League of California Cities Inc.

06/11/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/11/2025 16:56

Bill Talk: New budget deal, new bills, new Senate Pro Tem

A weekly update from Cal Cities, sorting through the state bill buzz

By Cal Cities Staff

When it rains, it pours. After a few days of "Will they, won't they," lawmakers dropped a budget agreement on Tuesday morning. The blueprint includes some notable wins and disappointing setbacks for cities, as detailed by Cal Cities lobbyists.

Although the legislative agreement is final, the budget itself is not. Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers have yet to agree on the budget, key issue areas will be hashed out through the usual last-minute trailer bills, and the deal does not account for likely federal spending cuts.

Outside the budget, the next major deadline is July 18. Lawmakers must get their bills through non-fiscal policy committees by then. After that, they break for summer recess before running through the appropriations gauntlet one last time the week of Aug. 29.

Several new priority measures have bubbled to the top, including a bill that would expand punishments for soliciting minors and another that could threaten cities' ability to conduct basic roadwork. (To learn more about the biggest remaining bills for cities, sign up for Cal Cities' legislative briefing on July 29.)

Senate Democrats also unanimously chose Sen. Monique Limón as their new leader on Monday. The Central Coast Democrat - and CCLI alum - will replace Sen. Mike McGuire sometime next year. She will be the first woman of color to serve in the role.

All this comes in the midst of ramped-up federal immigration enforcement in Los Angeles and elsewhere that has drawn the attention not just state and local leaders but the nation.

-Brian Hendershot, Cal Cities Advocate managing editor

Key housing bills (good and bad) advance to the second house

AB 650 (Papan) passed out of the Assembly with unanimous bipartisan support, 79-0. Sponsored by Cal Cities, the bill would allow cities to begin the housing element review process six months earlier than existing law and provide further clarity in the housing element review process. The Department of Housing and Community Development would need to provide specific text and analysis in its feedback to help cities bring their housing elements in line with state law. Cities should submit a letter of support for the measure.

SB 79 (Wiener) scraped out of the Senate, 21-13, despite heavy pressure from local governments, unions, and affordable housing advocates. The measure would force cities to approve by-right tall, dense residential housing near specific transit stops without any public engagement, environmental review, or consideration for state-certified housing elements. The bill's author recently made changes to the bill that create a carve-out for some communities even though the transit stops are nearly identical in function.

The bill will likely be referred to the Assembly Local Government and Housing committees in the next few weeks. Cal Cities strongly encourages members to express opposition to the measure.

-Brady Guertin, legislative advocate

Recovery housing bill slated for committee hearing

The Senate Health Committee will hear the Cal Cities-sponsored AB 492 (Valencia) on Wednesday. The bill would require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to notify cities anytime it approves a new alcohol and drug treatment facility in their jurisdiction.

AB 492 is part of a four-bill package sponsored by Cal Cities that would implement recommendations from a recent state audit that found DHCS has failed to investigate complaints consistently and thoroughly, jeopardizing patient and community safety. The other three bills - SB 329 (Blakespear), AB 424 (Davies), and SB 35 (Umberg) - passed out of their respective houses and are awaiting a policy committee hearing.

- Caroline Grinder, legislative advocate

Short-term rental bill sails to second house

The Cal Cities sponsored SB 346 (Durazo) recently passed the Senate 38-0. The bill would require short-term rental platforms, at the request of a city, to provide the address of short-term rentals listed for rent on the platform and provide cities with audit authority over transient occupancy taxes collected by the platforms.

The bill now heads to the Assembly, where it will move quickly due to a truncated calendar. Cal Cities is urging lawmakers to ensure cities of all sizes have a baseline level of information to enforce the rules for short-term rentals that their residents asked them to put in place.

- Ben Triffo, legislative advocate

Cal Cities to send coalition letter on sea level rise planning bill

A bill sponsored by Cal Cities that would help coastal and bay cities develop sea level rise plans as required in SB 272 (Laird, 2023) will be heard in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee in the coming weeks.

AB 996 (Pellerin) would create a voluntary early consultation process between cities in the coastal zone and the Coastal Commission to help address any concerns prior to the certification of a local coastal program. The bill would also clarify that any existing sea level rise assessments or plans that a city has already completed may meet any or all the required components of the plan to avoid duplicative planning efforts.

Coastal and bay cities can join the city coalition support letter by contacting their regional public affairs manager.

- Melissa Sparks-Kranz, legislative advocate

AB 379 passes out of Senate Public Safety

The Senate Public Safety Committee approved AB 379 (Schultz) on June 10. The bill became the center of recent controversy when Assembly leaders removed a provision regarding increased punishment for those who solicit 16- and 17-year-olds for prostitution, regardless of human trafficking status. Current law reserves this increased punishment for minors aged 15 years old and younger and applies only to 16- and 17-year-olds who are victims of human trafficking.

The removal split the Assembly and led to a highly publicized debate on the Assembly floor. Ultimately, lawmakers reached a comprise that would apply this increased punishment to those who solicit 16- and 17-year-olds for prostitution regardless of trafficking status if the buyer is more than three years older than the victim.

The bill would also add the new offense of loitering in a public place with the intent to solicit prostitution, increase fines for businesses such as hotels that facilitate prostitution and human trafficking, create a new fund for victim support services, and task the Office of Emergency Services to allocate funds to district attorney offices to target human trafficking rings. Cities should submit a letter of support.

-Zack Cefalu, policy analyst

A quick reminder

Bill Talk is a weekly breakdown of the biggest bills, policy committee hearings, and legislative deadlines that city leaders need to know about. To get this list on Monday morning, contact your regional public affairs manager. To access old Bill Talks, visit the archive page. Cal Cities also maintains a live list of all sponsored/hot measures. Lists of all tracked bills are available on individual policy pages.

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