100+ Ways Assembly Democrats are Improving Affordability and Everyday Quality of Life in California

For immediate release:

• Nick Miller
• Communications Director
• 916-319-2029
• [email protected]

SACRAMENTO - Each year, lawmakers from every state across the country vote on thousands upon thousands of bills. But here in California, Assembly Democrats are doing something different:

Listening - then taking action, delivering real solutions that directly respond to Californians' needs, improving affordability and the day-to-day quality of life for all residents.

Last week alone, Assembly Democrats advanced more than 100 bills during the "House of Origin" deadline that will positively impact California workers, families, students and business owners:

• Return savings to taxpayers and safeguard benefits that save money
• Build homes faster to bring down housing costs
• Protect health care access so people can afford to see a doctor
• Strengthen schools and invest in students and classrooms
• Defend our environment and clean energy future
• Keep kids safe and hold social media companies accountable
• Protect communities of color and immigrants from indiscriminate ICE raids
• Demand transparency and accountability in government
• Make sure every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas praised his Democratic colleagues for answering the call and doing everything in their power to make a difference: "From day one, my top priority has been making California more affordable - even as Washington does its best to make life harder. This year, Assembly Democrats are delivering - passing real solutions to lower costs, build homes, protect health care, and put more money back in people's pockets. We're not just talking about affordability. We're doing something about it."

Assembly Democrats voted, Assembly Democrats delivered - legislative solutions that will stabilize costs and alter the trajectory on affordability.

These bills also improve consumer protections, and sustain and expand access to essential services that workers and families rely on: accountability for large corporations, protection from predatory lenders and financial scams, and push back against Trump's dangerous cuts to benefits and programs.

Passing utility bill savings on to ratepayers: AB 2589 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin makes sure that, when there are savings for investor-owned utilities due to Trump's massive corporate tax cuts, those dollars must be passed along to ratepayers.

Protecting food assistance for families: AB 2299 by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon keeps Californians who rely on the CalFresh food aid program connected to their benefits, even when there are changes through new federal requirements, which means they will have more money to pay for groceries.

Cracking down on huge monopolies: AB 1776 by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry strengthens California's consumer protection laws to make sure there is competition between businesses - protecting small businesses and keeping costs down for everyday Californians.

The Assembly also voted to pass the following bills that will improve affordability:

• AB 1842 (Harabedian) - Protects disaster survivors from losing their homes by requiring mortgage forbearance when a declared emergency makes their home uninhabitable.
• AB 1857 (Aguiar-Curry) - Improves food access by stopping large grocery chains from using restrictive covenants to block new grocery stores from opening on abandoned sites.
• AB 2116 (Schiavo) - Defends small businesses against predatory lending practices and strengthens financial protections for entrepreneurs.
• AB 2350 (McKinnor) - Safeguards renters from predatory "Rent Now, Pay Later" loans that can trap tenants in debt just to keep a roof over their heads.
• AB 2383 (Zbur) - Protects Californians from being stuck with higher electricity costs driven by large energy users like data centers.
• AB 2422 (Caloza) - Guards students from penalties when their financial aid is delayed through no fault of their own.
• AB 2463 (Petrie-Norris) - Brings more transparency to utility profit decisions so ratepayers can better see how electricity and gas rates are set.
• AB 2493 (Petrie-Norris) - Speeds up the process to connect new clean energy projects to the grid, helping California bring more affordable power online faster.
• AB 2510 (Arambula) - Helps families stay financially stable by removing unnecessary barriers to CalWORKs dollars when children are temporarily placed in foster care.
• AB 2516 (Petrie-Norris): Aids in modernizing California's aging electric grid in a more affordable and efficient way.
• AB 2567 (C. Rodriguez) - Connects families in crisis to emergency CalWORKs and housing assistance faster by removing delays tied to other benefit applications.
• AB 2646 (Krell) - Raises wages for farmworkers by setting a $19.75 minimum hourly wage for certain agricultural workers, with annual cost-of-living increases.
• AB 2674 (Schiavo) - Shields Californians against financial scams by requiring banks and credit unions to train workers and warn customers about suspicious transactions.
• AB 2739 (Soria) - Makes water more affordable by creating a long-term fund to support water rate assistance and local water infrastructure investments.
• AB 2765 (Ahrens) - Helps protect children, families and foster youth from hunger by expanding CalWORKs support and seeking federal protection from SNAP cuts.
• AB 2768 (Ahrens) - Lowers costs for foster youth to attend California colleges and universities.

Assembly Democrats continue to make progress to address California's housing crisis, advancing legislation to accelerate housing production, cut red tape, expand access to affordable housing, support first-time and middle-class homebuyers, and help more Californians find safe and stable places to live.

Making homeownership more accessible: AB 1751 by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva makes building townhomes easier and faster to offer more affordable housing options to middle-class Californians.

More clarity for builders who develop new housing: AB 1815 by Assemblymember Buff Wicks speeds up housing production with clearer standards for builders.

The following bills also make housing more accessible and affordable:

• AB 1406 (Ward) - Gives more Californians access affordable homeownership by updating deposit rules for new housing developments.
• AB 1786 (Harabedian) - Supports local governments with housing, infrastructure and other public projects faster by expanding best-value contracting options.
• AB 1899 (Caloza) - Prevents youth homelessness by creating a statewide office focused on reducing youth and young adult homelessness.
• AB 1903 (Wicks) - Lowers housing costs by allowing builders to fix problems in newly built homes before costly litigation begins.
• AB 1924 (Gabriel) - Creates a statewide strategy to coordinate resources, scale what works and keep vulnerable Californians housed in order to prevent homelessness.
• AB 1934 (Bennett) - Maintains safety and stability for homeowners by creating a voluntary home-hardening certification plan for fire-safe upgrades and defensible space.
• AB 2074 (Haney) - Speeds-up housing construction near major transit hubs and creates a revolving loan fund to help lower building costs.
• AB 2176 (Fong) - Addresses student housing needs by creating an intersegmental working group focused on housing for community college and CSU students.
• AB 2518 (Sharp-Collins) - Connects affordable housing, health facilities and other community projects to power faster by setting clear utility energization timelines.

Since the first day of Rivas' time as Speaker, Assembly Democrats have leveled-up oversight: passing legislation to strengthen government accountability and protect taxpayer dollars. This includes oversight of major state programs and infrastructure projects - cracking down on corruption and abuse, increasing transparency and holding corporations and public officials accountable.

Improving California's 911 system: AB 1805 by Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom improves the state's emergency response services so they are reliable, transparent and meet community needs.

Prohibiting elected officials from profiting off of their positions: AB 2409 by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia prevents public officials from using their image to make money from cryptocurrency.

Bills advanced this year include:

• AB 1608 (Wilson) - Strengthens transparency of high-speed rail by requiring the Inspector General to release records of investigations of project spending and performance.
• AB 1633 (Haney) - Taxes private immigration detention centers and directs the revenue to immigration-related services.
• AB 1675 (Lee) - Withholds state tax breaks from corporations that contract with Trump's Department of Homeland Security and its immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE.
• AB 1729 (Lee) - Promotes transparency and taxpayer savings by requiring clearer state telework policies and tracking the cost-effectiveness of remote work.
• AB 2103 (Irwin) - Strengthens oversight of California's Office of Data by improving accountability of government technology and innovation projects.
• AB 2266 (Schultz) - Helps keep electricity planning accountable by streamlining how California evaluates power needs and clean energy procurement.
• AB 2465 (Ortega) - Cuts off state grants, loans and tax credits for businesses that profit from private detention facilities or immigration enforcement contracts.

The Assembly passed nearly two dozen bills that enhance public safety and oversight of ICE, and make sure immigrant families and communities of color are safe at our schools, businesses, hospitals and child care centers.

California is leading the nation in holding Trump accountable for his failed immigration policies: empowering state law enforcement to investigate federal agent killings, imposing new levies on detention centers, requiring disclosures when ICE is present in our communities and preventing locals from assisting heartless immigration raids.

Preventing ICE from holding positions of authority in California: AB 1896 by Assemblymember Mark González disqualifies ICE agents from holding a position in state, county, or local public agency, including as a peace officer, in California.

Keeping ICE away from vote centers and daycares: AB 2230 by Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila-Farías protects voters and children by restricting federal law enforcement presence near polling places and childcare areas.

Stopping taxpayer dollars from reaching detention centers: AB 2465 by Assemblymember Liz Ortega cuts off state grants, loans and tax credits for businesses that profit from private detention facilities or immigration enforcement contracts.

• AB 1537 (Bryan) - Stops California peace officers from moonlighting as ICE agents by prohibiting secondary employment involving federal immigration enforcement.
• AB 1627 (Ávila-Farías) - Stops ICE officers with serious misconduct histories from becoming California peace officers.
• AB 1633 (Haney) - Imposes a 50 percent tax on private immigration detention centers and directs the revenue to immigration-related services.
• AB 1650 (Caloza) - Requires rented vehicles used in law enforcement operations to clearly identify the agency using them, bringing transparency to unmarked ICE-style enforcement tactics.
• AB 1655 (Bryan) - Protects families from losing CalWORKs aid when a child or household member is unlawfully detained by ICE.
• AB 1675 (Lee) - Withholds state tax breaks from corporations that contract with DHS and its immigration enforcement agencies, ensuring taxpayer dollars are not enriching firms that aid and abet ICE's campaign of terror.
• AB 1806 (Gabriel) - Requires an independent state investigation into fatal federal immigration officer-involved shootings.
• AB 1807 (Gabriel) - Keeps ICE operations off state-owned property by prohibiting state facilities from being used for immigration enforcement staging, processing, detention or operations.
• AB 1851 (Gipson) - Expands culturally responsive, trauma-informed mental health and restorative practices in K-12 schools to better support students affected by immigration enforcement, family instability or community trauma.
• AB 1929 (Ortega) - Requires health plans and insurers to disclose whether health care dollars are invested in private prisons, immigration detention centers or other harmful industries.
• AB 1994 (Alvarez) - Requires law enforcement and prosecutors to provide an Immigrant Victims Rights and Resources card, including information on U visas, T visas and VAWA relief.
• AB 2318 (Elhawary) - Prohibits law enforcement from denying or delaying emergency medical care for people under their control when treatment can be safely provided.
• AB 2379 (Solache) - Gives family daycare providers clear, multilingual training on their rights during ICE or other law enforcement encounters.
• AB 2393 (Addis) - Cracks down on ICE impersonators and false arrests by allowing victims to seek damages when false imprisonment involves masks, restraints, weapons or forced transport.
• AB 2460 (C Rodriguez) - Requires schools to update behavioral health referral protocols to support students and families harmed by immigration raids or deportations.
• AB 2495 (Kalra) - Expands the scope of prohibited unfair immigration-related practices that unscrupulous employers use to intimidate and dissuade workers from asserting their workplace rights.
• AB 2624 (Bonta) - Extends California's existing Safe at Home address confidentiality program to immigration support service providers, employees, and volunteers who face documented threats, harassment, or violence.
• AB 2662 (Carrillo) - Creates a statewide working group and public dashboard to track civil rights violations tied to federal immigration enforcement.
• AB 2721 (Carrillo) - Requires hotels to notify workers and guests when ICE or Border Patrol has a reservation on site.

Protecting children and teenagers, supporting survivors, preventing sexual violence and exploitation, responding to emerging threats - Assembly Democrats continue to keep Californians safe.

Preventing convicted abusers from being released early: AB 2727 by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen raises the parole standards for people convicted of serious sex crimes against children and strengthens review before release.

Protecting communities from gun violence: AB 2047 by Rebecca Bauer-Kahan helps stop the spread of 3D-printed ghost guns by requiring 3D printers sold in California to block attempts to print firearms and illegal gun parts.

• AB 1546 (Schultz) - Ensures accountability for repeat DUI offenders by increasing criminal penalties beginning with the third offense.
• AB 1705 (Bauer-Kahan) - Creates accountability for websites that fail to prevent the posting of revenge porn, deepfake porn and other non-consensual sexual imagery.
• AB 1709 (Lowenthal) - Protects kids from addictive social media features by prohibiting covered platforms from allowing users under 16 to create or maintain accounts.
• AB 1741 (Pacheco) - Increases criminal penalties for committing sexual battery after breaking into a home.
• AB 1830 (Petrie-Norris) - Requires ignition interlock devices for people convicted of drunk driving, helping prevent repeat DUI offenses and keeping dangerous drivers off the road.
• AB 1856 (Wicks) - Strengthens California's online age-safety law so websites, browsers and apps can better protect children's privacy and safety.
• AB 1877 (Stefani) - Increases criminal penalties for violating domestic violence protective orders.
• AB 1946 (Wicks) - Holds social media platforms accountable for responding to child sexual abuse material and strengthens protections for children online.
• AB 1988 (Pellerin) - Requires chatbot operators to suspend accounts of users repeatedly threatening self-harm.
• AB 2043 (Calderon) - Strengthens public safety by creating a task force to protect mass gatherings, critical infrastructure and other soft targets from drone-related threats.
• AB 2274 (Bains) - Prohibits plea agreements granting immunity to unnamed co-conspirators in the sexual exploitation of minors.
• AB 2318 (Elhawary) - Prohibits law enforcement from denying or delaying emergency medical care when treatment can be safely provided.
• AB 2534 (Kalra) - Helps survivors of forced marriage seek domestic violence restraining orders and protection from coercion, abuse and intimidation.

No matter what's happening in Washington, Assembly Democrats believe everyone should be able to afford to see a doctor. That's why California is prioritizing health care access: It's a matter of affordability, as well.

Keeping Californians connected to care: AB 2201 by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner helps eligible Californians maintain Medi-Cal coverage by simplifying the income and asset process for Medi-Cal renewals.

Making it easier to access healthy foods: AB 2244 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel creates a "Not Ultraprocessed" food label to help families identify healthy options at the grocery store.

Ensuring veterans have critical health care access: AB 2531 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin helps veterans access abortion and contraception care.

• AB 1547 (Bains) - Helps address the San Joaquin Valley's physician shortage by studying the creation of a UC medical school in Kern County.
• AB 1591 (M. Rodriguez) - Builds California's health care workforce by creating a pipeline program for students pursuing careers in podiatric medicine.
• AB 1923 (Soria) - Expands the Distressed Hospital Loan Program to prevent hospital closures threatened by Trump's Big Ugly Bill cuts.
• AB 1970 (Harabedian) - Expands access to behavioral health treatment by stopping health plans from forcing patients to fail on other medications before covering needed care for serious mental illness or substance use disorder.
• AB 2081 (Stefani) - Expands access to home-based care for Californians with the most significant medical needs.
• AB 2208 (Stefani) - Protects Medi-Cal patients from Trump's federal health care cuts by preserving retroactive coverage and limiting out-of-pocket costs.

As Trump and Congressional Republicans escalate their attacks on diversity, civil rights and the social safety net, California continues to lead by protecting opportunity, representation, and equal treatment for all.

• AB 1540 (M. Gonzalez) - Restores a dedicated 988 crisis hotline option so LGBTQ+ youth and people in crisis can reach trained, affirming support.
• AB 1578 (Jackson) - Mandates a training on hate speech for local and state elected officials in order to strengthen how the state confronts hate crimes and bias incidents.
• AB 1803 (Lowenthal) - Adds anti-hate speech training to existing workplace harassment training to help workers recognize, report and confront hate at work.
• AB 1881 (Ramos) - Ensures Native American tribes can practice their religion on state lands with ancestral significance.
• AB 2299 (Calderon) - Protects Californians from losing food assistance because of Trump's federal cuts and new restrictions to CalFresh eligibility.
• AB 2374 (Fong) - Creates a state designation for colleges and universities that support Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander student success.
• AB 2531 (Irwin) - Helps veterans access abortion and contraception care after the Trump Administration cut off VA coverage for these essential health services.

California continues to confront the impact of climate change, pollution and extreme weather, and Assembly Democrats are leading on policies to strengthen environmental safeguards and build a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Phasing out toxic chemicals in California's food: AB 1603 by Assemblymember Nick Schultz gradually eliminates harmful pesticides that impact our food, water, soil and health.

Making it easier and more cost effective to switch to clean energy: AB 2313 by Assemblymember Marc Berman helps homeowners make the switch from gas to clean electric energy when gas service lines need replacement.

Holding data centers accountable: AB 2619 by Assemblymember Diane Papan requires data centers to disclose water use and helps local communities plan for the strain large facilities can place on water supplies.

• AB 1802 (Stefani) - Protects conservation lands by helping qualified nonprofits and special districts manage long-term stewardship funds.
• AB 2026 (Aguiar-Curry) - Helps California capture more stormwater and recharge groundwater by streamlining permits for floodwater diversion projects.
• AB 2157 (Connolly) - Supports workers as California transitions away from fossil fuels by making permanent a program that helps displaced oil and gas workers train for good-paying jobs in growing industries.
• AB 2253 (Boerner) - Protects consumers from deceptive recycled-content claims by requiring products marketed as recycled to contain actual physical recycled material.
• AB 2461 (Hart) - Protects taxpayers from being stuck with oil well cleanup costs by strengthening bonding requirements when companies take control of wells or production facilities.
• AB 2494 (Rogers) - Updates California's management of Demonstration State Forests to prioritize biodiversity, wildfire resilience, climate goals, public access and tribal co-management.

Making sure schools, teachers and students have the tools and resources they need to succeed remains a top priority for Assembly Democrats.

Ensuring student success in school: AB 2225 by Assemblymember Darshana Patel creates a statewide plan to close student achievement gaps, with clear goals, benchmarks and accountability for how the state supports local schools.

Empowering student leaders: ACA 18 by Assemblymember Jessica Caloza gives UC students a stronger voice in decisions affecting their education by adding a second voting student regent to the UC Board of Regents.

• AB 1581 (Ramos) - Ensures Native American students are seen, counted and supported by improving how California tracks tribal affiliation in student data.
• AB 1904 (Gipson) - Builds California's teacher workforce by creating a high-quality teacher credentialing apprenticeship program.
• AB 2149 (Garcia) - Strengthens accountability for closing student achievement gaps by requiring annual LAO reports on whether state funding, mandates and programs are actually helping schools improve outcomes.
• AB 2241 (Boerner) - Helps children of all abilities play and learn together by supporting more inclusive playgrounds at California schools.
• AB 2325 (Alvarez) - Builds California's bilingual teacher pipeline by supporting partnerships between schools, community colleges and universities.
• AB 2429 (Rubio) - Helps early childhood educators better support children's social-emotional development by reducing red tape in early childhood mental health consultation services.
• AB 2526 (Muratsuchi) - Helps schools better serve students with significant disabilities by moving special education funding closer to student need.
• AB 2555 (Patel) - Supports English learner success by creating a clearer, more consistent reclassification process, strengthening parent engagement and helping students move toward biliteracy when they demonstrate English proficiency.
• AB 2580 (Muratsuchi) - Expands teacher preparation pathways, including new online options to help rural and underserved communities train and retain more educators.

Assembly Democrats are making sure the state adapts to the ever-changing digital landscape and always protects Californians - especially our children - from the potential harms of these new technologies.

Safeguarding children from the harms of social media: AB 1709 by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal prohibits children under 16 from using social media accounts on platforms with addictive features.

Improving online age safety for children: AB 1856 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks strengthens the state's age-safety law so kids have more privacy online.

• AB 1705 (Bauer-Kahan) - Creates accountability for websites that fail to prevent the posting of revenge porn, deepfake porn and other non-consensual sexual imagery.
• AB 1883 (Bryan) - Protects workers from invasive AI-powered workplace surveillance by limiting employers' use of tools that track, profile or make sensitive inferences about employees.
• AB 1946 (Wicks) - Holds social media platforms accountable for responding to child sexual abuse material and strengthens protections for children online.
• AB 1979 (Bonta) - Keeps humans in charge of health care decisions by requiring licensed professionals to exercise independent judgment when AI tools are used in patient care.
• AB 1988 (Pellerin) - Requires chatbot operators to suspend accounts of users repeatedly threatening self-harm.
• AB 2545 (Schiavo) - Helps California prepare for AI-driven job disruption by studying how advanced artificial intelligence is affecting workers and the state's labor force.
• AB 2575 (Ortega) - Protects health care workers' professional judgment by ensuring clinicians can override AI-driven care recommendations without retaliation.

• AB 2656 (Petrie-Norris) - Gives public workers a voice in how generative AI is used on the job by requiring advance notice before public employers deploy AI tools that perform represented work.