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E. Emergency Services and Preparedness
*AB 40 (Rodriguez) Emergency Medical Services.
Chapter 793, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires every local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agency, by July 1, 2024, to develop a standard not to exceed 30 minutes, 90% of the time, for ambulance patient offload time and report the standardized time to the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA). By no later than December 31, 2024, EMSA must develop and implement an audit tool to improve the data accuracy of transfer of care with validation from hospitals and local EMS agencies.
AB 255 (Alanis) Public Postsecondary Education: Priority Registration for First Responders.
Chapter 643, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires the California State University, and requests the University of California, with respect to each campus in their respective jurisdictions that administers a priority enrollment system, commencing with the 2025–26 academic year, to grant priority for registration for enrollment to first responders.
AB 716 (Boerner) Ground Medical Transportation.
Chapter 454, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires the authority to annually report the allowable maximum rates for ground ambulance transportation services in each county, including trending the rates by county.
AB 750 (Rodriguez) Menace to Public Health: Closure by Law Enforcement.
Chapter 17, Statutes of 2023
This measure provides that, unless for the safety of a person, a duly authorized representative of a news service, newspaper, or radio or television station or network is not authorized to facilitate the entry of a person into, or facilitate the transport of a person within, an area closed by emergency services personnel. *AB 767 (Gipson) Community Paramedicine or Triage to Alternate Destination Act.
Chapter 270, Statutes of 2023
This measure adds short-term, post-discharge follow-up for persons recently discharged from a hospital due to a serious health condition to the list of eligible community paramedicine services allowed under the Alternate Destination Act. This measure also extends the sunset date of the community paramedicine program until January 1, 2031.
AB 902 (Rodriguez) Ambulances: Fee and Toll Exemptions.
Chapter 124, Statutes of 2023
This measure clarifies that the owner or operator of a toll facility is required to enter into an agreement for the use of a toll facility upon the request of a private or public local emergency service provider.
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AB 946 (Nguyen, Stephanie) Emergency Services: Endangered Missing Advisory.
Chapter 93, Statutes of 2023
This measure authorizes a law enforcement agency to request the Department of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to activate an Endangered Missing Advisory, if the agency receives a report of a missing person and the agency determines that all of specified conditions are met regarding the investigation of the missing person. This includes that the person is developmentally disabled, cognitively impaired, has been abducted, or is unable to otherwise care for themselves, placing their physical safety at risk.
AB 1376 (Carrillo, Juan) Emergency Medical Services: Liability Limitation.
Chapter 474, Statutes of 2023
This measure provides that a private provider of ambulance services, and employees of that provider, when operating in accordance with the standards, regulations, policies, and protocols of local emergency medical services agencies, shall not be criminally or civilly liable for the continued detainment of a person when that detainment is requested by a peace officer, facility staff, or other professionals authorized to detain persons involving the transport and continued containment of a person who requires mental health evaluation and treatment. This measure requires a private provider of ambulance services subject to these provisions to provide care according to the policies and procedures established by the local emergency medical services agency, and the policies of the EMSA. This measure also prohibits a private provider of ambulance services that provides transportation to a designated facility from requiring a person who is voluntarily agreeing to transport to be placed on an involuntary hold as a precondition to that transport.
AB 1638 (Fong, Mike) Local Government: Emergency Response Services: Use of Languages other than English.
Chapter 587, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires, beginning January 1, 2025, that in the event of an emergency within the jurisdiction of a local agency, the local agency must provide information related to the emergency in all languages spoken jointly by 5% or more of the population whenever those same people also speak English less than “very well.” This measure also requires the Office of Planning and Research to survey a sample of local agencies every three years to determine compliance with these requirements and to report its findings to the Legislature.
SB 673 (Bradford) Emergency Notification: Ebony Alert: Missing Black Youth.
Chapter 627, Statutes of 2023
This measure authorizes a law enforcement agency to request the CHP to activate an “Ebony Alert,” with respect to Black youth, including young women and girls who are reported missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances, at risk, developmentally disabled, or cognitively impaired, or who have been abducted. This measure authorizes CHP to activate an Ebony Alert within the appropriate geographical area requested by the investigating law enforcement agency and to assist the agency by disseminating specified alert messages and signs, if the CHP concurs with the
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agency that an Ebony Alert would be an effective tool in the investigation of a missing person according to specified factors.
F. Firearms
AB 92 (Connolly) Body Armor: Prohibition.
Chapter 232, Statutes of 2023
This measure makes it a misdemeanor for a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm under the laws of this state to purchase, own, or possess body armor.
AB 97 (Rodriguez) Firearms: Unserialized Firearms.
Chapter 233, Statutes of 2023
This measure, until January 1, 2033, requires the DOJ to collect and report specified information, including the number and disposition of arrests made for violations of specified misdemeanor offenses.
AB 303 (Davies) Firearms: Prohibited Persons.
Chapter 161, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires the Attorney General to provide specific information to local law enforcement agencies regarding prohibited persons in the Armed Prohibited Persons System. This includes the case status, prohibited status or reason, prohibition expiration date, known firearms associated with the person, and information regarding previous contacts with the prohibited person.
AB 355 (Alanis) Firearms: Assault Weapons: Exception for Peace Officer Training.
Chapter 235, Statutes of 2023
This measure exempts persons enrolled in peace officer training courses from assault weapons prohibitions while they are engaged in firearms training and being supervised by a firearms instructor. This measure also provides that the loaned assault weapon may not leave the training facility.
AB 455 (Quirk-Silva) Firearms: Prohibited Persons.
Chapter 236, Statutes of 2023
This measure, beginning on July 1, 2024, prohibits individuals in pretrial mental health diversion for a felony or specified misdemeanor charge from owning a firearm until they successfully complete diversion or their firearm rights are restored.
AB 574 (Jones-Sawyer) Firearms: Dealer Records of Sale.
Chapter 237, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires, beginning on March 1, 2025, that individuals in the process of purchasing a firearm must verify on the dealer record of sale whether they have, within the past 30 days, checked and confirmed possession of all firearms they currently own or possess.
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AB 725 (Lowenthal) Firearms: Reporting of Lost and Stolen Firearms.
Chapter 239, Statutes of 2023
This measure, beginning on July 1, 2026, changes how a firearm is defined to include the frame or receiver of the weapon, including both a completed frame or receiver, or a firearm precursor part.
AB 732 (Fong, Mike) Crimes: Relinquishment of Firearms.
Chapter 240, Statutes of 2023
This measure amends Proposition 63 (2016) by requiring a defendant not in custody to relinquish their firearms within 48 hours.
AB 1089 (Gipson) Firearms.
Chapter 243, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires anybody who uses a three-dimensional (3D) printer or computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine to manufacture a firearm to be a state-licensed manufacturer. This measure also Imposes strict civil liability on persons who unlawfully distribute 3D firearm manufacturing codes or who unlawfully possess or transfer specified CNC machines or 3D printers.
AB 1406 (McCarty) Firearms: Waiting Periods.
Chapter 244, Statutes of 2023
This measure authorizes the DOJ to request a delay of the delivery of a firearm if additional research is required to determine a person’s eligibility.
AB 1420 (Berman) Firearms.
Chapter 245, Statutes of 2023
This measure authorizes the DOJ to conduct inspections and assess that fine for any violation of provisions relating to regulation of those licenses, for violations of specified provisions regulating the sale of secondhand firearms, and for violations of other applicable state law.
AB 1483 (Valencia) Firearms: Purchases.
Chapter 246, Statutes of 2023
This measure deletes the private party transaction exemption to the 30-day prohibition.
This measure adds an exemption for any private party transaction where the seller is, at the time of the transaction, required under state law or by court order to relinquish all firearms, and for any private party transaction where the seller is transferring the firearms as a result of the death of the owner of the firearms. These provisions take effect on January 1, 2025.
AB 1598 (Berman) Gun Violence: Firearm Safety Education.
Chapter 248, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires the DOJ, at the next regularly scheduled update of the firearm safety certificate test, to update the items the test covers to include the reasons for and risks of owning a firearm and bringing a firearm into the home. The handbook includes the increased risk of death to someone in the household by suicide, homicide, or
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unintentional injury, and current law as it relates to eligibility to own or possess a firearm, gun violence restraining orders, domestic violence restraining orders, and privately manufactured firearms. This measure also requires the DOJ to prepare a firearm safety certificate study guide explaining information covered on the firearm safety certificate test.
SB 2 (Portantino) Firearms.
Chapter 249, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires the licensing authority to issue or renew a license if the applicant is not a disqualified person for the license and the applicant is at least 21 years of age.
This measure removes the good character and good cause requirements from the issuance criteria. This measure also provides that the applicant is a disqualified person if they, among other things, are reasonably likely to be a danger to self, others, or the community at large. This measure adds the requirement that the applicant be the recorded owner, with the DOJ, of the pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person. This measure also changes the training requirement to be no less than 16 hours in length and would add additional subjects to the course including, among other things, the safe storage and legal transportation of firearms.
SB 241 (Min) Firearms: Dealer Requirements.
Chapter 250, Statutes of 2023
Beginning on July 1, 2026, this measure requires a licensee and any employees that handle firearms to annually complete specified training. The measure also requires the DOJ, on or before February 1, 2026, to develop and implement a training course, including a testing certification component.
SB 368 (Portantino) Firearms: Requirements for Licensed Dealers.
Chapter 251, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires a licensed firearms dealer to accept for storage a firearm transferred by an individual to prevent it from being accessed or used during periods of crisis or heightened risk to the owner of the firearm or members of their household. The measure also authorizes a licensed firearms dealer to accept for storage a firearm for a lawful purpose not otherwise stated in the law.
SB 452 (Blakespear) Firearms.
Chapter 253, Statutes of 2023
This measure removes from the definition of an unsafe handgun a semiautomatic pistol without a microstamping component, and prohibits, beginning on January 1, 2028, a licensed firearms dealer from selling, offering for sale, exchanging, giving, transferring, or delivering a semiautomatic pistol, unless the pistol has been verified as a microstamping-enabled pistol, if the DOJ has determined that microstamping components or microstamping-enabled semi-automatic firearms are available. The measure also prohibits a person from modifying a microstamping-enabled pistol or microstamping component with the intent to prevent the production of a microstamp.
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G. Fire Services
AB 267 (Bauer-Kahan) Fire Protection: Tents: Nonflammable Materials.
Chapter 798, Statutes of 2023
This measure adjusts fire safety regulations for fabric structures such as tents by raising the gathering size limit from 10 to 15 people before non-flammability rules apply. This measure also provides exceptions for certain types of tents designed for children's play, camping, backpacking, or mountaineering.
AB 297 (Fong, Vince) Wildfires: Local Assistance Grant Program: Prescribed Grazing: Advance Payments.
Chapter 519, Statutes of 2023
This measure expands the definition of fire prevention activities to include prescribed grazing. This measure also expands allowable public education outreach activities to include training on prescribed grazing.
AB 570 (Gallagher) Fire Protection: Special District Fire Response Fund: County Service Areas.
Chapter 334, Statutes of 2023.
This measure allows county service areas that are formed exclusively for fire protection services eligible for receiving grants that are funded by the Special District Fire Response Fund.
*AB 700 (Grayson) California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program.
Chapter 268, Statutes of 2023
This measure, subject to a resolution adopted by the Regents of the University of California, establishes the California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program, and requests the University of California to develop and administer a competitive grant program. The grant program awards grants to eligible educational institutions to conduct research on the California fire service using a community-based participatory research model in collaboration with California firefighters.
H. Hate Crimes and Bias
AB 449 (Ting) Hate Crimes: Law Enforcement Policies.
Chapter 524, Statutes of 2023
This measure makes adoption of a hate crimes policy by a state and local law enforcement agency mandatory by July 1, 2024. This measure requires those policies to include the supplemental hate crime report in the model policy framework developed by the POST and requires POST to update its model hate crimes policy framework.
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AB 1185 (Gabriel) California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
Chapter 566, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires the grant program to provide the grants to nonprofit organizations and authorizes the grant program to provide grants to an applicant that provides support to at-risk nonprofit organizations for vulnerability assessments, security trainings, mass notification alert systems, monitoring and response systems, and lifesaving emergency equipment. This measure prohibits the director from considering during the evaluation of an application the applicant’s prior history with, or receipt of, grant funding to improve its physical security.
I. Victim’s Rights
AB 56 (Lackey) Victim’s Compensation: Emotional Injuries.
Chapter 512, Statutes of 2023
This measure expands eligibility for compensation to include emotional injuries from felony violations of attempted murder, rape and sexual assault, mayhem, and stalking.
AB 60 (Bryan) Restorative Justice Program.
Chapter 513, Statutes of 2023
This measure provides a victim the right to be notified of the availability of communitybased restorative justice programs and processes available to them, including programs serving their community, county, county jails, juvenile detention facilities, and CDCR.
SB 290 (Min) Domestic Violence Documentation: Victim Access.
Chapter 71, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires the state or local law enforcement agency to make available to a victim or representative any accompanying or related photographs of a victim’s injuries, property damage, or any other photographs that are noted in the incident report, and 911 recordings, if any. This measure also requires the additional documentation to be provided within the same time periods as required for providing an incident report. This measure extends the time limit for victims of sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, or abuse of an elder or a dependent adult, and their representatives, to request the documents described in the bill, from two years to five years.
SB 376 (Rubio) Human Trafficking: Victim Rights.
Chapter 109, Statutes of 2023
This measure provides that a victim of human trafficking or abuse has the right to have a human trafficking advocate, and a support person of the victim’s choosing present at an interview by a law enforcement authority, prosecutor, or the suspect’s defense attorney. This measure requires the human trafficking advocate to advise the victim of the applicable limitations on the confidentiality of the victim’s communications with the advocate. This measure also authorizes the law enforcement officer or the prosecutor to exclude the support person, but not the human trafficking advocate, if they believe that the support person’s presence would be detrimental to the process.
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SB 464 (Wahab) Criminal Law: Rights of Victims and Witnesses of Crimes.
Chapter 715, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires the prosecuting attorney, upon the request of a victim or a witness of a crime, to inform the victim or witness by letter of the final disposition of the case within 30 days.
J. Miscellaneous
AB 243 (Alanis) Child Abduction Survivors: Address Confidentiality Program.
Chapter 642, Statutes of 2023
This measure, beginning on July 1, 2024, makes victims of child abduction, and members of their households eligible for the protections of this address confidentiality program.
AB 341 (Ramos) Gambling: Local Moratorium.
Chapter 8, Statutes of 2023
This measure reenacts the prohibition against cardroom gaming until January 1, 2043, and would prohibit the California Gambling Control Commission from issuing a gambling license for a gambling establishment that was not licensed to operate on December 31, 2022, and that is pending before the commission as of January 1, 2024. This measure also authorizes a local jurisdiction to amend its local ordinance to increase the number of gambling tables that may be operated in a gambling establishment that operates fewer than 20 tables, by up to two additional tables in the first year and up to two additional tables every four years thereafter, not to exceed 10 additional tables.
AB 360 (Gipson) Excited Delirium.
Chapter 431, Statutes of 2023
This measure prohibits “excited delirium,” from being recognized as a valid medical diagnosis or cause of death in this state. This measure prohibits a coroner, medical examiner, physician, or physician assistant from stating on the certificate of death or in any report that the cause of death was excited delirium.
AB 391 (Jones-Sawyer) Child Abuse and Neglect: Nonmandated Reporters.
Chapter 434, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires an agency receiving a report from a nonmandated reporter to ask the reporter to provide specified information, including their name, telephone number, and the information that gave rise to the knowledge or reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect. If the reporter refuses to provide their name or telephone number, this measure requires the agency receiving the report to make an effort to determine the basis for the refusal and advise the reporter that the identifying information would remain confidential.
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AB 994 (Jackson) Law Enforcement: Social Media.
Chapter 224, Statutes of 2023
This measure provides that with respect to an individual who has been arrested for any crime, a police department or sheriff's office is required, upon posting a booking photo on social media, to use the name and pronouns given by the individual arrested. This measure authorizes a police department or sheriff's office to use other legal names or known aliases of an individual in limited specified circumstances.
AB 1013 (Lowenthal) On-sale General Public Premises: Drug Testing Devices.
Chapter 353, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires an applicant for a new permanent on-sale general public premises (Type 48) license or the holder of an existing Type 48 license to offer for sale to their customers drug testing devices at a cost not to exceed a reasonable amount based on the wholesale cost of those devices. This measure requires a licensee to post a related notice containing specified language in a prominent and conspicuous location.
This measure prohibits a Type 48 licensee from being held liable for a defective test or inaccurate test result. These provisions become operative on July 1, 2024, and would repeal its provisions on January 1, 2027.
*AB 1027 (Petrie-Norris) Social Media Platforms: Drug Safety Policies.
Chapter 824, Statutes of 2023
Cal Cities has prepared a comprehensive summary of this issue in Appendix A of this document.
*AB 1418 (McKinnor) Tenancy: Local Regulations: Contact with Law Enforcement or Criminal Convictions.
Chapter 476, Statutes of 2023
This measure prohibits a local government from imposing a penalty against a resident, owner, tenant, landlord, or other person as a consequence of contact with a law enforcement agency. This measure also prohibits a local government from requiring or encouraging a landlord to evict or penalize a tenant because of the tenant’s association with another tenant or household member who has had contact with a law enforcement agency or has a criminal conviction or to perform a criminal background check of a tenant or a prospective tenant.
SB 449 (Bradford) Peace Officers: Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board.
Chapter 397, Statutes of 2023
This measure makes several changes to the POST certification process including limiting disclosure of specified information during public hearings and deliberations.
This measure also makes minor, clarifying changes to the new certification process recently adopted by SB 2 (Chapter 409, Statutes of 2021).
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*SB 602 (Archuleta) Trespass.
Chapter 404, Statutes of 2023
This measure extends the timeframe for letters of agency between peace officers and absentee property owners from 30 days to 12 months and the operative timeframe of trespass authorizations letters from 12 months to three years.
SB 650 (Dodd) Gaming: Charitable Raffles.
Chapter 406, Statutes of 2023
This bill measure deletes the January 1, 2024 sunset date in law that allows eligible nonprofit organizations that are established or affiliated with various professional sports teams to conduct 50/50 raffles.
SB 883 (Committee on Public Safety) Public Safety Omnibus.
Chapter 311, Statutes of 2023
This measure makes minor and technical changes to various public safety statutes.
REVENUE AND TAXATION
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VII. Revenue and Taxation
A. Sales and Use Tax
AB 28 (Gabriel) Firearms and Ammunition: Excise Tax.
Chapter 231, Statutes of 2023
This measure, the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act, imposes an excise tax in the amount of 11% of the gross receipts from the retail sale of a firearm, firearm precursor part, and ammunition, as specified.
AB 314 (Jim Patterson) Sales and Use Tax: Exemptions: Trucks for Use in Interstate or Out-of-state Commerce.
Chapter 427, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure extends and expands the sales and use tax exemption for trailers and semitrailers used in interstate commerce until January 1, 2029. This measure contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately.
AB 543 (Gipson) Sales and Use Tax Law: Exemptions: Petroleum Products: Water Common Carriers.
Chapter 442, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure extends the sales tax exemption for specified fuel and petroleum product sales to water carries until January 1, 2029. This measure contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately.
AB 1052 (McCarty) Sacramento Regional Transit District: Taxes.
Chapter 674, Statutes of 2023
This measure expands Sacramento Regional Transit District’s taxing authority to allow it to impose qualified special taxes, including within portions of its jurisdiction, and to impose district taxes within portions of its jurisdiction. If the tax only applies to a portion of an area of the district, the bill requires the incorporated area of each city and of contiguous cities within the district to be either wholly included within or wholly excluded from that portion that is taxed and would require the entire unincorporated area of the district to be either wholly included within or wholly excluded from that portion that is taxed.
AB 1203 (Bains) Sales and Use Taxes: Exemptions: Breast Pumps and Related Supplies.
Chapter 833, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure provides a sales and use tax exemption for breast pumps and related supplies until April 1, 2029. This measure contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately.
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AB 1679 (Santiago) Transactions and Use Taxes: County of Los Angeles:
Homelessness.
Chapter 731, Statutes of 2023
This measure authorizes Los Angeles County to impose a transaction and use tax of .50%, which in combination with other transactions and use taxes, exceeds the 2% statutory limitation. The bill also requires all revenue from the tax to be dedicated to addressing and preventing homelessness.
*SB 96 (Portantino) Historic Venue Restoration and Resiliency Act.
Chapter 595, Statutes of 2023
This measure redirects to specified local governments General Fund Sales and Use Tax revenue from retailers making sales at historic venues during historic events, as defined. These local governments are required to use the funds for specified purposes, including capital infrastructure improvements, preventative maintenance, technological improvements, security enhancements, and energy efficiency improvements.
B. Property Tax
*AB 84 (Ward) Property Tax: Welfare Exemption: Affordable Housing.
Chapter 734, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure expands the low-income housing welfare property tax exemption by authorizing 501(c)(3) bonds as an eligible form of financing, and permits, for five years, a unit in a development that is not financed with low-income housing tax credits to remain eligible for the exemption if the tenant’s income rises no more than 100% of the area medium income. This measure contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately.
AB 556 (Gallagher) Property Taxation: Transfer of Base Year Value: Disaster Relief.
Chapter 443, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure extends the deadline by three years for taxpayers affected by the 2018 Camp Fire to transfer base year values to newly acquired or constructed replacement property. This measure contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately.
AB 1361 (Hoover) Property Taxation: Veteran’s Exemption: Preliminary Application.
Chapter 473, Statutes of 2023
This measure authorizes a county assessor to provide written or electronic determination of preliminary eligibility for the disabled veteran’s property tax exemption.
AB 1500 (Irwin) Property Taxation: Application of Base Year Value: Disaster Relief.
Chapter 583, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure extends by three years the deadline for a taxpayer to maintain their previous base year value when reconstructing on the same site if the property was
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substantially damaged or destroyed due to the 2018 Camp Fire or Woolsey Fire. This measure contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately.
SB 82 (Seyarto) Property Taxation: Disabled Veterans’ Exemption: Eligibility Letters.
Chapter 773, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires a county assessor to accept an electronically generated letter of service-connected disability in lieu of an original letter of service-connected disability, at the discretion of the claimant, for purposes of verifying eligibility for the disabled veteran’s property tax exemption.
SB 419 (Roth) Property Tax: Exemptions: Personal Property Used in Space Flight.
Chapter 713, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure extends the current personal property tax exemption for property used in space flight to January 1, 2029. This measure contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately.
SB 520 (Seyarto) Property Taxation: Homeowners’ Exemption.
Chapter 781, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure ensures the homeowners’ property tax exemption continues to apply if the taxpayer is not occupying their home because they are confined to a hospital or other care facility. This measure contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately.
*SB 734 (Rubio) Property Tax: Possessory Interests.
Chapter 785, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure provides that, for the purpose of defining “possessory interest,” a tenancy in a residential unit of a publicly owned housing project by a low-income household leased at affordable rents does not create independent possession or use of land or improvements by the tenant. This measure contains an urgency clause and goes into effect immediately.
C. Miscellaneous
AB 39 (Grayson) Digital Financial Asset Businesses: Regulatory Oversight.
Chapter 792, Statutes of 2023
This measure, the Digital Financial Assets Law, will, on and after July 1, 2025, establish a licensing and regulatory framework, administered by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, for digital financial asset business activity. The bill would define "digital financial asset" to mean a digital representation of value that is used as a medium of exchange, unit of account, or store of value, and that is not legal tender, whether or not denominated in legal tender.
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AB 537 (Berman) Short-term Lodging: Advertising: Rates.
Chapter 805, Statutes of 2023
This measure, beginning July 1, 2024, prohibits a place of short-term lodging, from advertising, displaying, or offering a room rate that does not include all fees or charges required to stay at the short-term lodging, except government-imposed taxes and fees.
AB 1259 (Soria) Dissolution of Redevelopment Agencies: Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts: City of Merced.
Chapter 678, Statutes of 2023
This measure allows the city of Merced to initiate, participate in, finance, or govern an enhanced infrastructure financing district if specified conditions are met. *SB 798 (Glazer) Elections: Local Bond Measures: Tax Rate Statement.
Chapter 720, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires the tax rate statement that is required to be included in the sample ballot for local bond measures to include a tax rate per $100,000 of assessed valuation on all property to be taxed to fund a bond issue, instead of a tax rate per $100 of assessed valuation on all property to be taxed to fund the bond.
TRANSPORTATION,
COMMUNICATIONS, AND PUBLIC
WORKS
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VIII. Transportation, Communications, and Public Works
A. Alternate Fuels, Electric Vehicles, Emissions, and Vehicle Technology
AB 410 (Jones-Sawyer) Shared Mobility Devices.
Chapter 36, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure, commencing January 1, 2024, will add to existing tactile sign requirements that the raised characters of braille identify the name of the company, email address, and telephone number of the service provider be at minimum 1/2 inch high and in a color that contrasts with the signage background.
AB 844 (Gipson) Zero-emission Trucks: Insurance.
Chapter 347, Statutes of 2023
This measure will require the Department of Insurance to collect specific data on the availability and affordability of insurance for heavy-duty trucks and truck fleets. The measure would require the department to issue a bulletin on or before February 1, 2024, to initiate the first data collection, and would require admitted insurers to respond on or before May 1, 2024. The measure would require the surveys and data calls to include specified information, including whether an insurance company offers insurance for zero-emission truck options. The measure would require the insurance commissioner to publish the information in the aggregate and would prohibit the identification of an individual respondent or insurer.
*AB 1594 (Garcia) Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-emission Vehicles: Public Agency Utilities.
Chapter 585, Statutes of 2023
This measure would authorize public agency utilities, including a local publicly owned electric utility, a community water system, a water district, and a wastewater treatment provider, to purchase replacements for traditional utility-specialized vehicles that are at the end of life when needed to maintain reliable service and respond to major foreseeable events, including severe weather, wildfires, natural disasters, and physical attacks. This authorization would provide compliance to the Air Resources Board’s Air Quality Improvement Program that established medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle fleet purchasing assistance programs to enable those fleet operators to transition their fleets to zero-emission.
B. Contracting and Public Works
*AB 334 (Rubio, Blanca) Public Contracts: Conflicts of Interest.
Chapter 263, Statutes of 2023
This measure would establish that an independent contractor is not an officer for purposes of being subject to the prohibition on being financially interested in a contract
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for a public works project. This measure would authorize a public agency to enter into a contract with an independent contractor who is an officer for a later phase of the same project if the independent contractor did not engage in or advise on the making of the subsequent contract. This measure would establish that a person who acts in good faith reliance on these provisions is not in violation of conflict-of-interest prohibitions and would prohibit them from being subject to criminal, civil, or administrative enforcement under those prohibitions if the initial contract includes specified language and the independent contractor is not in breach of those terms.
AB 338 (Aguiar-Curry) Fuel Reduction Work.
Chapter 428, Statutes of 2023
This measure would, commencing July 1, 2026, require fuel reduction work, done under contract and paid for in whole or in part out of public funds to meet several standards, including that all workers performing work within an apprenticeable occupation in the building and construction trades be paid at least the general prevailing rate of per diem wages.
*AB 400 (Rubio, Blanca) Local Agency Design-build Projects: Authorization.
Chapter 201, Statutes of 2023
This measure would authorize joint powers authority responsible for the construction of transit projects to use the design-build procurement process contracts for public works projects more than $1,000,000, awarding the contract either to the lowest bid or the best value. The measure would extend the repeal date from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2031.
AB 521 (Bauer-Kahan) Occupational Safety and Health Standards: Construction Jobsites: Toilet Facilities.
Chapter 529, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require the Building Standards Commission, before December 1, 2025, to draft a rulemaking proposal to consider revising a regulation on construction jobsite toilet facilities to require at least one single-user toilet facility on all construction jobsites, designated for employees who self-identify as female or nonbinary. The measure would require the commission to consider adopting revised standards for the standards described above on or before December 31, 2025.
AB 587 (Rivas, Robert) Public Works: Payroll Records.
Chapter 806, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require any copy of records requested by, and made available for inspection by or furnished to, a multi-employer Taft-Hartley trust fund or joint labormanagement committee to be provided on forms provided by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement or contain the same information as the forms provided by the division.
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AB 783 (Ting) Business Licenses: Single-user Restrooms.
Chapter 223, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require a city, county, or city and county that issues business licenses or permits within its jurisdiction to provide written notice to each applicant for a new or renewed business license, permit, or equivalent instrument, of the requirement that all single-user toilet facilities in any business establishment, place of public accommodation, or government agency be identified as all-gender toilet facilities.
AB 1046 (Lowenthal) Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act: Exemptions.
Chapter 825, Statutes of 2023
This measure would revise and recast the exemptions from the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act to exempt two types of projects: (1) This includes projects for the alteration of any structure for human occupancy if the value of the alteration does not exceed 50% of the appraised value of the structure. If the alteration results in a change in the use or occupancy of the structure, the change does not authorize a greater human occupant load and is less hazardous, based on life and fire risk, than the existing authorized use or occupancy of the structure permitted by the city or county with jurisdiction over the structure; and (2) This includes projects for alterations that include seismic retrofitting of certain types of structures for human occupancy permitted under specified prior editions of the Uniform Building Code.
AB 1121 (Haney) Public Works: Ineligibility List.
Chapter 465, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require awarding local authorities of a public work project to annually submit a list of ineligible contractors pursuant to local debarment or suspension processes to the Department of Industrial Relations’ electronic project registration database. This measure would require the department to make the list available to the public through the electronic database.
SB 617 (Newman) Public Contracts: Progressive Design-build: Local and Regional Agencies: Transit.
Chapter 310, Statutes of 2023
This measure, until January 1, 2029, would authorize a transit district, municipal operator, consolidated agency, joint powers authority, regional transportation agency, or local or regional agency, as described, to use the progressive design-build process for up to 10 public works projects in excess of $5,000,000 for each project. This measure requires local agencies to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2028, regarding the use of the progressive design-build process.
SB 654 (Jones) Local Agencies: Public Property: Airport Leases.
Chapter 155, Statutes of 2023
This measure would authorize a local agency and the leaseholder for airport purposes or purposes incidental to aircraft to amend the lease or sublease to extend the duration of the lease or sublease, to terminate the lease or sublease and enter into a new lease or sublease, or to transfer an existing lease or sublease.
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*SB 706 (Caballero) Public Contracts: Progressive Design-build: Local Agencies.
Chapter 500, Statutes of 2023
This measure would, until January 1, 2030, provide expanded authority for cities, counties, cities and counties, or special districts to use the progressive design-build process for up to 10 public works in excess of $5,000,000, not limited to water-related projects, excluding projects on state-owned or state-operated facilities. The measure would require information to be provided under penalty of perjury and would require similar reports due no later than December 31, 2028.
C. Infrastructure
AB 70 (Rodriguez) Emergency Response: Trauma Kits.
Chapter 515, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require the acquisition and placement of at least six trauma kits to certain structures that are constructed prior to January 1, 2023, and subject to subsequent modifications, renovations, or tenant improvements.
AB 1373 (Garcia) Energy.
Chapter 367, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure would require, as part of the 2025 edition of the integrated biennial energy policy report that includes an overview of major energy trends and issues facing the state, the Energy Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), to assess barriers to electricity interconnection and energization and provide recommendations on how to accelerate those processes.
SB 3 (Dodd) Discontinuation of Residential Water Service: Covered Water System.
Chapter 855, Statutes of 2023
The measure would, subject to the availability of funding, require the State Water Resources Control Board to make funds available for providing training statewide to community water systems with between 15 and 200 service connections to assist in compliance with the Water Shutoff Protection Act.
SB 38 (Laird) Battery Energy Storage Facilities: Emergency Response and Emergency Action Plans.
Chapter 377, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require each battery energy storage facility located in the state and under regulation of the PUC to have an emergency response and emergency action plan that covers the premises of the battery energy storage facility. The measure would require the owner or operator of the facility, in developing the plan, to coordinate with local emergency management agencies, unified program agencies, and local first response agencies. The measure would require the owner or operator of the facility to submit the plan to the county and, if applicable, the city where the facility is located.
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SB 319 (McGuire) Electricity: Transmission Planning and Permitting.
Chapter 390, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require the Energy Commission and PUC, in coordination with the Independent System Operator, to review the memorandum of understanding related to resource and transmission planning, transmission development and permitting, procurement, and interconnections every five years. This will be done to achieve reliability and policy needs, as well as coordinate the timely development of resources, resource interconnections, and needed transmission infrastructure and a related workplan to ensure the memorandum and workplan reflect the coordination that is needed to help meet the state’s energy goals.
D. Transportation
AB 361 (Ward) Vehicles: Photographs of Bicycle Lane Parking Violations.
Chapter 432, Statutes of 2023
This measure would, until January 1, 2030, authorize a local agency to install automated forward-facing parking control devices on city-owned or district-owned parking enforcement vehicles for the purpose of taking photographs of parking violations occurring in bicycle lanes.
AB 645 (Friedman) Vehicles: Speed Safety System Pilot Program.
Chapter 808, Statutes of 2023
This measure would authorize, until January 1, 2032, the cities of Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, Glendale, and Long Beach, as well as the city and county of San Francisco to establish a Speed Safety System Pilot Program if the system meets specified requirements. The measure requires participating city or city and county to:
• Adopt a Speed Safety System Use Policy and a Speed Safety System Impact Report before implementing the program, and would require the participating city or city and county to engage in a public information campaign at least 30 days before implementation of the program, including information relating to when the systems would begin detecting violations and where the systems would be utilized;
• Issue warning notices, rather than notices of violations, for violations detected within the first 60 calendar days of the program;
• Develop uniform guidelines for, among other things, the processing and storage of confidential information; and
• Designate all photographic or administrative records — not including data about the number of violations issued or the speeds at which they were issued — made by a system as confidential, and authorize public agencies to only use and allow access to these records for specified purposes.
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*AB 744 (Carrillo, Juan) California Transportation Commission: Data, Modeling, And Analytic Software Tools Procurement.
Chapter 541, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require the California Transportation Commission to convene relevant state agencies to assess the procurement and implementation of data, modeling, and analytic software tools to support the state’s sustainable transportation, congestion management, affordable housing, efficient land use, air quality, economic, and climate change strategies and goals, as provided. On or before July 1, 2025, the measure would require the commission to develop a proposal to procure data, modeling, and analytic software tools and a process to grant access to the data it procures directly, or provide a process for direct allocation of funding to agencies for data procurement, or both of those, as provided.
AB 971 (Lee) Vehicles: Transit-Only Traffic Lanes.
Chapter 672, Statutes of 2023
This measure would define transit-only traffic lanes as any designated transit-only lane on which use is restricted to mass transit vehicles, or other designated vehicles including taxis and vanpools, during posted times. This measure would prohibit a person from operating a motor vehicle, or stopping, parking, or leaving a vehicle standing, on a portion of the highway designated for the exclusive use of transit-only traffic lanes.
AB 1673 (Pacheco) Outdoor Advertising Act: Local Governmental Entities:
Relocation.
Chapter 590, Statutes of 2023
This measure adds cities to the list of existing exemptions to the Outdoor Advertising Act that prohibits placing or maintaining advertising displays on Caltrans-owned property adjacent to landscaped freeways if the advertising display is designed to be viewed primarily by persons traveling on the landscaped freeway that designates where advertising displays may be placed or prohibited as part of the city’s or city and county’s land use or zoning ordinance. The measure would expand the exemption to include agreements, entered into for any purpose, to relocate an advertising display or to convert or replace a relocated advertising display with a message center.
SB 506 (Laird) Public Utilities Commission: Railroads: Colored Pavements Marking Project.
Chapter 288, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require the PUC to develop and implement a pilot or limited demonstration and research project for colored pavement markings at one or more atgrade highway-railroad crossings no later than January 1, 2026, to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of such a project to reduce incidents. The measure would require the commission to report its findings on the project to the Legislature no later than one year after project completion. The measure would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030.
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SB 434 (Min) Transit Operators: Street Harassment Survey.
Chapter 396, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require a transit operator to collect and publish specified survey data for the purpose of informing efforts to improve the safety of riders and reduce street harassment on public transit on or before December 31, 2024, to the extent feasible with the funding it receives to conduct these activities from Caltrans under a funding agreement with a transit operator to collect and publish that survey data that the measure would require Caltrans to enter into on or before July 1, 2024. The measure would require a transit operator to conduct outreach activities, collect surveys, and make the collected data publicly available on its internet website.
SB 695 (Gonzalez) Department of Transportation: Internet Website: State Highway System Data And Information.
Chapter 629, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require Caltrans, beginning January 1, 2026, to annually prepare and make available on its internet website information and data about projects on the state highway system from the prior fiscal year, and to present this information and data to California Transportation Commission at a regularly scheduled commission meeting on or before April 1 of each year.
E. Telecommunications and Broadband
AB 286 (Wood) Broadband Infrastructure: Mapping.
Chapter 645, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require the PUC to provide publicly accessible maps that identifies for each address in the state, each provider of broadband services that offers service at the address and the maximum speed of broadband services offered by each provider of broadband services at the address.
AB 414 (Reyes) Communications: Digital Equity Measure of Rights.
Chapter 436, Statutes of 2023
This measure, the Digital Equity Measure of Rights, would state that it is the principle of the state, to ensure digital equity for all residents of the state, that residents shall have access to broadband that meets specific requirements, and that it is the policy of the state that, to the extent technically feasible, broadband internet subscribers benefit from equal access to broadband internet service within the service area of a broadband provider.
AB 965 (Carrillo, Juan) Local Government: Broadband Permit Applications.
Chapter 553, Statutes of 2023
This measure would require a local agency to undertake batch broadband permit processing, upon receiving two or more broadband permit applications that are substantially similar broadband project sites and that are submitted at the same time by the same applicant. The measure would require that those batched permits be deemed
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approved if a local agency does not approve or reject the applications and notify the applicants, within the presumptively reasonable time or longer period permitted under applicable law.
*AB 1637 (Irwin) Local Government: Internet Websites And Email Addresses.
Chapter 586, Statutes of 2023
This measure would, no later than January 1, 2029:
• Require a local agency that maintains an internet website for use by the public to secure and utilize a “.gov” top-level domain or a “.ca.gov” second-level domain; • Require a local agency that maintains an internet website that is noncompliant with that requirement to redirect that internet website to a domain name that does utilize a “.gov” or “.ca.gov” domain; and
• Require a local agency that maintains public email addresses to ensure that each email address provided to its employees utilizes a “.gov” domain name or a “.ca.gov” domain name.
SB 825 (Limón) Local Government: Public Broadband Services.
Chapter 186, Statutes of 2023
This measure would add metropolitan planning organizations and regional transportation planning authorities to that list of local government agencies included in the definition of “local agency” qualified for broadband infrastructure grant funding from the PUC.
APPENDIX A – ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
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Budget Act of 2023
The Budget Act of 2023
Background
After two years of unprecedented General Fund revenue growth, California faced a downturn in revenues driven by a declining stock market, high inflation, rising interest rates, and job losses in high-wage sectors — all of which led to slower revenue growth than previously projected. California's tax system relies heavily on personal income taxes from high-income residents, making it extremely vulnerable to stock market downturns.
The Governor and Legislature were forced to confront an approximate $31 billion deficit and cut a deal to balance the budget through a combination of shifts, cuts, delays, revenue increases, and borrowing. The result was the primary budget bill SB 101 (Skinner), as well as a “Budget Bill Jr.” AB 102 (Ting), along with four other bills that amended prior year’s budgets AB 100 (Ting), AB 103 (Ting), SB 104 (Skinner), and SB 105 (Skinner). Collectively these six bills, along with dozens of trailer bills, balanced the budget while avoiding new significant ongoing commitments and maintained a record $37.8 billion in total reserves.
Budget Package Overview
Despite a $31 billion deficit, the budget preserves investments in the programs that are essential to millions of Californians. It protects investments in education, health care, climate, public safety, and social service programs. Notable appropriations, delays, and reductions include:
Health Care
Reauthorizes Managed Care Organization (MCO) Tax
• Renews a tax on health insurance plans known as the MCO tax:
o If approved by the federal government, the tax is expected to generate revenues of $8.2 billion in 2023-24.
Maintains Key Investments
• Maintains more than $10 billion for California Advancing and Innovating MediCal; and • Maintains over $8 billion for behavioral health care.
Housing and Homelessness
• $67.5 million reduction for the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in the following programs:
o $50 million General Fund spending reduction for the CalHome Program; o $17.5 million General Fund spending reduction for the Downtown Rebound Program;
• Delays $345 million previously allocated to HCD’s Foreclosure Intervention Housing Preservation Program;
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• Authorizes an increase of $100 million in one-time General Fund spending for HCD’s Multi-Family Housing Program;
• Provides an additional $500 million for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program; and,
• Provides an extra $1 billion in funding for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grant program.
Transportation and Infrastructure
Support for Local Transit Agencies
• Provides $5.1 billion for public transit:
o $4 billion in Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program funding; and o $1.1 billion in zero-emission vehicle transit funding.
Legislation Intended to Expedite Infrastructure Projects • The overall budget agreement authorizes some types of infrastructure projects, including certain energy, semiconductor and microelectronic, transportation, and water-related projects to receive streamlined judicial review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Climate
Reductions to Multiyear Climate Change Budget Packages
• The budget makes numerous changes to one-time funding that was agreed to in previous budgets for climate, resources, and environmental programs:
o Cumulatively this will lower General Fund spending by $8.7 billion across the budget window of 2021-22 through 2023-24.
• While the budget includes less spending than previous budgets initially agreed upon, it maintains most of the overall intended funding for each of the original climate-related packages — approximately $25 billion across the three-year budget window.
Flood Management and Response
• $401 million in one-time funding for flood management and response activities, along with the intent to provide an additional $35 million General Fund in 2024-
25. Public Safety
• Maintains commitments of more than $800 million in multiple programs to improve public safety, including task forces addressing the spread of fentanyl and retail theft; and
• Protects local law enforcement grants totaling $255 million over three years.
Reserves
• The budget sets aside a total of $37.8 billion of reserves, which is made up of the following:
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o $22.3 billion in the Budget Stabilization Account or Rainy Day Fund; o $10.8 billion in the Public School System Stabilizations Account; o $900 million in the Safety Net Reserve; and
o $2.8 billion in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties (the state’s discretionary reserve).
State Subventions Update
The budget also provides much-needed clarity for cities around the calculation of state subventions (unrestricted money received by a local agency from the state) and local appropriations limits. Under previous rules, local agencies were required to identify and report any new state subventions that would cause them to exceed local appropriations limits.
Under the new budget, the Department of Finance must calculate the individual subvention amounts for each of the state programs and provide this information to Cal Cities to distribute. This will provide greater clarity and assurances to cities that their local appropriations limit calculations can be relied upon.
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Fentanyl Legislation
Fentanyl Legislation
Background
Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid that has contributed to a significant increase in opioid overdoses in California. According to the Department of Public Health (DPH), in 2012, California suffered 82 deaths attributed to fentanyl overdoses. In 2021 that number jumped to almost 6,000. Fentanyl deaths also accounted for more than 80% of all drug-related deaths among California’s young people in 2021, making it the fastestgrowing cause of death for young people in our state. Over 150 Americans die every day from overdoses and poisonings related to synthetic opioids. Most of these young victims ingest the fentanyl accidentally, thinking they are using something less dangerous.
There are two types of fentanyl: pharmaceutical fentanyl and illicitly manufactured fentanyl. However, most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdoses are linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets for its heroinlike effect. It is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous. Since there is no official oversight or quality control, these counterfeit pills often contain lethal doses of fentanyl, with none of the promised drugs.
Legitimate fentanyl, also known as pharmaceutical fentanyl, is prescribed by a physician in a variety of forms, including lozenges, nasal sprays, and transdermal patches. While some pharmaceutical fentanyl is diverted, this is typically done on a small scale and often for personal use. Illicitly produced fentanyl is primarily manufactured in laboratories in China and Mexico, and then shipped to the U.S. or smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border. It is distributed in the form of powder or as counterfeit prescription pills.
Illicitly produced fentanyl is frequently mixed with heroin, often without the knowledge of the purchaser. The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that it is increasingly common for fentanyl to be mixed with adulterants and diluents and sold as heroin, although no heroin is present in the product.
The passage of Proposition 47 in 2014 decriminalized simple drug possession, removing the threat of jail time or drug programming. Trends across the state now illustrate a significant drop in people choosing to go to drug court, in part because of the penalty reduction. According to CalMatters, without the threat of accountability, people have simply stopped showing up. Some regions have shown a reduction in drug court participation by 86% since 2014. Meanwhile, the death rate from fentanyl has continued to rise.
State Master Plan
The State Master Plan has focused on increasing the availability and affordability of naloxone in an effort to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Naloxone is a life-saving medication used to reverse an opioid overdose, including heroin, fentanyl, and
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prescription opioid medications. Naloxone works by blocking the opioid receptor sites, reversing the toxic effects of the overdose. An appropriate dose of naloxone acts in less than two minutes and completely eliminates all signs of opioid intoxication to reverse an opioid overdose.
There are several state programs that focus on increasing the distribution of this medication. For example, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) created the Naloxone Distribution Project to provide free naloxone to organizations — including first responders, police, local governments, community organizations, libraries, and others — to distribute within communities. Anyone can get naloxone from a pharmacy or from a local organization that has a naloxone distribution program. Once in possession of this medication, free training videos are available through the DPH on administering naloxone properly. If naloxone needs to be administered, California's Good Samaritan law protects those giving emergency medical care at the scene of a medical emergency.
In addition to the naloxone program, the State Master Plan also increased the deployment of the California National Guard by 50% from 40 to 60 soldiers in September 2023 to support the interdiction of illicit drugs. This increased deployment builds on the prior expansion in 2022 which led to a 594% increase in seized fentanyl in the state. Last year, CalGuard’s efforts helped law enforcement seize 28,725 pounds of fentanyl in California, an amount with an estimated street value of more than $230 million.
Opioid Settlement
The fentanyl epidemic began due to the oversubscribing and use of opioids for pain management. The oversubscription of these drugs led many to become addicted to opioids, which then led to the fentanyl crisis. The original opioid issue caused many jurisdictions to file lawsuits against the manufacturers and distributors of these drugs.
California joined several other states and national lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, and other entities responsible for aiding in the opioid epidemic.
On July 21, 2021, a $26 billion offer to settle was made by opioid manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals and the “big three" distributors — McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health — to resolve their liabilities in over 3,000 opioid crisis-related lawsuits nationwide. It is estimated that California will receive approximately $2.05 billion from these agreements through 2038.
On July 9, 2023, five additional settlements were announced. The pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart) and manufacturers (Allergan and Teva Pharmaceuticals) together proposed settling on $17.3 billion to address their roles in the opioid crisis. The agreements with CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart are the first multistate settlements to hold chain pharmacies accountable for their failure to intervene in prescription abuse and drug diversion.
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California's allocation from the National Opioid Settlements will be distributed by the National Settlement Administrator as follows:
• 15% allocated to the State of California to use for future opioid remediation activities;
• 70% allocated to participating subdivisions to use for opioid remediating activities; and
• 15% allocated to plaintiff subdivisions to use for future opioid remediation activities and to reimburse past opioid-related expenses.
Cities received funds from these settlements in March and August of 2023. • List of California Janssen and Distributors Settlement payments (as of August 2023)
• List of California Mallinckrodt Bankruptcy payments (as of March 2023) These funds can only be used for specific purposes, which include:
• Provision of matching funds or operating costs for substance use disorder facilities;
• Creating new or expanded substance use disorder (SUD) treatment infrastructure;
• Addressing the needs of communities of color and vulnerable populations that are disproportionately impacted by SUD;
• Diversion of people with SUD from the justice system into treatment, including by providing training and resources to first and early responders, and implementing best practices for outreach, diversion and deflection, employability, restorative justice, and harm reduction;
• Interventions to prevent drug addiction in vulnerable youth; and • The purchase of naloxone for distribution and efforts to expand access to naloxone for opioid overdose reversals.
For more information and resources see the DHCS website on Opioid Settlement Funds.
Role of Local Governments
Local communities confront the realities of the opioid epidemic each day through the increasing toll on first responders, educators, child welfare agencies, criminal justice, public safety officials, health professionals, and community organizations, among others.
According to the National League of Cities, some of the most promising strategies to combat the substance use crisis in our cities is through combining access to treatment, harm reduction, recovery, and prevention efforts with resources targeted through the effective use of data sharing and focused on evidence-based programs and approaches. In addition, successful coordination of services and collaboration among city, county, and state leaders are key to breaking down silos and stretching scarce resources.
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State Budget Allocations
Building on the 2022 Budget Act opioid response investments, the 2023-2024 State Budget Act included an additional $93 million in Opioid Settlement Funds over four years, beginning in 2023-24, to support youth and fentanyl-focused investments for the DHCS and the DPH. This includes:
• Fentanyl Response: $79 million for the Naloxone Distribution Project to increase distribution to first responders, law enforcement, community-based organizations, and county agencies.
• Fentanyl Grants: $10 million for grants to increase local efforts in education, testing, recovery, and support services to implement Chapter 783, Statutes of 2022 (AB 2365).
• Fentanyl Test Strips: $4 million to support innovative approaches to make fentanyl test strips and naloxone more widely available.
Cal Cities Policy and Supported Measures
In 2023, lawmakers introduced numerous bills to combat the fentanyl crisis. In response, the Cal Cities Board adopted a substance use policy in January 2023 to address the fentanyl crisis, which states:
“Cal Cities supports additional funding and resources to address the substance use crisis through appropriate prevention and intervention efforts, educational awareness campaigns, and increased access to life-saving overdose treatment aids such as naloxone.”
This policy resulted in a letter to the Legislature and the Governor asking for a response to the crisis. He noted our support for several measures that had been introduced in the Legislature.
There were numerous bills on the issue of fentanyl that were introduced by the Legislature in January. Most of these measures were held either in the first policy committee or in appropriations. In addition, a few measures were vetoed by the Governor. However, a few key fentanyl bills were ultimately successful in achieving the support of both houses and the Governor’s signature.
Cal Cities supported the following measures that were signed by the Governor:
AB 33 (Bains) Fentanyl Misuse and Overdose Prevention Task Force.
Chapter 887, Statutes of 2023 (Urgency)
This measure establishes a Fentanyl Misuse and Overdose Prevention Task Force to bring together critical stakeholders to coordinate an effective response to the fentanyl crisis in our state.
AB 701 (Villapudua) Controlled Substances: Fentanyl.
Chapter 540, Statutes of 2023
This measure would add fentanyl to the list of enumerated controlled substances that
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are eligible for sentence enhancements when a defendant is found with a large quantity in their possession.
AB 1027 (Petrie-Norris) Social Media Platforms: Drug Safety Policies.
Chapter 824, Statutes of 2023
This measure requires social media platforms to disclose their drug safety policies and maintain records of actions that violated a policy and the username of the violating account at issue for 90 days.
AB 1166 (Bains) Liability for Opioid Antagonist Administration.
Chapter 97, Statutes of 2023
This measure provides that a person who, in good faith and not for compensation, renders emergency treatment at the scene of an opioid overdose or suspected opioid overdose by administering an opioid antagonist, is not liable for civil damages resulting from an act or omission. The measure also provides that a person who furnishes an opioid antagonist for use at the scene of an opioid overdose or suspected opioid overdose is not liable for civil damages resulting from an act or omission.
AB 1360 (McCarty) Hope California: Secured Residential Treatment Pilot Program.
Chapter 685, Statutes of 2023
This measure authorizes the counties of Sacramento and Yolo to establish pilot programs to offer secured residential treatment for qualifying individuals suffering from substance use disorders who have been convicted of "drug-motivated" felony crimes.
SB 19 (Seyarto) Fentanyl Misuse and Overdose Prevention Task Force.
Chapter 857, Statutes of 2023
This measure establishes a Fentanyl Misuse and Overdose Prevention Task Force to bring together critical stakeholders to coordinate an effective response to the Fentanyl crisis in our state.
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Behavioral Health and Homelessness Budget and Legislative Advocacy 2023 Behavioral Health and Homelessness Budget and Legislative Advocacy 2023
Background
California has experienced an alarming spike in homelessness over the past decade, with a significant increase in the number of unsheltered individuals in cities. The most recent federal count shows that California is home to half of all unsheltered people in the country, far surpassing any other state. In response to this crisis, the Legislature and the Governor introduced a suite of bills this year to modernize California's behavioral health care system, with the goal of connecting unsheltered residents to the care they need in their communities.
In 2022, the Cal Cities Board of Directors adopted a new policy that allowed the organization to advocate for better behavioral health services statewide. The Cal Cities 2023 Advocacy Priorities also included securing increased funding and resources to prevent homelessness and assist individuals experiencing homelessness. With this guidance, Cal Cities staff worked collaboratively with the Legislature on advancing a housing and homelessness budget request and several key behavioral health measures this year.
Cal Cities 2023 Budget Request
Cal Cities urged the Legislature and Governor's Office to invest $3 billion in ongoing funding for cities to increase the supply of affordable housing and reduce homelessness. The budget request gained support in the Legislature and from other key stakeholders. It also attracted statewide media attention, which proved instrumental in building momentum.
To inform this budget request, Cal Cities conducted a survey in March, which showed that while cities are accelerating their efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness and boost affordable housing in their communities, the demand for housing and services is outpacing their efforts, straining capacity, and draining resources. Specifically, the survey found that eight in ten cities are spending general fund money to address homelessness, and nearly 90% of cities have fiscal concerns over their ability to provide existing homelessness services long term. Cal Cities staff shared this survey through press conferences, interviews with media, and meetings with lawmakers to make the case for ongoing funding for these critical issues.
In May, Asm. Sharon Quirk-Silva agreed to champion Cal Cities' budget request and called on her colleagues to join her by signing an endorsement letter. Through extensive lobbying efforts across the swing space, a bipartisan group of nearly thirty Assembly Members and Senators agreed to endorse Cal Cities' budget request. These legislators continue to stand with Cal Cities in requesting ongoing funding to address this crisis and will be instrumental in our efforts going forward.
Additionally, Cal Cities joined a broad coalition of local governments, homeless service providers, housing advocates, and business leaders in calling on legislative budget
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committees to provide ongoing funding to address homelessness. While this group of stakeholders does not always see eye to eye, all stakeholders in this space agreed that ongoing funding paired with reasonable accountability metrics would significantly reduce homelessness in our state.
Yet despite several proposals put forward by the Legislature to increase investments in homelessness this year, the 2023-24 State Budget did not include any new ongoing funding for local governments. Rather, the budget deal maintained a one-time $1 billion investment in the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Grant Program that was committed previously in the 2022 Budget Act. While this year's budget fell short of including a long-term funding solution, Cal Cities will continue to stand by our calls for ongoing funding into next year.
Accountability for State Homelessness Funding
While Cal Cities advocated for ongoing funding, the Legislature and the Governor were hyper-focused on local government "accountability" for state homelessness funding this year. Their perception was that major state investments in homelessness in recent years had not significantly reduced the number of unhoused individuals statewide.
Cal Cities killed several legislative proposals seeking to create new and onerous requirements for local governments, arguing that without ongoing funding, more onerous accountability measures at the expense of action would not result in long-term, lasting progress. Despite early success, budget trailer bill language, AB 129 (Committee on Budget), did implement several accountability requirements for local governments to access state homelessness funds. The trailer bill included both positive and negative provisions for cities, so Cal Cities did not have a formal position on the measure.
AB 129 (Committee on Budget) Housing.
This measure:
• Requires regionally coordinated homelessness action plans. These plans must coordinate all homelessness funding and services across the region, assign specific roles and responsibilities to each party to the plan, and set forth key actions that each party will take to reduce and prevent homelessness:
o Each regionally coordinated plan must be memorialized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU);
o Smaller jurisdictions in the region can sign the MOU; and o Counties are encouraged to allocate resources from program funding to smaller jurisdictions that participate in and commit to complying with the plan.
• Intends to transfer grant administration responsibilities from the Interagency Council on Homelessness to the Department of Housing and Community Development beginning with the HHAP program in 2023–24; and • Creates supplemental Homekey grants for HHAP recipients that have compliant housing elements.
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Behavioral Health and Homelessness Budget and Legislative Advocacy 2023 League of California Cities 2023 Legislative Report
Behavioral Health Legislation
Last year, the Governor sponsored historic legislation in the behavioral health space, the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE Court) program, which Cal Cities supported. This year was no different. The Governor followed a similar path, sponsoring a two-part legislative package to modernize and reform the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) for the first time in 20 years and invest billions to increase behavioral health care bed capacity.
Cal Cities supported this two-part legislative package, SB 326 (Eggman) and AB 531 (Irwin), since the start of the year. However, amendments taken to AB 531 just one week before the end of the legislative session generated concerns among cities. Given the last-minute nature of these amendments, Cal Cities could not seek further changes to address these concerns and, therefore, did not seek a signature on AB 531. Sections of AB 531 and SB 326 will appear on the March 2024 primary election ballot as Proposition 1.
SB 326 (Eggman) The Behavioral Health Services Act.
This measure modernizes the MHSA to include treatment for people with substance use disorder and care for the most seriously mentally ill. It also prioritizes investments in housing interventions for individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, by establishing an ongoing funding source for behavioral health beds.
Specifically, this measure:
• Expands eligible services to include treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) alone and allows counties to use funds in combination with other state and federal funds to expand SUD services;
• Updates the name of the MHSA to the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA); • Modernizes county allocations (90% of BHSA funds) to require the following priorities and encourages innovation in each area:
o 30% for Housing Interventions for children and families, youth, adults, and older adults experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness; o 35% for Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs; and
o 35% for Behavioral Health Services and Supports, including early intervention, outreach and engagement, workforce education and training, capital facilities, technological needs, and innovative pilots and projects. A majority (51%) of this amount must be used for early intervention in the early signs of mental illness or substance misuse; and A majority (51%) of these early intervention services and supports must be for people 25 years and younger.
• Allows counties to move up to 7% from one category into another, for a maximum of 14% more added into any one category. This will allow counties to address their different local needs and priorities — based on data and community input;
• Creates new state-led investments (10% of BHSA funds):
Appendix A – Cal Cities Resources 116
Behavioral Health and Homelessness Budget and Legislative Advocacy 2023 League of California Cities 2023 Legislative Report
o Prevention (4% of total funding) programming on behavioral health and wellness to increase awareness about resources and stop behavioral health problems before they start;
o Workforce (3% of total funding) investments to expand the behavioral health workforce; and
o Statewide oversight and monitoring (3% of total funding) to develop statewide outcomes, conduct oversight of county outcomes, train and provide technical assistance, research and evaluate, and administer programs.
• Invests $20 million for a new Innovation Partnership Fund; • Replaces the existing MHSA funding-specific plan with a new County Integrated Plan for Behavioral Health Services and Outcomes, which includes all local behavioral health funding and services, including Medi-Cal; and • Establishes a new annual County Behavioral Health Outcomes, Accountability, and Transparency Report to provide public visibility into county results, disparities, spending, and longitudinal impact on homelessness.
AB 531 (Irwin) The Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2023.
This measure authorizes $6.38 billion in general obligation bonds to construct, acquire, and rehabilitate community-based residential care settings. This includes:
• $4.4 billion for community-based clinical care, building on the existing Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program;
o $1.5 billion will be put into a specific pot of funding for local governments to apply so that cities, counties, and tribal entities have a guarantee for at least this amount of the bond (they will still be eligible for the rest of the total as well); and
o $30 million is dedicated to tribal entities.
• $2 billion for permanent supportive housing units in the form of affordable housing with supports, building on the existing Homekey program; and o Includes $1.065 billion set aside for veterans' housing; and o Housing or facilities funded by the bond are "use by right" if located in a zone where multifamily residential use, office, retail, or parking are a principally permitted use.
Cal Cities also supported several behavioral measures authored by Sen. Eggman.
Eggman, a clinical social worker, has led the charge in modernizing California's mental health system over the last few years. SB 43 (Eggman), one of her measures, reached the Governor's desk this year. This measure updates California's 1967 conservatorship law to better reflect the contemporary realities present in our communities, ensuring that individuals at risk of significant harm receive the help they need.
SB 43 (Eggman) Behavioral Health.
This measure modernizes the definition of gravely disabled within the Lanterman Petris-Short Act to include conditions in which individuals experience — as a result of a
Appendix A – Cal Cities Resources 117
Behavioral Health and Homelessness Budget and Legislative Advocacy 2023 League of California Cities 2023 Legislative Report
severe substance use disorder or a co-occurring disorder — an inability to provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care. This measure also provides that opinions offered by expert witnesses about an individual's symptoms or behavior stemming from a mental health or severe substance use disorder are not made inadmissible by the hearsay rule.
Appendix A – Cal Cities Resources 118
Notable Ballot Measures - November 2024
Notable Ballot Measures – November 2024
Background
There are two ways for a statewide measure to qualify for the ballot to amend the California Constitution. The first is if the Legislature adopts a Senate or Assembly Constitutional Amendment via a two-thirds vote of both houses. The second way is to collect signatures via the initiative process (i.e., initiative constitutional amendment).
The number of valid signatures gathered must be equal to at least one-eighth of a percent of the total votes cast for Governor during the last gubernatorial election.
Regardless of the route pursued, voters must approve any proposed constitutional amendment.
The November 2024 ballot will have multiple noteworthy measures that have the potential to significantly impact local governments. Two of these measures were passed by the Legislature. One is being put forward via the initiative process.
ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry) Local Government Financing: Affordable Housing and Public Infrastructure: Voter Approval.
This measure, subject to voter approval, would allow a city, county, or special district, with 55% voter approval, to incur bonded indebtedness or impose specified special taxes to fund projects for affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, or public infrastructure.
Specifically, the measure authorizes a local government, in the form of general obligation bonds, approved by 55% of voters, to fund the acquisition or lease of real property, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of public infrastructure, affordable housing, or permanent supportive housing for persons at risk of chronic homelessness. This provision shall apply only if the proposition approved by the voters and resulting in the bonded indebtedness follows specified accountability requirements.
The measure authorizes a local government, with approval by 55% of voters, to impose, extend, or increase a sales and use tax, a transactions and use tax, or a parcel tax to fund the acquisition or lease of real property, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of public infrastructure, affordable housing, or permanent supportive housing for persons at risk of chronic homelessness. This provision shall only apply if specified accountability requirements are met. The measure also states that a local government may levy a 55% vote ad valorem tax.
Additional provisions of the measure include:
• Limits the number of propositions authorized by the measure a local government can place on the ballot until all funds from a proposition have been committed; • Authorizes the Legislature, by a two-thirds vote, to enact laws establishing accountability measures in addition to those listed in the measure;
Appendix A – Cal Cities Resources 119
Notable Ballot Measures – November 2024
League of California Cities 2023 Legislative Report
• Specifies that the Legislature may, by majority vote, enact laws for downpayment assistance programs;
• Specifies that a special district, other than a board of education or school district, shall not incur any indebtedness or liability exceeding any applicable statutory limit, as prescribed by the statutes governing the special district as they currently read or may thereafter be amended by the Legislature; and • Allows the voter approval thresholds to apply to a local measure imposing, extending, or increasing a sales and use tax, transactions and use tax, a parcel tax, or general obligation bonded indebtedness for the purposes specified above, submitted to voters at the same election as ACA 1.
Cal Cities actively supported ACA 1 while it was progressing through the legislative process.
ACA 13 (Ward) Voting Thresholds.
This measure, subject to voter approval, requires any state or local initiative measure to conform with any increased voter threshold that it seeks to impose on future ballot measures. For example, if a measure looks to increase the voter threshold of a specific tax measure from a simple majority (50% +1) to a supermajority (two-thirds), the measure would be required to pass by that same supermajority.
The measure also preserves the right of local governments to place advisory questions on the ballot to ask voters their opinion on the issue, and states that the provisions of this constitutional amendment apply to all statewide initiative measures submitted to voters on or after Jan. 1, 2024.
Cal Cities actively supported ACA 13 while it was progressing through the legislative process.
Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act
This measure, brought forward by the California Business Roundtable, proposes to amend the California Constitution to change how local governments can impose taxes, fees, and other charges.
The measure would make numerous changes to taxes at the local level. First, it would expand the definition of a tax to include some charges that local governments currently regard as fees. The measure would also require all local special taxes to pass by a twothirds supermajority. Currently, special taxes brought forward via the initiative process are allowed to pass with a simple majority. Additionally, the measure requires local tax measures to identify the type and rate of the tax and the duration of the tax. The measure also requires that local general tax measures must state that the revenue can be used for general purposes. Any local tax measure approved between Jan. 1, 2022,
Appendix A – Cal Cities Resources 120
Notable Ballot Measures – November 2024
League of California Cities 2023 Legislative Report
and the effective date of the measure would be void unless it meets the requirements of the measure.
Furthermore, the measure would alter how fees are administered at the local level. Fees would have to be approved by the majority of a local governing body. The measure would restrict the ability of that local governing body to delegate fee changes to administrative entities. For some, if a loc fees al governing body wished to impose a new fee or make changes to an existing fee, the measure would require that the charge be both reasonable and reflect the “actual costs” to the local government of providing the service. The measure defines “actual costs” as not exceeding “the minimum amount necessary.”
If a payer of a fee challenged the charge, the local government would bear the burden of providing “clear and convincing” evidence that the fee meets the threshold. Any fee approved between Jan. 1, 2022, and the effective date of this measure would be nullified and deemed a tax unless it fulfills the requirements of the measure.
Finally, the measure would explicitly prohibit an advisory measure from appearing on the same ballot as a local measure that proposes a general tax.
Cal Cities opposes this measure.
APPENDIX B – CAL CITIES
RESOURCES
Appendix B – Cal Cities Resources 121
Legislative Staff
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
Legislative Staff
Jason Rhine, Director of Legislative Affairs
Housing, Community, and Economic Development
[email protected]
Meg Desmond, Associate Manager, Legislative Administration [email protected]
Caroline Cirrincione, Legislative Affairs, Lobbyist
Community Services
[email protected]
Melissa Sparks-Kranz, Legislative Affairs, Lobbyist
Environmental Quality
[email protected]
Johnnie Pina, Legislative Affairs, Lobbyist
Governance, Transparency and Labor Relations
[email protected]
Jolena Voorhis, Legislative Affairs, Lobbyist
Public Safety
[email protected]
Ben Triffo, Legislative Affairs, Lobbyist
Revenue and Taxation
[email protected]
Damon Conklin, Legislative Affairs, Lobbyist
Transportation, Communications and Public Works
[email protected]
Waleed Hojeij, Policy and Legislative Affairs Analyst
[email protected]
Betsy Montiel, Policy and Legislative Affairs Analyst
[email protected]
Zach Cefalu, Policy and Legislative Affairs Analyst
[email protected]
Appendix B – Cal Cities Resources 122
Regional Public Affairs Managers
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
Regional Public Affairs Managers
Public Affairs Director
Bismarck Obando
Office: (916) 658-8273
Cell: (916) 612-9377
[email protected]
Central Valley
Stephen Qualls
Cell: (209) 614-0118
[email protected]
Channel Counties
David Mullinax
Cell: (805) 797-3530
[email protected]
Desert Mountain; Inland
Empire
Laura Morales
Cell: (909) 275-4110
[email protected]
East Bay
Sam Caygill
Cell: (510) 473-5418
[email protected]
Peninsula
Seth Miller
Cell: (415) 595-8629
[email protected]
Los Angeles County
Kristine Guerrero
Cell: (626) 716-0076
[email protected]
Jennifer Quan
Cell: (626) 786-5142
[email protected]
Jeff Kiernan
Cell: (310) 630-7505
[email protected]
Monterey Bay
Deanna Sessums
Cell: (831) 915-8293
[email protected]
North Bay
Nancy Hall Bennett
Cell: (415) 302-2032
[email protected]
Orange County
Connor Medina
Cell: (949) 421-9898
[email protected]
Redwood Empire
Sara Sanders
Office: (916) 658-8243
Cell: (916) 548-9030
[email protected]
Riverside County
Jesse Ramirez
Cell: (951) 808-2448
[email protected]
Sacramento Valley
Charles Anderson
Cell: (916) 798-2231
[email protected]
San Diego County;
Imperial County
Catherine Hill
Work: (619) 295-8282
Cell: (619) 733-1751
[email protected]
South San Joaquin
Valley
Rajveer Rakkar
Cell: (559) 214-1849
[email protected]
Appendix B – Cal Cities Resources 123
10 Tips for Cities Lobbying the California Legislature
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
10 Tips for Cities Lobbying the California Legislature
1. Become engaged in the state level political process by appointing a legislative liaison within your city to track key legislation and work with your regional public affairs manager. Visit the Cal Cities regional division webpage to locate contact information for your regional public affairs manager.
2. Use Cal Cities as a resource. Visit the Cal Cities advocacy page to access Cal Cities priority bills, city sample support and opposition letters, legislative contacts, and use our online bill search feature to track bills’ progress.
3. Read and subscribe to the Cal Cities Advocate, Cal Cities’ weekly newsletter, to stay current on important legislation and stories.
4. Develop relationships with your Senate and Assembly representatives as well as their Capitol and district office staff. Make sure to look up who your local state elected official is.
5. Get to know members of your local press and educate them on legislative issues affecting your city.
6. Understand how state decisions impact your city’s budget by attending Cal Cities educational conferences, policy committee meetings, and regional division events.
7. Build networks and collaborate with other stakeholders in your community, including non-profits, businesses, and your county counterparts on key legislative issues.
8. Organize an internal process within your city for developing and proposing changes to both state and federal laws that will help your city.
9. Adopt local policies on legislation that enable your city to react quickly to the legislative process and respond to Cal Cities action alerts.
10. Write letters on legislation featured in the Cal Cities Advocate. City sample support and opposition letters can be found using the Cal Cities bill search feature and entering the bill number or bill author.
Appendix B – Cal Cities Resources 124
Effective Letter Writing Techniques
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
Effective Letter Writing Techniques
1. Include the bill number, title, and your position in the subject line. Never bury the bill number and the action you want the legislator to take in the body of the letter.
2. One bill per letter. Legislators file letters according to the bill number.
3. State the facts. Describe the impact the bill would have on your city. Use “real world” facts; legislators like to know how a bill would specifically affect cities in their districts. Cal Cities often provides a sample letter that includes space to describe local impacts. Take the time to provide such examples. This part of the letter is the most valuable to the legislator.
4. Think about the message. Letters may be targeted to specific legislators or entire committees. Think about who you want to act on the bill and message accordingly. If you are writing in support of transportation funding, emphasizing how the project will reduce greenhouse gases might be important to one legislator, while highlighting how the project could encourage additional development and jobs might be important to another. Both messages are correct, but your effectiveness will be in selecting the right message.
5. Check for amendments. Always check the Cal Cities bill search page to make sure you are addressing issues in the latest draft. Bills are often significantly amended and the issue you are writing about may have changed or have been deleted altogether by the time you send your letter.
6. Send follow-up letters to the appropriate legislative committees as a bill moves along. You can often use your original letter with some modifications. Visit the Cal Cities bill search webpage to track the bill’s location. In addition, the Cal Cities Advocate features stories on key legislation.
7. Provide a contact. At the close of the letter, provide a contact person in case there are questions about the city’s position.
8. Know the committees on which your legislator serves. A legislator is likely to pay more attention to the bill positions of their constituents especially when it comes before his or her committee. At the committee level, this is even more important because your legislator has greater ability at this point in the legislative process to have the bill amended.
9. Copy the right people. Email a copy of the letter to your local state senator, assembly member, your Cal Cities regional public affairs manager, and Cal Cities.
10.Submit your letter to the California legislature position letter portal. The portal automatically sends letters to the author’s office and the committee(s) of jurisdiction.
Please visit the legislative portal to create an account and upload the letter.
Appendix B – Cal Cities Resources 125
Effective Letter Writing Techniques
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
Index 126
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
Index of Chaptered Bills
AB 3................................................... 28 AB 5................................................... 15 AB 10................................................. 15 AB 12................................................. 61 AB 28................................................. 92 AB 30................................................. 34 AB 33................................................. 18 AB 34................................................. 39 AB 39................................................. 94 AB 40................................................. 82 AB 42................................................. 59 AB 43................................................. 23 AB 48................................................. 12 AB 50................................................. 28 AB 56................................................. 88 AB 60................................................. 88 AB 63................................................. 39 AB 70................................................. 99 AB 72................................................. 26 AB 84................................................. 93 AB 92................................................. 84 AB 96................................................. 44 AB 97................................................. 84 AB 100................................................. 6 AB 102................................................. 6 AB 103................................................. 6 AB 110................................................. 6 AB 111................................................. 7 AB 112................................................. 7 AB 113................................................. 7 AB 116................................................. 7 AB 118................................................. 7 AB 119................................................. 7 AB 120................................................. 7 AB 121................................................. 8 AB 127................................................. 8 AB 128................................................. 8 AB 129................................................. 8 AB 130................................................. 8 AB 134................................................. 8 AB 225............................................... 59 AB 243............................................... 89 AB 255............................................... 82 AB 256............................................... 74 AB 258............................................... 55 AB 267............................................... 87 AB 271............................................... 17 AB 275............................................... 15 AB 281............................................... 55 AB 286............................................. 102 AB 289............................................... 13 AB 292............................................... 39 AB 297............................................... 87 AB 301............................................... 74 AB 303............................................... 84 AB 314............................................... 92 AB 318............................................... 62 AB 319............................................... 62 AB 323............................................... 60 AB 334............................................... 96 AB 338......................................... 46, 97
AB 341............................................... 89 AB 345............................................... 34 AB 349............................................... 13 AB 355............................................... 84 AB 356............................................... 21 AB 357............................................... 12 AB 358............................................... 56 AB 360............................................... 89 AB 361............................................. 100 AB 363............................................... 32 AB 368............................................... 15 AB 373............................................... 16 AB 391............................................... 89 AB 393............................................... 16 AB 398............................................... 39 AB 399......................................... 34, 39
AB 400............................................... 97 AB 410............................................... 96 AB 413............................................... 74 AB 414............................................. 102 AB 421............................................... 40 AB 426............................................... 63 AB 434............................................... 60 AB 436............................................... 74 AB 443............................................... 75 AB 449............................................... 87 AB 452............................................... 46
Index 127
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
AB 455............................................... 84 AB 461............................................... 18 AB 466............................................... 75 AB 480............................................... 56 AB 489............................................... 50 AB 496............................................... 38 AB 508............................................... 75 AB 516............................................... 65 AB 519............................................... 52 AB 520............................................... 44 AB 521............................................... 97 AB 529............................................... 52 AB 531............................................... 13 AB 536............................................... 47 AB 537............................................... 95 AB 541............................................... 35 AB 543............................................... 92 AB 545............................................... 40 AB 546............................................... 70 AB 548............................................... 60 AB 556............................................... 93 AB 557............................................... 49 AB 567............................................... 75 AB 569............................................... 47 AB 570............................................... 87 AB 572............................................... 56 AB 574............................................... 84 AB 584............................................... 26 AB 585............................................... 23 AB 587............................................... 97 AB 592............................................... 33 AB 594............................................... 44 AB 600............................................... 75 AB 604............................................... 62 AB 606............................................... 23 AB 621............................................... 50 AB 623............................................... 72 AB 626............................................... 40 AB 631............................................... 32 AB 641............................................... 76 AB 645............................................. 100 AB 652............................................... 32 AB 655............................................... 30 AB 658............................................... 48 AB 663............................................... 18 AB 664............................................... 35 AB 665............................................... 13 AB 671............................................... 51 AB 678............................................... 28 AB 682............................................... 35 AB 700............................................... 87 AB 701............................................... 76 AB 709............................................... 76 AB 712............................................... 14 AB 716............................................... 82 AB 725............................................... 85 AB 732............................................... 85 AB 744............................................. 101 AB 750............................................... 82 AB 751............................................... 76 AB 755............................................... 35 AB 759............................................... 35 AB 764............................................... 41 AB 767............................................... 82 AB 773............................................... 41 AB 777............................................... 30 AB 779............................................... 36 AB 781............................................... 13 AB 783............................................... 98 AB 785............................................... 22 AB 791............................................... 76 AB 806............................................... 76 AB 812............................................... 56 AB 818............................................... 76 AB 821............................................... 56 AB 829............................................... 77 AB 839............................................... 12 AB 840............................................... 70 AB 844............................................... 96 AB 882............................................... 27 AB 890............................................... 77 AB 894............................................... 62 AB 902............................................... 82 AB 911............................................... 66 AB 925............................................... 77 AB 932............................................... 51 AB 933............................................... 77 AB 935............................................... 19 AB 946............................................... 83 AB 965............................................. 102 AB 968............................................... 66 AB 969............................................... 41
Index 128
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
AB 971............................................. 101 AB 976............................................... 51 AB 988............................................... 71 AB 993............................................... 72 AB 994............................................... 90 AB 1013............................................. 90 AB 1020............................................. 49 AB 1027............................................. 90 AB 1033............................................. 51 AB 1037............................................. 41 AB 1046............................................. 98 AB 1052............................................. 92 AB 1059............................................. 30 AB 1089............................................. 85 AB 1097............................................. 52 AB 1104............................................. 78 AB 1109............................................. 78 AB 1114............................................. 57 AB 1115............................................. 31 AB 1121............................................. 98 AB 1125............................................. 78 AB 1126............................................. 73 AB 1130............................................. 71 AB 1132............................................. 29 AB 1150............................................. 19 AB 1159............................................. 24 AB 1166............................................. 78 AB 1171............................................. 73 AB 1172............................................. 24 AB 1175............................................. 66 AB 1185............................................. 88 AB 1203............................................. 92 AB 1210............................................. 78 AB 1216............................................. 21 AB 1218............................................. 66 AB 1219............................................. 42 AB 1227............................................. 42 AB 1233............................................. 71 AB 1259............................................. 95 AB 1270............................................. 63 AB 1279............................................. 16 AB 1280............................................. 60 AB 1285............................................. 52 AB 1287............................................. 57 AB 1305............................................. 24 AB 1307....................................... 22, 67
AB 1308............................................. 63 AB 1317............................................. 63 AB 1319............................................. 64 AB 1322............................................. 32 AB 1325............................................. 78 AB 1332............................................. 51 AB 1355............................................. 44 AB 1360............................................. 72 AB 1361............................................. 93 AB 1371............................................. 79 AB 1373............................................. 99 AB 1376............................................. 83 AB 1377............................................. 17 AB 1386............................................. 61 AB 1394............................................. 79 AB 1403............................................. 79 AB 1406............................................. 85 AB 1418............................................. 90 AB 1420............................................. 85 AB 1439............................................. 53 AB 1448............................................. 73 AB 1449............................................. 57 AB 1458............................................. 67 AB 1462............................................. 18 AB 1467............................................. 16 AB 1474............................................. 67 AB 1483............................................. 85 AB 1484............................................. 45 AB 1485............................................. 67 AB 1490............................................. 57 AB 1500............................................. 93 AB 1508............................................. 67 AB 1519............................................. 79 AB 1526............................................. 33 AB 1528............................................. 53 AB 1539............................................. 42 AB 1548............................................. 24 AB 1572............................................. 36 AB 1594............................................. 96 AB 1598............................................. 85 AB 1607............................................. 64 AB 1620............................................. 61 AB 1633............................................. 68 AB 1637..................................... 47, 103
AB 1638....................................... 47, 83
AB 1649............................................. 64
Index 129
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
AB 1658............................................. 55 AB 1668............................................. 70 AB 1673........................................... 101
AB 1679............................................. 93 AB 1684............................................. 73 AB 1701............................................. 16 AB 1716............................................. 31 AB 1734............................................. 57 AB 1736............................................. 36 AB 1753............................................. 68 AB 1762............................................. 42 AB 1764............................................. 68 ACR 16 .............................................. 16 ACR 54 .............................................. 47 SB 2 ................................................... 86 SB 3 ................................................... 99 SB 4 ................................................... 58 SB 10 ................................................. 18 SB 14 ................................................. 79 SB 19 ................................................. 19 SB 20 ................................................. 53 SB 25 ................................................. 42 SB 29 ................................................. 48 SB 34 ................................................. 64 SB 35 ................................................. 14 SB 38 ................................................. 99 SB 39 ................................................. 25 SB 43 ................................................. 14 SB 46 ................................................. 72 SB 51 ................................................. 73 SB 55 ................................................. 79 SB 60 ................................................. 19 SB 67 ................................................. 72 SB 69 ................................................. 22 SB 76 ................................................. 70 SB 77 ................................................. 42 SB 78 ................................................. 79 SB 82 ................................................. 94 SB 96 ................................................. 93 SB 97 ................................................. 80 SB 101 ................................................. 6 SB 104 ................................................. 6 SB 105 ................................................. 6 SB 114 ................................................. 8 SB 115 ................................................. 9 SB 117 ................................................. 9 SB 122 ................................................. 9 SB 123 ................................................. 9 SB 124 ................................................. 9 SB 125 ................................................. 9 SB 131 ................................................. 9 SB 132 ............................................... 10 SB 133 ............................................... 10 SB 135 ............................................... 10 SB 137 ............................................... 10 SB 138 ............................................... 10 SB 140 ............................................... 10 SB 141 ............................................... 10 SB 142 ............................................... 10 SB 143 ............................................... 11 SB 148 ............................................... 11 SB 149 ............................................... 22 SB 151 ............................................... 11 SB 152 ............................................... 11 SB 229 ............................................... 58 SB 234 ............................................... 19 SB 240 ............................................... 53 SB 241 ............................................... 86 SB 250 ............................................... 80 SB 253 ............................................... 25 SB 256 ............................................... 25 SB 261 ............................................... 26 SB 267 ............................................... 53 SB 269 ............................................... 70 SB 272 ............................................... 27 SB 273 ............................................... 65 SB 280 ............................................... 14 SB 281 ............................................... 80 SB 290 ............................................... 88 SB 297 ............................................... 42 SB 302 ............................................... 74 SB 306 ............................................... 26 SB 314 ............................................... 43 SB 319 ............................................. 100 SB 321 ............................................... 17 SB 323 ............................................... 17 SB 326 ............................................... 14 SB 329 ............................................... 48 SB 337 ............................................... 27 SB 341 ............................................... 68 SB 348 ............................................... 17 SB 353 ............................................... 33
Index 130
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
SB 355 ............................................... 29 SB 360 ............................................... 27 SB 362 ............................................... 48 SB 365 ............................................... 80 SB 368 ............................................... 86 SB 374 ............................................... 80 SB 376 ............................................... 88 SB 386 ............................................... 43 SB 389 ............................................... 36 SB 406 ............................................... 54 SB 411 ............................................... 49 SB 412 ............................................... 80 SB 419 ............................................... 94 SB 423 ............................................... 58 SB 428 ............................................... 45 SB 434 ............................................. 102 SB 439 ............................................... 68 SB 447 ............................................... 14 SB 449 ............................................... 90 SB 452 ............................................... 86 SB 462 ............................................... 15 SB 464 ............................................... 89 SB 469 ............................................... 54 SB 482 ............................................... 54 SB 485 ............................................... 43 SB 497 ............................................... 45 SB 498 ............................................... 71 SB 505 ............................................... 69 SB 506 ............................................. 101 SB 514 ............................................... 81 SB 520 ............................................... 94 SB 525 ............................................... 45 SB 548 ............................................... 49 SB 553 ............................................... 45 SB 555 ............................................... 54 SB 558 ............................................... 81 SB 567 ............................................... 61 SB 568 ............................................... 33 SB 593 ............................................... 65 SB 602 ............................................... 91 SB 605 ............................................... 29 SB 616 ............................................... 46 SB 617 ............................................... 98 SB 622 ............................................... 74 SB 623 ............................................... 50 SB 626 ............................................... 20 SB 642 ............................................... 31 SB 650 ............................................... 91 SB 654 ............................................... 98 SB 659 ............................................... 36 SB 613 ............................................... 33 SB 673 ............................................... 83 SB 676 ............................................... 37 SB 678 ............................................... 43 SB 681 ............................................... 48 SB 684 ............................................... 58 SB 695 ............................................. 102 SB 700 ............................................... 46 SB 704 ............................................... 27 SB 706 ............................................... 99 SB 712 ............................................... 61 SB 713 ............................................... 59 SB 717 ............................................... 15 SB 727 ............................................... 81 SB 734 ............................................... 94 SB 736 ............................................... 55 SB 740 ............................................... 31 SB 741 ............................................... 81 SB 746 ............................................... 29 SB 747 ............................................... 59 SB 748 ............................................... 12 SB 749 ............................................... 81 SB 753 ............................................... 37 SB 756 ............................................... 37 SB 787 ............................................... 71 SB 789 ............................................... 43 SB 790 ............................................... 50 SB 798 ......................................... 44, 95 SB 800 ............................................... 21 SB 806 ............................................... 34 SB 825 ............................................. 103 SB 833 ............................................... 38 SB 835 ............................................... 65 SB 836 ............................................... 37 SB 844 ............................................... 71 SB 848 ............................................... 46 SB 852 ............................................... 81 SB 882 ............................................... 48 SB 883 ............................................... 91 SB 885 ............................................... 49 SBX1 2............................................... 30 SCR 5................................................. 12
Index 131
League of California Cities 2022 Legislative Report
SJR 2 ................................................. 28
EXHIBIT A
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM
Adopted by City Council Resolution No. 11405(2023 Series)
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM
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The following document reflects those legislative matters on which the council majority authorizes the Mayor, City Manager and City Attorney to engage in legislative advocacy on behalf of the City without the need for further council review or authority. The council’s authorization extends only to advocacy for or against generally applicable legislative proposals being considered by local, regional, state and/or federal policy makers or regulators, as well as regional initiatives consistent with Major City Goals, and adopted City policy platforms, and does not otherwise extend to advocacy on any individual project or entitlement application pending before any decision-making body, unless specifically noted herein.
Contents
Climate Action...............................................................................................................................................3 Energy ...........................................................................................................................................................3 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.....................................................................................................................5 Homelessness Resources Advocacy..............................................................................................................6 Community Development.............................................................................................................................8 Economic Development................................................................................................................................9 Finance........................................................................................................................................................10 Human Resources/Employee Relations......................................................................................................11 Public Safety................................................................................................................................................12 Public Works ...............................................................................................................................................13 Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources.............................................................................................14 Transportation ............................................................................................................................................15 Utilities........................................................................................................................................................17 County/Regional Priorities........................................................................................................................19
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Climate Action
1. Support funding for communities to pay for public infrastructure that meets state greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and adopted City objectives.
2. Support funding to implement programs and related action items contained in local and regional Climate Action Plans to quantitatively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advocate for regulatory reform, including but not limited to clean technologies, micro-grids, all electric buildings, electrified transportation, behind the meter technology, and natural solutions (e.g., tree planting, open space conservation, and contemporary land management and restoration practices).
3. Support regulatory reform for the transition to clean technologies, microgrids, low and zero carbon energy generation, and decarbonized buildings.
4. Support legislation and regulation that is aligned with the City’s goals of carbon neutrality by 2035 and sub-goals related to municipal operations, clean electricity, building decarbonization, clean mobility, organic waste diversion, and natural solutions.
5. Support legislation and regulation that is aligned with the policies and programs set forth by the Climate Adaptation and Safety Element including using future projections for climate hazards in planning decisions, investing in community resilience, and adapting built infrastructure and natural ecosystems to climate change hazards and disturbances.
6. Support funding and resources to focus climate investments on programs and projects that support environmental justice, economic and racial equity, and head of household jobs.
7. Support extended producer responsibility for packaging and single-use product manufacturing as to encourage source reduction and the manufacturing of reusable and sustainable products.
8. Support measures that make waste diversion and reduction more equitable for our residents and businesses.
9. Support legislation that makes recycling organic waste and edible food recovery and distribution more efficient and easily accessible to residents and businesses in need.
Energy
1. Support local communities’ broad authority to form and administer Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs, reforming the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and limiting decisions that negatively impact CCEs or otherwise shift the financial impacts of investor-owned utilities to CCEs.
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2. Support California Community Choice Associations’ (Cal CCA) Regulatory and Legislative Platform, where consistent with the City’s legislative platform.
3. Support reform of CPUC policies to ensure investor-owned utilities are able and required to provide timely, accurate, and sufficiently detailed energy data.
4. Support reform of CPUC policies and state legislation that supports increased and equitable access to distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar.
5. Support legislation eliminating departing load charges which discourage the use of alternative energy resources.
6. Central Coast Community Energy Policy Board and Operations Board Positions. 1 a. Support environmental justice and economic equity. b. Support 3CE investment in and support for distributed energy resources (e.g., rooftop solar), virtual power plants, demand response, behind the meter technology and energy efficiency. c. Support 3CE in evaluating and deploying programs that are climate action force multipliers (e.g., tariffed on-bill financing, virtual power plants, etc.). d. Support climate mitigation (e.g., emissions reductions), adaptation (e.g., distributed energy resources and grid stability), and resilience (e.g., disaster preparedness). e. Support the inclusion of all segments of the community in policy making and program design processes.
f. Support processes that are transparent, collaborative, visible, accessible, and inclusive. g. Support rate, rebate, and revenue structures that create a robust programs budget. h. Support a portfolio of programs that focuses on economic, social, and environmental equity. i. Support a portfolio of programs that focuses on strategic and intentional long-term economic development consistent with sub-regional economic development approaches. j. Support regional climate action and a portfolio of programs that are strategically implemented to achieve regional climate targets.
k. Support staffing required to effectively design, advertise, implement, and monitor effectiveness of the agency’s project portfolio.
1 The City Council approved the City joining Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) in September 2018 and City representatives have been seated on 3CE’s Policy Board, Operations Board, and Community Advisory Council since 2019. This section of the City’s Legislative Platform identifies City of San Luis Obispo policy positions on key topics that may come before the various boards and advisory bodies of 3CE. The policy positions contained herein are intended to guide Board member deliberation, and voting and staff review of agenda, but are not an exhaustive list of issues that may arise. These positions are intended to extend only to advocacy for or against generally applicable policy proposals being considered by 3CE and does not extend to advocacy on any individual project or entitlement application pending before any decision-making body, nor does it extend to the larger legislative platform of the City.
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l. Support local government access to data, transparent GHG emissions reporting, and subannual emissions factors as available. m. Support programs that provide funding, technical support, or legislation that promotes grid independence and resiliency.
n. Support processes and governance approaches that provide sufficient time for Board members to fully participate and drive decisions, from inception to implementation. o. Support projects that focus on strategic and intentional regional economic development consistent with regional economic development approaches, when feasible, and with entities that support fair wage practices and maximize benefit to local workforces, when feasible.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
1. Support programs and policies to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and address systemic inequities that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized racial, ethnic, and faith-based communities.
2. Support programs and policies that disrupt anti-immigrant ideologies and center strategies for undocumented individuals’ health, well-being, and success.
3. Support education and employment opportunities and advancement of upward economic mobility and access to programs such as childcare, after-school activities, school’s family support networks and supportive services for people aging out of the foster care system.
4. Support increased availability of grant funding for ADA accessibility improvements and connectivity to streets, parks, and other public infrastructure.
5. Support amendments to the California Voting Rights Act to expand safe harbor provisions to include remedies, in addition to district elections, to enhance quantifiable equity gains in participation and representation in local elections.
6. Support policies that protect voting rights and work to disrupt voter suppression tactics that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.
7. Support legislation that provides funding sources for appropriate human service agencies that support the mission of the Human Relations Commission.
8. Support legislation and funding to increase affordable and equitable childcare services and activities, and options for working low-income families.
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9. Support legislation related to implementation of the Racial Equity Framework2 and resources and tools to promote racial equity and address structural racism.
Homelessness Resources Advocacy
1. Support legislation and funding for the prevention of homelessness and support of families and individuals vulnerable to becoming homeless.
2. Support funding for project-based, permanent affordable housing.
3. Support funding for the entire housing spectrum (including affordable units, ADUs, Tiny Homes, Temporary Emergency Shelters and family housing, and supportive housing for all homeless individuals and families including the mentally ill and aging adults).
4. Advocate for increased flexibility in the use of Federal Funds at the local level to address the full spectrum of services and transitional housing for individuals who are unhoused.
5. Support nonprofit eviction prevention services for low-income individuals and families.
6. Support programs and funding to encourage private market landlords to provide affordable units, participate in housing voucher programs and upgrade units for energy efficiency.
7. Support additional funding that encourages unique multi-departmental and inter-governmental collaboration to assist individuals experiencing homelessness, such as the City’s Community Action Team (CAT) and Mobile Crisis Unit (MCU), as well as Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for public safety personnel.
8. Support employment services and job training forindividuals who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless.
9. Support funding for federal, state, county and local, non-profit and faith community’s coordination in preventing and ending homelessness.
10. Support funding for the removal and storage of homeless individual’s belongings and the cleaning of sites used by unhoused residents.
11. Support funding and county programs that promote whole person care approaches that include 2 Executive Order N-16-22 establishes the State's authority to develop plans and strategies to advance equity and identify disparities. Within the Executive Order, there are specifics for the Governor's Office of Planning & Research to create the Racial Equity Commission (REC). One of the duties of the REC is to produce a Racial Equity Framework by 2024, which will contain strategies for state, county, and local governments to implement.
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access to expanded medical, mental, and behavioral health services, including substance use disorder treatment services, and new approaches to financing health care access and patient wellness to reduce avoidable emergency room visits, hospital stays and readmissions.
12. Support increased funding and statutory authorization for crisis intervention, involuntary assessment and commitment, guardianship control, and health welfare intervention and supervision of those suffering from chronic homelessness, mental illness and addiction and recognition of mental illness and addiction as contributors to chronic homelessness.
13. Support streamlined protocols and metrics to be used by homeless service providers, local agencies, and other non-governmental partners to capture and share accurate statistics of individuals experiencing homelessness, including vacancy rates, in-flow and out-flow information, cost-reporting of services provided and rendered, and individuals successfully housed.
14. Oppose legislation that seeks to circumvent local control and consideration of local circumstances and safety of the general public when addressing homelessness.
15. Support legislation , programs, funding, court intervention, and statutory authorization for a unified crisis response system and enhances the ability of the County Behavioral Health Director, crisis response personnel, family members and social service providers to share information necessary for effective treatment interventions and to compel assisted outpatient treatment for a person exiting a conservatorship and those lacking capacity to provide for their own healthcare, shelter and food needs.
16. Support legislation that would allow the courts and crisis intervention personnel to consider a person’s medical, addiction and mental health conditions, history of adverse impacts on community health and safety, and capacity of individuals to provide for their own health, shelter, and food needs in mandating program participation in connection with criminal justice and other contacts, including or expansion of the definition of “gravely disabled” under code section 5150 et seq. in evaluating whether an individual is a danger to themselves or others.
17. Support legislation for Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) to allow for flexibility in funds earmarked for “Innovation” programs that are aimed at finding new and different ways to provide services.
18. Support legislation, funding, programs, and policies to help expand capacity in local psychiatric health facilities, delivery of case management, drug, alcohol, and detoxification services and facilities, and mental health services for all County residents.
19. Advocate that the County lead in the area of expanding humane shelter and housing opportunities for the unhoused population and expand outreach and case management services specifically tailored to the needs of homeless individuals in the County to transition out of homelessness.
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20. Support the use of data from public safety, City, and regional Community Action Teams (CAT) and Mobile Crisis Units (MCU) outcomes, to advocate that the County allocate new resources to scale up these programs to match the need.
21. Support an effective and efficient implementation of San Luis Obispo County’s 5 Year Plan to Address Homelessness.
22. Support state and federal funding of mandates to provide care and services to vulnerable populations.
23. Support legislative efforts to repeal Article 34 of the California Constitution, which requires majority approval by the voters of a city or county for the development, construction, or acquisition of a publicly funded affordable housing project.
Community Development
1. Support local control of land use planning and zoning matters.
2. Support State and Federal assistance to prevent the loss of housing for those impacted by local, state, or federal disasters.
3. Support reforms of the State mandated HCD Regional Housing Need Allocations process to recognize local resource limitations and align infrastructure and other funding to help communities meet mandated housing requirements.
4. Support funding of on-campus housing at Cal Poly for students, staff and faculty, and University acquisition of residences for staff and faculty housing.
5. Support increased funding for affordable housing and supportive housing services for very low, low, and moderate income individuals and families in all cities and communities and opposing the erosion of local inclusionary housing and in-lieu fee programs.
6. Support continued funding of National Housing Trust Fund and streamlined and efficient implementation regulations at the state level.
7. Support additional state funding to implement AB 32 (The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006) and SB 375 (The Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008) through local general plan updates that implement the regional sustainable communities plan and alternative planning strategy, if needed.
8. Advocate for funding for the identification, acquisition, maintenance and restoration of historic sites
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and structures.
9. Support continued and expanded funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
10. Support continued local control over mobile home park rent stabilization and local control over the conversion of mobile home parks to other uses to ensure that low-incomemobile home park residents are not involuntarily removed from homes or otherwise subject to involuntary displacement due to economic impacts of parks subdivision or conversion.
11. Encourage the protection, enhancement, and increased production of mobile home park residency opportunities.
12. Promote resolving regulatory or financial barriers to implement AB 811 (2008) property-assessed clean energy districts.
13. Encourage continued viability and expansion of inclusionary housing provisions and avoidance of conflicts with Costa-Hawkins Act.
14. Advocate for the ability to issue parking citations on private property.
15. Support responsible review and revision of CEQA to ensure sound environmental determinations.
16. Promote pragmatic and clarifying actions to implement Proposition 64 Cannabis legalization, including increased funding for health education, the preservation of local land use decision making, reconciliation of conflicts in state and federal law, and systems for legal banking.
17. Support increased relocation assistance (AB 1482 2019) when a tenant is evicted due to no-fault of their own.
18. Support a comprehensive approach to renter protections for rental housing.
19. Support funding for seismic retrofitting for buildings that haven't been retrofitted.
Economic Development
1. Support state and federal assistance for those people and businesses facing severe economic losses due to pandemic or other disasters.
2. Support regional economic activities except for those that promote weapons or fossil fuel production or distribution activities.
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3. Support direct assistance and/or legislation that supports local agencies with recovering costs related to the pandemic or other disasters and stimulate economic development, resiliency, and recovery.
4. Support funding and legislation using tax credits or other incentive programs to encourage research and development by businesses in California.
5. Support funding and policies for the promotion of California and the City and County of San Luis Obispo as a place to locate businesses that provide head-of-household jobs.
6. Support economic development that is integrated with articulated Major City Goals such as climate action, environmental protection and social justice and diversity objectives.
7. Support funding for the state tourism promotion program.
8. Support the effective and efficient use of all communications technologies including voice, video, data, and information services over wired and wireless transmission technologies and supporting net neutrality.
9. Support telecommunications reform legislation and other measures that preserve local control over public rights-of-way, protect local resources, broadband for all residents and guarantee access to, funding for, and local flexibility in utilizing funds for public, educational and government (PEG) access television.
10. Support the expansion of public infrastructure financing tools and funding for infrastructure.
Finance
1. Support meaningful fiscal reform that allows each level of government to adequately finance its service responsibilities while continuing to support efforts to protect the City from loss of revenues due to State take-aways and unfunded State or Federal mandates.
2. Oppose initiatives that unduly burden and/or prohibit local government ability to support essential services to the community.
3. Support collection of the full amount of local transient occupancy tax from online sales of lodging.
4. Support the continuation of California Specialized Training Institute activities within San Luis Obispo County.
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5. Oppose removal of the municipal bond tax exemption.
6. Support legislation to modernize the Ralph M. Brown Act to provide increased flexibility for remote participation in public meetings by elected and appointed officials and provide increased opportunities for public engagement.
Human Resources/Employee Relations
1. Support additional workers’ compensation reforms that lower employers' costs while still protecting workers and oppose legislation that would restrict appropriate cost controls in the workers’ compensation system.
2. Support pension and retiree health benefits reform efforts, policy changes, and permissible administration decisions aimed at reducing unfunded liabilities, reducing costs, and ensuring the longterm viability of the defined benefit pension system in concert with the League of California Cities and the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Board of Directors.
3. Oppose the expansion of property rights in public employment and procedural requirements that hinder or significantly increase the public costs of effective performance management, including legislation that curtails management rights or obstructs the timely, efficient, and cost-effective implementation of performance management or disciplinary measures.
4. Support legislation to protect the City's continued ability to administer its Cafeteria Benefit Plan and maintain comprehensive health care coverage for eligible employees, in a financially sustainable manner.
5. Support reforms that limit the financial impacts of joint and several liability on public entities.
6. Support the clarification, modification or repeal of AB 646 fact finding requirements and oppose measures that reduces local control over public employee disputes.
7. Oppose measures that curtail management rights or impose local government mandated employee benefits that should be directly negotiated between labor groups and employers.
8. Support Federal legislation to modify, refine, or eliminate Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirements on public agencies.
9. Support reforms that limit the joint and several liability to agencies who have entered into Joint Powers Agreements (JPAs).
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10. Support meaningful statewide and national efforts to make quality health care more affordable and accessible to residents and reduce costs for cities and employers.
Public Safety
1. Support new and continued State and Federal funding for school safety, disaster preparedness, earthquake preparedness, Homeland Security, hazardous material response, State COPS (Citizen’s Options for Public Safety) program, CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) and other public safety activities.
2. Support preservation of the City's authority to investigate police misconduct.
3. Support local control on issuance of concealed weapons permits.
4. Support legislation to help curb drug and alcohol-related criminal behavior and underage consumption.
5. Support legislation to limit or end the sale of all nonflavored and flavored electronic smoking device products, including mint and menthol and to increase enforcement and education related to their use.
6. Oppose new or increased state fees for state-provided law enforcement services.
7. Support the fair and efficient allocation of radio spectrum that provides quality frequencies, free from interference, for all local public safety communication needs.
8. Support efforts to enhance radio and data system(s) stability and interoperability among public safety agencies and jurisdictions.
9. Preserve the City's right to regulate activities with adverse health and safety impacts on local streets, sidewalks, public spaces, and rights-of-way.
10. Support legislation to improve and enhance the safety of cargo transported via rail, including but not limited to: safety enhancements for rail vessel construction with an emphasis on efforts to rapidly improve the safe transport of volatile crude oil and limit the use of older, “grandfathered” containers and vessels; enhancements in remote monitoring and control of railcar speeds; reduction of railcar speeds in populated areas like San Luis Obispo; enhancements in communications, notifications and information dissemination to local governments, especially public safety agencies.
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11. Support and expand funding and programs to local jurisdictions to proactively reduce fire risk attributed to heavy vegetative fuels loads, high tree mortality, drought, and climate change to remove diseased, dead and/or down combustible vegetation, thin forests to improve forest health, and create effective defensible space between the undeveloped and developed environments.
12. Support grants and aid to land/property owners with properties one mile or less from natural vegetation, which are threatened by wind-driven fire events, to harden structures again fire impingement and create sustainable defensible spaces.
13. Support grants and aid to local governments to develop modern evacuation communications systems to effectively reach all residents in a timely fashion via voice, text, email, and other electronic means.
14. Support legislation to preserve and enhance local control, at the city level, for the provision of public safety services, including the scope and provision of medical and non-medical emergency services and legislation that would result in the implementation of a statewide modern earthquake notification and evacuation communications system to effectively reach all residents in a timely fashion via voice, text, email, and other electronic means, which is available for use by local governments at the discretion of local governments.
15. Support uniformity of state and federal regulations of drones and the study and adoption of appropriate local airport protections and public safety exemptions.
16. Support legislation regarding the safe transport and storage of nuclear waste.
17. Support legislation to address the education, funding, and treatment of opioid addiction.
18. Support legislation that expands funding to manage vegetation and fuel sources in the wildland urban interface.
19. Support legislation to provide funding to help communities prepare for response, recovery and be resilient after natural disasters.
20. Support funding to remove unwanted firearms from homes and businesses.
21. Support responsive intervention programs that promote accountability and divert people away from both crime and prison.
Public Works
1. Support increased availability of grant funding to replace aging infrastructure of all types, e.g.,streets, bridges, water, sewer, parks, and storm sewer systems, etc.
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2. Support increased funding for flood protection, clean stormwater, and low impact infrastructure projects.
3. Support cooperation and prompt approval from Federal and State regulatory agencies (such as the Department of Fish & Wildlife, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the Army Corps of Engineers) for necessary projects involving the City's creek system.
4. Support monetary incentives or grant funding for electric vehicles for replacement of municipal fleet equipment.
5. Support funding and policies that support and enhance active transportation modes such as bicycles, pedestrian, and transit.
6. Support continued protection of SB-1 and other funding for transportation infrastructure maintenance.
7. Support policies and legislation that maintains local control of parking rules, regulations, rates, and citation fees.
8. Support permanently allowing local governments to use design-build processes and expand the types of projects that cities can use design build and progressive design-build.
Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources
1. Support State and Federal funding and other measures to promote the acquisition, protection, preservation and restoration of natural resources, open space, coastal resources, signature landforms, wetlands, and park development, including continued funding for the Land and Water Conservation Grant Program and for the California Conservation Corps.
2. Support the expansion of National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of San Luis Obispo County to protect this fragile habitat from offshore oil and gas development.
3. Oppose any development under existing or new offshore oil and gas leases off the Coast of San Luis Obispo County.
4. Oppose any development under existing or new oil and gas leases in San Luis Obispo County.
5. Support and seek State and Federal funding and other measures to conduct research and implement land management measures for the purpose of carbon sequestration.
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6. Support measures to prohibit discharge of pollutants into the creeks and ocean (e.g., selenium contaminated waters from the San Joaquin valley).
7. Support State and Federal funding and other measures to take advantage of opportunities for land and easement acquisition and enhancement project contracting.
8. Support legislative exemption from property taxes on lands dedicated to open space purposes, which may be outside the boundaries of the jurisdiction owning such lands.
9. Support funding to reduce or mitigate negative impacts to vital regional and community services and enhance public access to parks, open space, after school programming, senior services, facilities that promote physical activity, protect natural resources, and strengthen safety and security.
10. Promote policies that recognize the benefits of parks and recreational facilities in the advancement of "sustainable communities" and curbing greenhouse gas emissions including: strengthening policies that fund parks, open-space, bike lanes and non-motorized trails through the development and implementation of a carbon credit and offset program, and advocating for the strong integration of local and regional park and non-motorized transportation improvements into "Smart Growth Scenarios" pursuant to SB 375 (2008).
11. Support access and connectivity to joint use of schools; parks and open space; development of streets and trails that encourage physical activity and healthy living.
12. Support extension or permanent legislation at the federal level of enhanced tax deductions for charitable donations of Conservation Easements.
13. Support legislation to limit the opening of protected public lands, e.g., Carrizo Plain, to fossil fuel extraction.
Transportation
1. Support changes in gas tax laws that allow local tax for transportation purposes based on a majority vote of the public, as well as revenue replacement for electric vehicles to support transportation infrastructure.
2. Support the continuation of, and increased funding sources for street maintenance projects, transportation improvements, transit operations and multimodal facility projects.
3. Support funding sources for fleet and transit electrification.
4. Support transportation funding for San Luis Obispo County, in particular funding that provides for
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alternative modes of transportation with clean air benefits or reductions in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gases.
5. Support transportation funding and policy that promote regional bike and pedestrian connections between cities and other population centers.
6. Support actions to: (1) promote cooperation and mutual support between metropolitan planning organization (MPO) agencies and local transit providers, and (2) discourage trends toward MPO agencies/regional "control" of local transit providers.
7. Support cooperation of private transportation companies (such as Union Pacific Railroad) to reach agreements for sharing of properly secured right of way corridors for other compatible uses such as bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
8. Oppose the proposed diversion of any funding source for transportation that reduces amounts designated for transit operations.
9. Support funding for projects to implement adopted complete street plans demonstrated to improve public health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
10. Support provision of Cap-and-Trade funding for transportation projects.
11. Support increased funding for existing Active Transportation Program (ATP) and other sources of bicycle and pedestrian transportation funding.
12. Support funding for existing and future transportation needs.
13. Support funding strategies to reduce the personal cost of transportation, especially cargo and electricassist bicycles and their supporting infrastructure.
14. Oppose proposed changes to statistical methodologies such as Metropolitan Statistical Areas that have the potential to reduce funding for transportation improvements.
15. Support improvements of state and federal standards guiding application of street design and traffic control devices to allow more flexibility for local agencies to prioritize safety, particularly for vulnerable road users, consistent with calls to action from groups like the National Transportation Safety Board, NACTO and others.
16. In alignment with the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), support legislation for a Bike Safety Stop that would authorize a person bicycling to treat a stop sign like a yield sign, giving right-of-way to other traffic at an intersection before proceeding safely through, but
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without the requirement to come to a full stop.
17. Support consideration of increased funding and options for safe bike and pedestrian crossing of railroad tracks, including bridges, underpasses and controlled at-grade crossings.
Utilities
1. Support clean water and drinking water funding programs.
2. Support recycling, waste diversion, and zero waste programs and enhancing local government's ability to comply with solid waste reduction requirements (includes building of recycling infrastructure and organics / biosolids composting facilities).
3. Support measures that require the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards establish a process to evaluate, in advance of adoption, the costs of compliance for pending and future regulatory actions on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permittees.
4. Support legislation that requires the State's environmental agencies to conduct peer review of proposed regulations to ensure that the proposal is based on sound science.
5. Support the elimination of mandatory minimum penalties for violations of NPDES Requirements and returning discretionary control to the Regional Water Quality Control Board Executive Officers (i.e., California Water Code Section 13385[h]).
6. Support measures to ensure reasonableness in the administration of NPDES permit governing City operations, including pursuing a municipal representative on the Regional Water Quality Control Board.
7. Support the safe, responsible, and cost-effective reuse of Exceptional Quality or better biosolids.
8. Support sustainable and resilient energy programs.
9. Support legislation allowing cities/agencies to establish fees for the costs of operating mandated water quality programs such as, but not limited to, municipal storm water and total maximum daily loading.
10. Support federal legislative action and funding to transfer Salinas Reservoir from Army Corps of Engineers Military Project to Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Project.
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11. Support federal and state funding that would allow for transfer of Salinas Reservoir from the Army Corps of Engineers to the County or City of San Luis Obispo.
12. Support water conservation and water use efficiency best management practices.
13. Support amendments to the Urban Water Management Planning Act to recognize past investment in water conservation and the City's ability to comply with SBx7-7 (2009) and other water conservation regulations.
14. Oppose legislation that requires recycled water to be included in water conservation regulations.
15. Oppose mandatory consolidation of water systems.
16. Support the expansion of recycled water production and use, including potable reuse.
17. Support the use of PublicGoods Fundsfor the development and installation of energy saving or green energy generating projects to benefit local government.
18. Oppose legislation that diminishes the City’s existing or potential water rights.
19. Support the protection of water resources.
20. Support the protection of our natural resourcesfrom invasive species.
21. Support regional water resiliency initiatives.
22. Support streamlined water rights amendment processes for minor water rights permit changes.
23. Support federal and statewide funding of water infrastructure projects.
24. Oppose legislation that inhibits the City's ability to collect water and sewer bills either through terminating service for non-payment or other reasonable means absent public health or safety emergencies.
25. Oppose legislation that restricts water and sewer rates for certain customers to below the cost to provide service based on legitimate public interests such as affordable housing, senior housing, nonprofit public beneficial uses, and/or educational uses.
26. Support amendments to stormwater regulatory requirements to reduce mandatory minimum fines and penalties and the recovery of private attorneys’ fees for technical non-compliance issues that do
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not result in adverse public health impacts or environmental harm.
27. Support stormwater requirements that are related to specific issues and include reasonable implementation timeframes and funding.
28. Support autonomy for management of individual Sustainable Groundwater Management Act designated basins within the county.
29. Support funding for implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans including the San Luis Obispo/Edna Valley Basin.
County/Regional Priorities
1. Support County land use policies and practices that are consistent with the Memorandum of Agreement adopted by the City Council and County Board of Supervisors in 2016 regarding development near the edges of the City and opposing inconsistent policies and practices.
2. Encourage participation by County in providing nearby parking for County employees and clients, and alternate transportation and parking demand reduction.
3. Support County development of a local ordinance providing additional local oversight and regulation of the land application of Pollutant Concentration (PC) or better biosolids.
4. Support the San Luis Obispo County Zone 9 Flood Control and Water Conservation District efforts to solve City/County flood problems.
5. Support the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District's legislative program, where consistent with the City's adopted policies and platform.
6. Support the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments' legislative advocacy activities, where consistent with the City's adopted policies, platform, and public policy and project objectives.
7. Support efforts to enhance dangerous animal regulation and enforcement.
8. Support the streamlining, clarification, and simplification of conflict-of-interest regulations applicable to local officials.
9. Support efforts of other regional entities to join Central Coast Community Energy.
10. Support the Central Coast Regional Energy Network at the County Board of Supervisors, the CPUC, and related relevant entities and supporting pilot projects in the City as feasible.
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11. Support regional and regulatory collaboration to fund and support climate change impact projections and coordinate approaches for increasing regional resilience.
12. Support requirements that development outside City jurisdiction have adequate water supplies to support development activities and intensities and does not indirectly impose water service obligations to adjacent municipal water agencies.
13. Support assistance for those experiencing physical and mental health impacts of a pandemic or other disaster.
14. Support the Integrated Waste Management Authority’s (IWMA) legislative platform, where consistent with the City’s adopted policies, platforms, and public policy and project objectives.
15. Support regional efforts to create a spectrum of housing types (including board and care and housing types that include other supportive services) within the County to house the unhoused.
16. Encourage the County of San Luis Obispo to build complete streets when building new roads, and to upgrade existing roadways to be complete streets.
League of California Cities 2024 Advocacy Priorities
1. Safeguard local revenues and bolster local economic development.
Cities are the engine of the state economy. With a looming state budget deficit, it is critical to counter efforts by the state and corporations to erode or skim local revenue.
Cal Cities supports increasing local revenue streams for local governments and opposes any effort to reduce or eliminate existing funding to cities. Cal Cities will use every tool in the toolbox — legislative, legal, and grassroots mobilization — to fight a 2024 ballot measure that represents an existential threat to local control. The measure, sponsored by the California Business Roundtable, would put at risk billions of dollars for essential local services. Cal Cities also supports legislation that will fund a state-local partnership to enhance economic development in these uncertain fiscal times.
2. Strengthen climate change resiliency and disaster preparedness.
The threat of climate change is no less during tough economic times. The state needs to accelerate its efforts to prepare, reduce, and adapt to the ever-changing risks posed by climate change — especially in vulnerable and under-resourced communities.
These risks include wildfires, flooding, drought, and other extreme weather events. Cal Cities will pursue funding strategies, including potentially a bond, that provide cities with the necessary resources to improve community and infrastructure resiliency. Cal Cities will also seek to advance a partnership with state and federal agencies to strengthen essential infrastructure, including modernizing the state’s water supply and energy grid.
3. Improve public safety in California communities.
A spike in retail theft, violent smash-and-grab robberies, fentanyl deaths and illicit drug use, and back-to-back natural disasters, as well as strained social services are creating challenges beyond the capacity of local governments. Cal Cities will partner with the state to advance solutions that help reduce crime, increase emergency service capacity, and provide more support to those residents struggling with substance abuse.
We will work with the Legislature, the Governor, and allies to craft legislation that will reform Proposition 47, while avoiding a return to the days of mass incarceration.
4. Expand investments to prevent and reduce homelessness and increase the supply of affordable housing.
California cities are doing more than ever to get residents off the streets and into safe, stable, and affordable housing. However, the homelessness crisis in the world’s fifthlargest economy continues unabated — fueled in part by a lack of affordable housing.
Cal Cities is calling on the state to provide ongoing funding to bolster local efforts to support individuals experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness as well as strengthen state and local partnerships to improve access to wraparound services, including mental health and substance use treatment. Cal Cities also supports ongoing funding for cities to jumpstart the construction of affordable housing, while ensuring cities retain local decision-making and flexibility to achieve community and state housing goals.