1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 1 Date: May 15, 2026
To: Christian Clegg, City Manager
City of Bakersfield
From: Sharon Gonsalves
Managing Director
California Public Policy Group
Re: CPPG Summary of Assembly and Senate Suspense File Results: May 2026
OVERVIEW
On May 14, the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees met to announce the disposition of bills placed on the “Suspense File ” in their house of origin. Below is a brief overview of the Suspense File process used by the Legislature’s Appropriations Committees, followed by a list of key measures of interest and whether they were advanced out of committee or held.
BACKGROUND
The Suspense File is a long -standing legislative process used by the California State Legislature to evaluate the fiscal impact of proposed legislation in light of the state’s updated budget outlook.
Under the Joint Rules of the Assembly and Senate, bills are referred to the Appropriations Committee if they appropriate money, result in a substantial expenditure or loss of state revenue, or significantly reduce state expenditures by transferring or eliminating government responsibilities or programs. In the Assembly, bills with an estimated state fiscal impact of at least $150,000 are automatically referred to Appropriations, while in the Senate the threshold is $50,000 in General Fund costs or $150,000 in special fund costs. All bills identified as “fiscal” must be heard in Appropriations, though some non-fiscal bills may also be referred. In some cases, bills are amended in committee to reduce their fiscal impact.
Once referred to the Appropriations Committee, a bill may be placed “on suspense,” a procedural tool used to manage the large volume of fiscal legislation considered by the committee. The Suspense File also functions as a mechanism for the Legislature to q uietly halt bills that may be controversial or politically sensitive, as measures held “under submission” do not advance, no public vote is taken, and no explanation is provided for why the bill was held. Most fiscal bills are placed on the Suspense File, although some may proceed on consent or be voted on during a regular hearing. In addition, Appropriations Committee chairs have discretion to place bills on suspense regardless of fiscal thresholds.
The process begins when bills are heard during a regular Appropriations Committee hearing and, by majority vote, placed on suspense. After all eligible bills have been added, the committee reviews them in a closed-door hearing. A few days later, the committee holds a public Suspense File hearing to announce which bills have advanced and which have been held. No testimony from bill authors or witnesses is taken during these hearings.
The timing of Suspense File hearings generally aligns with key state budget milestones, allowing lawmakers to consider legislation after gaining a clearer picture of available revenues. In the first
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 2 house, Suspense File hearings typically occur around the release of the Governor’s May Revision, while hearings in the second house generally follow adoption of the final state budget.
RESULTS
During hearings that lasted several hours and moved at a rapid pace, the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees convened to determine the fate of 962 measures on the Suspense File.
CPPG staff closely monitored the proceedings and tracked hundreds of bills of interest. We have included links to the most current bill language for all measures referenced below. If you have any questions regarding the status or language of any of the bills listed below, or other measures we are tracking on your behalf that may not appear on this list, please let us know.
In total, 792 measures advanced off the Suspense File and onto the Floors of their respective houses.
These bills must now meet the next legislative deadline of May 29 to pass out of their house of origin.
Assembly Appropriations Committee
Of the 635 measures on the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s Suspense File, 465 passed out of the Committee as is or with amendments.
Senate Appropriations Committee
Of the 327 measures on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Suspense File, 242 passed out of the Committee as is or with amendments.
ITEMS OF INTEREST ON THE SUSPENSE FILE
• AB 1866 (Rogers) California Disaster Assistance Act: minimum damages thresholds. o Position: Support
o Held in committee.
• AB 2170 (Boerner) California Environmental Quality Act: overburdened communities:
notices and hearings: translations.
o Position: Watch
o Held in committee
• AB 2517 (Calderon) Fire safety: fire hazard severity zones. o Position: Support
o Held in committee
• AB 2569 (Hart) California Environmental Quality Act: natural hazards and adverse environmental conditions.
o Position: Watch
o Held in committee
• SB 1018 (Grove) Human trafficking: specialized license plates. o Position: Support
o Held in committee
• SB 1217 (Grove) Nonconsensual Intimate Image Clearinghouse. o Position: Support
o Held in committee
• SB 1411 (Stern) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: funding conditions: high-speed rail. o Position: Watch
o Held in committee
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 3 • SB 1425 (Cortese) High-Speed Rail Authority: property: right-of-way. o Position: Watch
o Passed out of committee
o Amended to specify the types of work that require an encroachment permit and make clarifying changes
• SB 877 (Pérez) Residential property insurance: loss estimate transparency. o Passed out of committee
• SB 894 (Allen) Wildfire resiliency: financial assistance. o Passed out of committee
o Amended to make contingent upon appropriation or the availability of federal or private funds
• SB 951 (Reyes) Employment: technological displacement: notice. o Passed out of committee
o Amended to align timelines to existing California Warn Act and exclude certain alias • SB 1001 (Archuleta) Local agency, public utility, or mutual water company: personnel access: Personal Identity Verification-Interoperable.
o Held in committee
• SB 866 (Blakespear) Planning and zoning: housing element: unhoused population. o Passed out of committee
• SB 936 (Blakespear) Nitrous oxide: sales.
o Passed out of committee
• SB 1167 (Blakespear) Vehicles: electric bicycles.
o Passed out of committee
o Amended to make technical and clarifying changes and add coauthors • SB 1164 (Cervantes) Elections.
o Passed out of committee
o Amended to make technical and clarifying changes
• SB 1360 (Cervantes) Elections: translation of election materials. o Passed out of committee
• SB 1319 (Durazo) California Public Records Act: public investment funds. o Held in committee
• SB 1268 (Gonzalez) Outdoor public recreation spaces: equitable access. o Passed out of committee
• SB 1349 (Gonzalez) Taxation: tax expenditures: Legislative Analyst’s Office: assessment, report, and recommendation.
o Passed out of committee
• SB 1220 (Hurtado) Firearms: prohibited persons.
o Passed out of committee
• SB 947 (McNerney) Employment: automated decision systems. o Passed out of committee
o Amended per author to narrow the scope of predictive behavior analysis, modify the enforcement language, and make technical and clarifying changes • SB 1313 (McNerney) Drinking water: perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. o Held in committee
• SB 1350 (McNerney) Energy: renewable electrical generation facilities: definition. o Passed out of committee
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 4 o Amended to add guardrails that protect the RPS program and state renewable resources, emission reductions and California’s clean energy goals • SB 1125 (Menjivar) Water Rate Assistance Program.
o Passed out of committee
o Amended to remove the pilot program, add a 180-day notice requirement, and make clarifying changes
• SB 1198 (Menjivar) Vehicles: reckless driving: impoundment. o Passed out of committee
o Amended to delay implementation
• SB 996 (Padilla) Manufactured housing: classification as real property. o Passed out of committee
o Amended to add coauthors
• SB 1138 (Padilla) Load-serving entities: resource adequacy requirements. o Passed out of committee
• SB 1075 (Reyes) Air resources: toxic air contaminants: criteria air pollutants: community emissions reduction programs: local community emissions reduction plans. o Passed out of committee
o Amended to require CARB oversight in lieu of audit authority • SB 1327 (Reyes) Weights and measures: electric vehicle supply equipment: state authority. o Held in committee
• SB 1359 (Stern) Gas Transition Responsibility and Electrification Act. o Passed out of committee
o Amended to better align with the existing CPUC proceeding • SB 1004 (Wiener) Law enforcement: masks.
o Passed out of committee
o Amended to remove urgency clause and correct conflicting language between state and federal agents
• AB 736 (Wicks) The Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026. o Passed out of committee
• AB 1564 (Ahrens) Employer-employee relations: confidential communications. o Passed out of committee
o Amended to remove intent language
• AB 1942 (Bauer-Kahan) Electric bicycles: registration and special license plates. o Held in committee
• AB 2007 (Bauer-Kahan) Youth programs: identifying information of youth. o Passed out of committee
• AB 1934 (Bennett) State Fire Marshal: home hardening certification program implementation plan.
o Passed out of committee
• AB 1667 (Boerner) Serious felonies: furnishing fentanyl to a minor. o Passed out of committee
o Amended to add a knowledge requirement
• AB 1883 (Bryan) Workplace surveillance tools.
o Held in committee
o Amended to revise the facial recognition prohibition and make other changes. • SB 417 (Cabaldon) The Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026.
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 5 o Passed out of committee
• AB 1680 (Calderon) California FAIR Plan Association.
o Passed out of committee
• AB 1777 (Garcia) Air pollution: indirect sources.
o Passed out of committee
• AB 1941 (González, Mark) Organized metal theft.
o Passed out of committee
• AB 2094 (Harabedian) Social Housing Strategy and Implementation Program. o Held in committee
• AB 1578 (Jackson) State and local officials: sexual harassment training and education: anti- hate speech training.
o Passed out of committee
• AB 2218 (Kalra) Water policy: California Native American tribes. o Passed out of committee
• AB 1557 (Papan) Vehicles: electric bicycles.
o Held in committee.
• AB 2111 (Papan) Electricity: transmission planning and transmission facilities. o Passed out of committee.
• AB 2296 (Papan) Planning and zoning: housing element: regional housing needs allocation. o Passed out of committee.
o Amend to delete the department analysis.
• AB 2385 (Petrie-Norris) Local reconstruction agencies. o Passed out of committee.
• AB 2493 (Petrie-Norris) Electrical corporations: interconnection: transmission: permitting:
auditor.
o Passed out of committee.
• AB 2656 (Petrie-Norris) Public employees: notice: artificial intelligence performing service within scope of work.
o Passed out of committee.
• AB 1881 (Ramos) California Indian Freedom Act of 2026. o Amended to clarify definitions.
• AB 1605 (Ransom) Driving under the influence: alcohol sales. o Held in committee.
• AB 1761 (Rogers) Electricity: calculation methodology: data disclosure. o Passed out of committee.
• AB 2578 (Rogers) Outdoor recreation: outdoor economy: strategic initiatives: support organizations.
o Held in committee.
• AB 2545 (Schiavo) Report: labor force impact: artificial intelligence. o Passed out of committee.
• AB 1898 (Schultz) Workplace artificial intelligence tools. o Held in committee
• AB 1708 (Solache) Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program: round 8:
smaller jurisdictions.
o Held in committee
• AB 1954 (Ward) Municipal golf courses: reservations.
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 6 o Passed out of committee.
• AB 2027 (Ward) Worker data: prohibitions: artificial intelligence. o Held in committee.
• AB 1903 (Wicks) Construction defects.
o Passed out of committee.
o Amended with clarifying changes.
• AB 1859 (Ortega) Public works.
o Passed out of committee
o Amended to further specify access rules and make related changes • AB 2739 (Soria) Water: affordability and system stabilization. o Passed out of committee