1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 1
City of Bakersfield: Positioned Bills as of May 18, 2026
Bill
Number
Summary Position Legislative Platform Status
AB 1265
(Haney)
Income taxes: credits: rehabilitation of
certified historic structures.
This bill would extend the tax credit for the
rehabilitation of certified historic structures
through 2031, increasing the credit from 25% to
30% for certain structures, including those
adapted for affordable housing. The bill also
requires improvements to preserve existing
affordable housing and mandates an annual
review of the credit’s effectiveness until 2031.
Support Support legislation that provides
incentives (tax benefits, grants, loans,
credits for affordable units) to local
agencies, private developers and non-
profit groups in order to rehabilitate
residential units and commercial
properties.
Senate
Revenue and
Taxation
AB 1383
(McKinnor)
Public employees’ retirement benefits:
safety members.
This bill would make several significant changes
to public employees’ retirement benefits and
lead to increased pension liability for public
agencies.
Watch Oppose measures that reduce local
control over employee relations issues
or mandate new or enhanced local
government employee benefits.
Senate Labor,
Public
Employment
and Retirement
AB 1439
(Garcia)
Public retirement systems: development
projects: labor standards.
This bill would require the California Public
Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)
Board of Administration and the Teachers’
Retirement Board of the State Teachers’
Watch Support legislation that provides
flexibility to cities to determine
retirement benefits for employees into
the future.
Senate Labor,
Public
Employment
and Retirement
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 2 Retirement System (CalSTRS), respectively, to
contract with the University of California (UC)
Labor Centers to conduct an independent study
to determine the impacts on public employee
retirement funds of prohibiting the boards from
investing in California development projects
that do not provide labor standards protections
for workers, among other provisions.
AB 1751
(Quirk
Silva)
Missing Middle Townhome Ownership
This bill establishes the Missing Middle
Townhome Ownership Act (Act), which creates
a streamlined, ministerial approval process for
townhome development on residentially zoned
lots. Advocates argue that this bill will address a
key component of the affordability gap by
addressing delays in the discretionary approval
processes which add costs and time to these
projects.
Watch Support legislation to increase
affordable housing investment.
Assembly Floor
AB 1815
(Wicks)
Factory-Built Housing: Building Standards
This bill prohibits cities and counties from
imposing building standards stricter than state
code on projects that use a minimum amount of
factory-built housing. It aims to streamline and
standardize development of factory-built
housing statewide by preempting local
regulations. The purpose of the bill is to reduce
construction costs and delays, standardize
rules across jurisdictions, and increasing the
housing supply.
Neutral Support legislation to increase
affordable housing investment.
Assembly Floor
AB 1821
(Pacheco)
California Public Records Act: agency
response time.
Support Support legislation that facilitates the
ability of local government to share
Assembly Floor
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 3 This bill would extend the deadlines for public
agencies to provide an initial response to a
public records request, by converting the
current “calendar day” deadlines to a “business
day” standard.
resources to increase efficiencies and
decrease costs
AB 1866
(Rogers)
California Disaster Assistance Act: minimum
damages thresholds.
This Act requires the Director of Emergency
Services to provide financial assistance to local
agencies for their personnel costs, equipment
costs, and the cost of supplies and materials
used during disaster response activities,
incurred as a result of a state of emergency
proclaimed by the Governor, subject to
specified criteria.
Support Support legislation that provides state
and federal emergency funding and
regulatory relief that allows cities to
devote the necessary resources and
meet the operational challenges of
protecting the public health, safety and
welfare in response to a declared State
of Emergency.
Held in
Assembly
Appropriations
AB 1903
(Wicks)
Construction Defects.
This bill overhauls construction defect laws for
condominiums and townhomes by establishing
an alternative “certified building” process and
limiting homeowners’ ability to bring claims,
recover damages, and challenge construction
effects. This bill will bring more certainty to
builders, tighten legal standards, restrict
lawsuits after a certain period, and expand
builders’ rights to repair and obtain releases. If
enacted, this bill will make it harder for
condo/townhome owners to bring claims, prove
defects, and recover full costs with a greater
risk of signing away their rights. For
builders/developers, it offers more
predictability, control, legal protections,
Support Bring light to numerous barriers to
housing production beyond the control
of local governments and have
significant impacts on what types of,
and how many, housing units are built.
Assembly Floor
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 4 reduces litigation exposure, and class/HOA
claims.
AB 2074
(Haney)
Regional Transit Hub Districts
This bill requires major transit cities to
designate high-density downtown transit hub
districts where qualifying housing
developments are allowed by right, subject to
specified labor and affordability standards, and
establishes a state revolving loan fund to
support their construction. According to the bill
language, the City of Bakersfield would not
qualify as a major transit city. However cities
can elect to be considered a major transit city
and be eligible for the state revolving loan fund.
Watch Support equitable long-range,
statewide infrastructure investment.
Support increased funding to enhance
existing public transportation
programs.
Assembly Floor
AB 2517
(Calderon)
Fire safety: fire hazard severity zones.
This bill would modify the FHSZ process
creating a timeline for release of maps and
providing for public input.
Support Support legislation that would
strengthen community and disaster
preparedness, public health, safety,
and resiliency.
Held in
Assembly
Appropriations
SB 892
(Grove)
Public postsecondary education: priority
registration: members and former members
of the Armed Forces of the United States and
State Guard.
California law gives current and former military
members priority registration at public colleges
for four academic years, usable within 15 years
of leaving active duty. This bill, effective July 1,
2027, would remove the four-year limit. If this
creates new costs for community college
Support Support legislation and State funding
that would support educational efforts
in the city of Bakersfield and improve
educational outcomes
Assembly Desk
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 5 districts, the state must reimburse them per
existing law.
SB 921
(Grove)
Employment: employer contributions:
employee withholdings: credit: agricultural
employees.
The proposed bill allows employers to claim a
credit equal to overtime wages paid to certain
agricultural workers, to be reported on the
employer’s contributions and quarterly returns.
Excess credits can be refunded, pending
legislative approval. Additionally, farm labor
contractors must be licensed and adhere to
specific employment laws.
Support Support legislation and governance
that provides or protections and
reasonable accommodations for the
agriculture and energy production
industries
Died in Senate
Labor, Public
Employment
and Retirement
SB 1018
(Grove)
Human trafficking: specialized license
plates.
This bill would require the Office of Emergency
Services (OES) to apply to the Department of
Motor Vehicles (DMV) to sponsor a Survivors of
Human Trafficking specialized license plate
program, as specified. The bill would also
require OES to administer a grant program for
the benefit of survivors of human trafficking,
and require OES and DMV to accept donations
for the program on their respective websites.
Support Support legislation that strengthens the
ability of the City to create safe
environments and well-being for all.
Held in Senate
Appropriations
SB 1075
(Reyes)
Air resources: toxic air contaminants: criteria
air pollutants: community emissions
reduction programs: local community
emissions reduction plans.
This bill would make changes to the Community
Air Protection Program including, but not limited
to, expanding the definition of “disadvantaged
community” to include unincorporated
communities, requiring that local community
Pending
Oppose
Oppose legislation or governance that
attempts to supersede adopted
planning documents or projects that
have already been approved through
appropriate processes.
Senate Floor
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 6 emissions reduction plans be submitted to the
California Air Resources Board (CARB) for
review and approval, and authorizing
enforcement of those plans.
SB 1159
(Cabaldon)
Artificial intelligence: transparency and
governance.
This bill would provide that for the purposes of
the California Public Records Act, the Bagley-
Keene Open Meeting Act, the Ralph M. Brown
Act, the California Environmental Quality Act,
the Administrative Procedure Act, and the
Political Reform Act of 1974, the terms
“person,” “interested person,” “participant,”
“member of the public,” as applicable, and any
other similar terms under each act referring to
those who may engage with governmental
agencies, do not include artificial intelligence
(AI) systems, autonomous agents, robots, or
other nonhuman entities, whether physical or
digital.
Support Support legislation that would increase
civic participation and engagement.
Assembly Desk
SB 1172
(Hurtado)
Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use
Tax Law: tax sharing agreements.
This bill would prohibit a person from paying
compensation to a consultant with respect to a
specific tax sharing agreement that exceeds the
lower of 5% of the total tax revenues shared
pursuant to the tax sharing agreement and
$250,000.
Pending
Support
Support efforts to restore local
authority and control over revenues,
governance, and service delivery as well
as protect local governments against
unfunded mandates.
Senate Floor
SB 1177
(Cortese)
High-Speed Rail Authority: project update
report.
This bill would require the California High-
Speed Rail Authority’s (Authority) biennial
project update report to include certain
Watch Advocate for dollars that mitigate the
cost to the City in supporting the High
Speed Rail viaduct and station.
Senate Floor
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 7 additional information about the budget,
schedule, and planning of the high-speed rail
project
SB 1217
(Grove)
Nonconsensual Intimate Image
Clearinghouse.
This bill would require the Department of Justice
(DOJ) to establish the Nonconsensual Intimate
Image Clearinghouse (NIIC) to allow individuals
who were exploited in California to submit a
request for removal of nonconsensual intimate
images from covered platforms.
Support Support legislation that strengthens the
ability of the City to create safe
environments and well-being for all.
Held in Senate
Appropriations
SB 1411
(Stern)
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: funding
conditions: high-speed rail.
This bill authorizes the HSRA to enter into new
funding agreements outside of the Merced to
Bakersfield segment.
Watch Advocate for dollars that mitigate the
cost to the City in supporting the High
Speed Rail viaduct and station.
Held in Senate
Appropriations
SB 1425
(Cortese)
HSRA: Right of Way: Encroachment Permits
Intent bill to enact legislation to provide the
authority the ability to issue encroachment
permits for third party access.
Watch Advocate for dollars that mitigate the
cost to the City in supporting the High
Speed Rail viaduct and station.
Oppose legislation that negatively
impacts the City Council’s authority to
manage and control the public right-of-
way and for the City to receive
compensation for its use.
Senate Floor