State Bills in Brief: June 21-29

Jun 21, 2023

A weekly primer on the bills and committee hearings that have a direct impact on cities

Legislators have just four more weeks to get their bills through policy committees. The last four weeks are when things start to get really interesting — and hectic. New bills have been elevated to the top of Cal Cities’ priority list, including a measure that would streamline certain grant program applications and another that would make sympathy striking a human right.

Budget asks aside, it has been a fruitful legislative year for cities so far. Multiple priority bills that would positively impact cities moved through with little to no changes and several problematic measures were held or significantly amended because of Cal Cities’ advocacy efforts.

One recent positive development is the Cal Cities-sponsored measure SB 329 (Dodd). The measure would allow general law cities to adjust council member pay for inflation. However, the impact could be larger, since many charter cities tie their salary increases to general law city increases. The bill passed out of the Assembly and is awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.

The Legislature has not raised the base pay amounts for general law city councils since 1984, despite inflation increasing by over 300%. As a result, serving on a city council is often a full-time commitment with part-time pay. If signed into law, SB 329 would make it easier for low-income residents, single parents, people of color, and young people to run for public office.

To learn more about bills scheduled for a committee hearing through June 29, keep reading. To learn what each section means — or to access a previous State Bills in Brief — visit the archive page.

Bills to act on

A bill that would streamline some grant program applications is now one of Cal Cities’ top legislative priorities, as is one that would make sympathy striking a human right.

Crucial changes to the behavioral health care system could increase access to care

What are the changes? SB 43 and SB 363 — both by Sen. Eggman — would make it easier to provide behavioral health care. SB 43 would update the definition of “gravely disabled” and SB 363 would create a real-time dashboard of available beds in psychiatric and substance abuse facilities respectively. Cal Cities supports both measures.
Why it matters. For unsheltered individuals with severe behavioral health needs, access to care can be essential to addressing their homelessness.
When is the next advocacy opportunity? The Assembly Health Committee will hear SB 43 on June 27. SB 363 passed out of the same committee and was referred to appropriations.

Major trade unions remove opposition to SB 423

What would the bill do? SB 423 (Wiener) would expand SB 35 (Wiener, 2017) to nearly all cities, allow the state to approve housing developments on its own property, and eliminate SB 35’s sunset date. Cal Cities opposes SB 423.
Why this development is noteworthy. The state’s powerful construction unions have helped scuttle multiple housing bills in the past, citing the need for union-level wages and labor. If the trend continues, it would be a seismic shift in California's housing politics.
When is the next advocacy opportunity? The bill be heard in the Assembly Housing and Committee Development Committee on June 28.

Proposed bill would streamline environmental grant programs

This sounds great. How? AB 972 (Maienschein) would create a statewide, cross-agency workgroup to coordinate, align, and streamline certain local government assistance resources. Cal Cities is sponsoring the measure.
Why do cities need this? Cities often lack the resources, staff capacity, or expertise needed to apply for competitive funding programs with widely varying procedures. Aligning these programs will help cities and the state meet shared climate resilience goals.
When is the next advocacy opportunity? The Senate Governance and Finance Committee will review the measure on June 28.

Assembly bill would make sympathy striking a human right

What is a sympathy strike? A sympathy strike is when employees go on strike in support of another group of workers. Under AB 504 (Reyes), public employees could refuse to enter a primary property that is the site of a labor dispute, go to work for an involved employer, or cross a primary picket line.
What is Cal Cities’ position? Cal Cities opposes the measure. AB 504 would circumvent the normal contract negotiating process and remove agencies’ ability to provide critical services during strikes.
When is the hearing? The bill be heard on June 28 in the Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee.

Other bills with major impacts

Fentanyl is back in the spotlight this week, as are measures that would protect — and threaten — local revenues and services.

A multipronged approach to illegal fentanyl

What are the bills? AB 33 (Bains) would create a state task force to develop medical recommendations. AB 474 (Rodriguez) would step up statewide efforts to combat fentanyl tracking. AB 701 (Villapudua) would add fentanyl to the list of controlled substances for large-scale dealers. Cal Cities supports all three measures.
How bad is the fentanyl crisis? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of every 10 deaths from synthetic opioids in the United States now occurs in California. This increase is driven largely by fentanyl. A multipronged approach is essential to stopping this devasting loss of life.
When are the hearings? The Senate Public Safety Committee will debate the three bills on June 27.

SB 4 could provide much-needed infill housing

What would the bill do? SB 4 (Wiener) would allow nonprofit colleges and religious institutions to build affordable housing on their land. The bill would only kick in under certain conditions and require developers to comply with objective standards. Cal Cities has a support if amended position for the measure.
What changes is Cal Cities seeking? Cal Cities is seeking amendments that would allow cities to maintain their parking and building height requirements.
When is the hearing? The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee will hear the measure on June 28.

Cal Cities-sponsored measure would enshrine cities’ right to deliver emergency medical services

How is this even an issue? AB 1168 (Bennett) would reconcile City of Oxnard v. County of Ventura, which ruled that Oxnard lost its authority to provide prehospital EMS after signing a joint powers authority agreement (JPA) with the county.
Why is local control important here? The Oxnard decision fundamentally misconstrues the plain language of the EMS Act — which governs the EMS system — as well as the nature and purpose of a JPA. Signatories to JPA agreements should not lose their rights because they cooperated with other public agencies to provide better service to residents.
When is the hearing? The Senate Health Committee will hear the measure on June 28.

AB 1526 clarifies how cities would be reimbursed under last year's single-use plastics law

What does the law do? SB 54 (Allen, 2022) established a program for collecting, managing, and recycling single-use packaging and single-use plastic food service ware.
Why do we need a second bill? Timing and scheduling constraints prevented agreed-upon language from making it into the final bill. AB 1526 (Committee on Natural Resources) both clarifies the funding process and provides some flexibility around curbside collection. Cal Cities supports AB 1526.
When is the next hearing? The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee will discuss the bill on June 22.

Bill would restore and preserve historic venues

How does it work? SB 96 (Portantino) would redirect some sales and use tax revenue back to cities that own historic venues for maintenance and other improvements. Cal Cities supports the bill.
Why it matters. These venues boost tourism, create jobs, attract development, and solidify a community’s cultural identity. However, these sites are also in dire need of maintenance, technological repairs, and other improvements.
When is the meeting? The Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee will hear the bill on June 26.

Did you know the design-build procurement process has a sunset date?

This sounds very wonky. It is! The very short version is the design-build procurement process provides more flexibility for contractors, encourages greater collaboration among stakeholders, and keeps costs low.
This sounds great. It is — especially given the billions of dollars in infrastructure funding flowing to cities. AB 400 (Rubio, Blanca) would eliminate the existing 2025 sunset date governing the use of the process. Cal Cities is sponsoring the measure.
When is the next hearing? The Senate Governance and Finance Committee heard the bill on June 21.

Lawmakers move to eliminate the sunset provisions in AB 361

Refresh my memory on AB 361. A major Cal Cities victory, AB 361 (Robert Rivas, 2021) allows cities to meet remotely during proclaimed states of emergency under modified Brown Act requirements.
What does this new bill do? AB 557 (Hart) would remove the law’s sunset provisions and provide greater flexibility for agencies that meet on a fixed date every month. Cal Cities is sponsoring the measure.
When was the hearing? The Senate Judiciary Committee will debate the measure on June 27.

Increased access to library services would help improve future academic success

How? SB 321 (Ashby) would provide all students with access to a student success card — which provides access to in-person and digital library services — by third grade. Cal Cities supports AB 361.
A stunning statistic. California has the lowest literacy rate of any state.
When is the hearing? The Assembly Education Committee will review the bill on June 28.

Proposed prohibition on potable water for nonfunctional turf irrigation

What is the bill number? AB 1572 (Friedman) would prohibit the use of potable water for irrigation of nonfunctional turf on specified properties. Cal Cities has a neutral if amended position for AB 1572.
What changes are Cal Cities seeking? The bill’s prohibition extends to multifamily housing, which is not uniformly categorized. Different parts of the law would treat those properties differently, leading to confusion. Cal Cities is seeking amendments that would remove multifamily housing from the prohibition.
When is the hearing? The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee will hear the measure on June 27.

View all bills to act on

View all tracked bill hearings