi-agency workgroup to streamline and coordinate affordable housing finance by moving multiple state funding programs into a single, consolidated application.

What We Learned: Stakeholders generally agreed that AB 519's streamlining provisions have strengthened inter-agency communication, will reduce duplicative paperwork, and ultimately will reduce development costs and delays.

What Comes Next: Assemblymember Schiavo will remain engaged with stakeholders, including state agencies and affordable housing developers, as they pursue the 2027 goal of a streamlined application process that lowers the cost of developing affordable housing.

Supporting Affordable Farmworker Housing in the Central Valley:

Overview: Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria reviewed outcomes related to AB 457 (2025), which was enacted to support the development of affordable farmworker housing within close proximity to agricultural land in the Central Valley.

What We Learned: AB 457 is a relatively new law, and fully assessing its impact will take additional time. However, the hearing revealed that streamlining affordable housing in rural areas can be effective but often takes local governments significant time to implement.

What Comes Next: Policymakers will weigh whether the streamlining program in AB 457 should be refined and/or expanded to additional coastal counties with agricultural areas.

Protecting L.A. Wildfire Survivors from Post-Disaster Foreclosure:

Overview: Assemblymember John Harabedian reviewed outcomes related to AB 238 (2025), an urgency measure enacted after the Eaton and Palisades Fires to provide up to 12 months of emergency mortgage forbearance for qualified borrowers, to assess compliance and identify opportunities to strengthen relief for disaster survivors.

What We Learned: A roundtable in Assemblymember Harabedian's district centering survivors of the Eaton Fire found significant gaps in implementation and enforcement, including lender noncompliance, limited consumer complaint data and a need for clearer standards and stronger coordination between state and federal partners.

What Comes Next: Lessons from the review informed AB 1842, which would establish a permanent statewide emergency mortgage forbearance framework, and AB 1847, which would extend relief for survivors of the Eaton and Palisades Fires as rebuilding continues. AB 1842 and AB 1847 are pending on the Senate Floor.

Ensuring Transparency and Accountability in Charitable Giving:

Overview: Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin reviewed implementation of AB 488 (2021), which strengthened oversight of online charitable fundraising to ensure donations raised on platforms get to charitable organizations, especially when generosity soars in response to emergencies like wildfires.

What We Learned: Many stakeholders that support the intent of AB 488 have process-based frustrations with how the law has been implemented and worry that there are not adequate safeguards when a charity is removed from "good standing" status.

What Comes Next: Assemblymember Irwin has introduced AB 2221, which makes a number of improvements based on the Outcomes Review findings. AB 2221 is pending on the Senate Floor.

Expanding Community Access to Clean Energy:

Overview: Assemblymember Chris Ward reviewed AB 2316 (2022), which empowered the California Public Utilities Commission to create a community solar program, to allow all California ratepayers to benefit from distributed generation.

What We Learned: Assemblymember Ward and stakeholders believe that the Community Renewable Energy Program, which was created by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to implement AB 2316, does not fulfill the law's intent and has not led to the creation of new community solar projects.

What Comes Next: Assemblymember Ward has introduced AB 1813 that takes the information learned in the Outcomes Review process and requires the CPUC to amend its program to meet the original intent of AB 2316. AB 1813 is pending on the Senate Floor.

Streamlining Groundwater Recharge to Strengthen Water Supply:
Overview: Assemblymember Diane Papan, along with Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, reviewed implementation of AB 658 (2019), which created five-year temporary water-right permits intended to help expand groundwater recharge. The review examined whether the law was helping California scale recharge projects and overcome permitting challenges.

What We Learned: Water agencies generally reported that AB 658 has been helpful, with nine five-year temporary permits issued by the time of the hearing. Stakeholders also identified remaining challenges, particularly the need to streamline permitting and better define when water can safely be captured for recharge.

What Comes Next: The review is informing ongoing efforts led by Asm. Papan and other water policymakers to address the costs of obtaining permits for groundwater recharge and better understand when water can be safely captured for recharge without injuring other water rights holders.

Combating Wage Theft and Holding Bad Actors Accountable:

Overview: Assemblymember Liz Ortega, co-leading with Assemblymember Sade Elhawary, reviewed outcomes related to SB 588 (2015), which expanded enforcement tools to combat wage theft and hold employers accountable for unpaid wages.

What We Learned: The Outcomes Review hearing focused on the Labor Commissioner's ability to collect unpaid wages on older and challenging claims. The hearing found that some tools to enforce judgments are effective, but liens may be available too late to be effective.

What Comes Next: Legislators have expressed strong interest in pursuing new legislation that can build on the tools provided in SB 588.

Stabilizing Foster Family Agencies:

Overview: Assemblymember Gail Pellerin reviewed the implementation of AB 2496 (2024), which was enacted to address liability and insurance challenges facing foster family agencies. The review assessed whether the law is providing stability to providers and ensuring continuity of care for children in the foster care system.

What We Learned: The Outcomes Review found that foster family agencies continue to face severe insurance challenges. State funding has helped prevent additional closures, but providers still face limited and significantly more expensive coverage options, with many agencies reporting layoffs and concerns about their ability to remain open.

What Comes Next: Assemblymember Pellerin and stakeholders are seeking greater engagement from the Departments of Social Services and Insurance. She authored AB 2333 to extend existing indemnification provisions through January 1, 2028 and help stabilize the market. This bill was signed into law on July 16, 2026.

Reducing Disruptive Foster Care Placements:

Overview: Assemblymember Mike Gipson reviewed implementation of AB 2247 (2018), which strengthened protections for foster youth by requiring placement preservation strategies and advance notice before placement changes, to assess whether the law is improving placement stability and reducing disruptive moves for children in foster care.

What We Learned: Youth and advocates reported inconsistent implementation across the state, including meetings occurring without youth present or without proper facilitation. The review also identified circumstances where the process can delay family placements or reunification.

What Comes Next: The Department of Social Services is expected to strengthen the Child and Family Team process as part of the new foster care rate structure. The review also identified potential improvements, including more consistent professional facilitation, stronger representation for youth and expedited timelines where delays could hinder reunification.

Improving Homeowners' Access to Insurance:

Overview: Assemblymember Lisa Calderon reviewed implementation of AB 3012 (2020), which created the Residential FAIR Plan Clearinghouse Program as a tool to move homeowners from the FAIR Plan back into the traditional insurance market.

What We Learned: The Outcomes Review found that the FAIR Plan clearinghouse program was not working as the Legislature intended and was not effectively helping policyholders transition back to the traditional insurance market. The review identified gaps in transparency, consumer awareness and participation that warranted further legislative action.

What Comes Next: Assemblymember Calderon is carrying AB 69 to address concerns identified through the Outcomes Review process by improving transparency, strengthening reporting requirements and making it easier for FAIR Plan policyholders to learn about and access coverage options in the traditional market. AB 69 is pending on the Senate Floor.