1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 1
City of Bakersfield: Positioned Bills as of July 17, 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
Appropriations
(testified in
Senate
Revenue and
Taxation
committee)
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
Appropriations
AB 1436
(Avila Farias)
State Air Resources Board: air pollution
regulations: private fleets: exception
This bill would prohibit the state board from
enforcing any regulation that directly or
indirectly compels compliance by private
fleets, as provided, until the state has
Support Support legislation and budget actions
that support local agencies that fund
the implementation of Advance Clean
Fleet Regulations.
Died in
committee
(testified in
Senate
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 2 obtained a required waiver or authorization
under the federal Clean Air Act. This bill
contains other existing laws.
Environmental
Quality)
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’
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.
Watch Support legislation that provides
flexibility to cities to determine
retirement benefits for employees into
the future.
Senate
Appropriations
AB 1599
(Ahrens)
Public transit: California Transit Stop
Registry: transit datasets
This bill would require the department to
create, on or before June 1, 2027, the
California Transit Stop Registry as a
centralized, statewide dataset of
standardized information regarding transit
stops that includes, but is not limited to, each
transit stop’s name, location, available
amenities, and unique identifier, as specified.
Watch Support efforts that impact the City’s
ability to enhance the well-being,
quality of life, health, and safety of
residents; and stabilize and enhance
jobs and economic growth.
Support increased funding to enhance
existing public transportation
programs.
Senate
Appropriations
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
Watch Support legislation to increase
affordable housing investment.
Senate
Appropriations
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 3 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.
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.
Senate
Appropriations
AB 1821
(Pacheco)
California Public Records Act: agency
response time.
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.
Support
Support legislation that facilitates the
ability of local government to share
resources to increase efficiencies and
decrease costs
Senate
Appropriations
(testified in
Senate
Judiciary
Committee)
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
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
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 4 emergency proclaimed by the Governor,
subject to specified criteria.
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,
reduces litigation exposure, and class/HOA
claims.
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.
Senate
Appropriations
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
Support Support equitable long-range,
statewide infrastructure investment.
Support increased funding to enhance
existing public transportation
programs.
Senate
Appropriations
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 5 and be eligible for the state revolving loan
fund.
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 28
(Umberg)
Care Court Program.
Makes several changes to the implementation
of the CARE Act, including to eligibility criteria,
referrals to involuntary treatment under the
Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act, and
considerations of alternative treatment
programs during the petition review process.
Extends period for an affidavit to be examine
the respondent from 60 days to 270 days.
Support Support legislation and budget
proposals that expand behavioral
health treatment.
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 districts, the state
must reimburse them per existing law.
Support Support legislation and State funding
that would support educational efforts
in the city of Bakersfield and improve
educational outcomes
Assembly
Appropriations
(testified in
Assembly
Military and
Veterans
affairs
committee)
SB 921
(Grove)
Employment: employer contributions:
employee withholdings: credit: agricultural
employees.
Support Support legislation and governance
that provides or protections and
reasonable accommodations for the
Died in Senate
Labor, Public
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 6 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.
agriculture and energy production
industries
Employment
and Retirement
SB 989
(Blakespear)
Care Court Program
Authorizes a first responder to request that a
county behavioral health agency file a petition
to commence the CARE process for an
individual they believe meets or is like to meet
the CARE criteria.
Support Support legislation and budget
proposals that expand behavioral
health treatment.
Assembly
Appropriations
SB 1013
(Cervantes)
Automated license plate recognition
systems
This bill would provide that “public agency”
does not include a transportation agency, a
public transit operator, or a local department
of transportation or public works department,
as specified. The bill would, beginning January
1, 2027, require new, updated, expansions of,
or addendums of contractual agreements
with ALPR vendors, manufacturers, or
suppliers to mandate that no default access
is provided to any national ALPR database and
that an agency’s collected scans are by
default not accessible to any other agency,
and would impose new requirements on
sharing between California state law
enforcement agencies.
Watch Oppose legislation that erodes local
control related to law enforcement.
Assembly
Appropriations
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 7 SB 1016
(Blakespear)
Care Court Program and Court Ordered
Evaluations
This bill more clearly connects the LPS court-
ordered mental health evaluations to the
CARE court process, by explicitly allowing
petitioners to request that a court order a
mental health evaluation when they file their
petition for a person to enter CARE court
Support Support legislation and budget
proposals that expand behavioral
health treatment.
Assembly
Appropriations
(testified in
Assembly
Health
committee)
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 emissions reduction plans
be submitted to the California Air Resources
Oppose Oppose legislation or governance that
attempts to supersede adopted
planning documents or projects that
have already been approved through
appropriate processes.
Assembly
Appropriations
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 8 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 Floor
(Testified in
Assembly
Privacy and
Consumer
Protection)
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.
Support Support efforts to restore local
authority and control over revenues,
governance, and service delivery as well
as protect local governments against
unfunded mandates.
Assembly Floor
(testified in
Assembly
Revenue and
Taxation
committee)
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
Support Support legislation that strengthens the
ability of the City to create safe
environments and well-being for all.
Held in Senate
Appropriations
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 9 submit a request for removal of
nonconsensual intimate images from covered
platforms.
SB 1359
(Stern)
Natural Gas Ratepayer Protection Act
This bill would require each gas corporation to
submit an annual report to the commission
that describes its expenditures associated
with gas distribution infrastructure
replacement and upgrade projects, as
provided. The bill would require the
commission, before authorizing recovery of
costs associated with a gas distribution
infrastructure replacement and upgrade
project, to consider whether cost-effective
electrification alternatives or nonpipeline
alternatives could reasonably avoid or reduce
the costs, and to adopt rules implementing
this requirement, including a reasonable cost
threshold below which the requirement would
not apply.
Neutral Oppose legislation or governance that
has undue negative impacts to the
agriculture and energy production
industries.
Assembly
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-
Assembly
Appropriations
1127 11TH STREET, SUITE 300, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • 916.974.9270 • PUBLICPOLICYGROUP.COM PAGE 10 way and for the City to receive
compensation for its use.