State Bills in Brief: June 5-13

Jun 5, 2024

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

By Brian Hendershot, Cal Cities Advocate managing editor. Additional contributions by the Cal Cities Advocacy Team

Lawmakers have just four weeks to get their bills through any remaining policy committee hearings. These last few hearings are the best chance to stop, advance, or modify measures. Once a bill reaches the floor for a full vote, it’s practically guaranteed to reach the Governor’s desk.

These next ten days are already jam-packed with hearings. So just imagine — or perhaps tremble in terror — at how busy the last week of June will be.

Top of the list next week for lawmakers and Cal Cities is retail theft. Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’s package of bills are scheduled for policy committee hearings on June 11. The measures, the majority of which are supported by Cal Cities, would make it easier for officials to prosecute and deter organized retail theft. Lawmakers will likely send all 12 bills to the Governor by the end of June.

Cal Cities is also closely watching how Gov. Gavin Newsom will respond to a joint legislative budget plan. Unlike the Governor, legislators are seeking to invest in the state’s homelessness and affordable housing programs. Cities won’t have to wait for the outcome much longer: If lawmakers want to get paid, they need to pass a budget by June 15.

For information about bills scheduled for a committee hearing through June 13, keep reading. To learn what each section means — or to access a previous State Bills in Brief — visit the archive page.

Hot bills

Lawmakers are considering changes to the state’s recovery home laws, mulling new contracting requirements, and debating stiffer sentences for organized retail theft, among other things.

Sweeping changes to the fundamental work of cities

Disincentivizing contractors. AB 2557 (Ortega) would dramatically curb local agency service contracts due to its onerous obligations and costs. Cal Cities opposes the measure.
Nearly 5,000 impacted agencies. The bill would require some nonprofits contracting with cities to adopt sweeping new reporting and auditing practices under certain circumstances. If passed, it would directly undercut statewide policy goals and partnerships, including the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program.
When is the hearing? June 11 at 9 a.m. in the Senate Local Government Committee.

Better recovery housing oversight

Greater transparency. AB 2081 (Davies) would require operators of licensed treatment facilities to disclose to potential patients that they can check the Department of Health Care Services website to confirm a facility’s compliance with state licensing laws. Cal Cities is co-sponsoring the measure.
Improved reporting. AB 2574 (Valencia) would expand reporting requirements for licensed treatment facility operators to improve the Department of Health Care Services’ oversight of sober living homes operating as an integral part of a licensed treatment facility located elsewhere in the community. Cal Cities is sponsoring the measure.
When are the hearings? June 12 at 1:30 p.m. in the Senate Health Committee.

Development fee restrictions would impact critical services

What would the bill do? AB 1820 (Schiavo) would require cities to provide an estimated itemized list of fees and taxes during the preliminary application process within 30 days of a developer’s request. Cal Cities will oppose the measure unless the author clarifies which fees it affects and improves the bill’s intent language.
Why it matters. Local governments cannot raise property taxes. With very few ways to fund services, they must rely on impact fees to build new roads, sewer lines, fire stations, and even affordable housing.
When is the hearing? June 11 at 9 a.m. in the Senate Local Government Committee.

A $50,000 monthly fine for cities

What now?! SB 1037 (Wiener) would allow the state attorney general to ask a court to fine a city that fails to adopt a compliant housing element or violates state laws that require ministerial approval of certain housing projects. The court could also fine cities for land use or permitting decisions that are “contrary to established public policy, unlawful, or procedurally unfair.” Cal Cities opposes the measure.
Can’t the attorney general take legal action already? Unlike existing laws, SB 1037 does not give cities time to correct their actions before penalizing cities. Even cities acting in good faith would need to pay the attorney general for all investigating and prosecuting costs for a vague, undefined violation of state law.
When is the hearing? June 12 at 9 a.m. in the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.

Stricter retail theft penalties

Multiple jurisdictional theft. AB 1779 (Irwin) would allow prosecutors to file charges for offenses committed in different counties.
Grand theft larceny. AB 1794 (McCarty) would allow prosecutors to aggregate multiple thefts with several victims.
Enhanced sentencing. AB 1960 (Soria) would impose stiffer penalties for property loss or damage that occurred during a felony.
When are the hearings? June 11 at 8:30 a.m. in the Senate Public Safety Committee. Cal Cities supports all three bills.

Speaker’s retail theft bill advances

What would it do? AB 2943 (Zbur and Rivas) would create a new crime of “serial retail theft,” allow police to arrest shoplifters without witnessing the crime, and define a felony charge of grand theft. Cal Cities supports the measure if amended.
Proposed changes. Cal Cities is seeking changes that bring the bill in line with case law (People v. Bailey), allow police to use unsworn statements if they demonstrate probable cause, and clarify what successful probation looks like.
When is the hearing? June 11 at 8:30 a.m. in the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Priority bills

Lawmakers are considering a range of housing, retail theft, zoning, environmental, and public safety measures over the next week.

Stabilizing housing for older adults

Community-based grants. SB 37 (Caballero) would create a housing subsidy program for older adults and adults with disabilities experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Cal Cities supports the bill.
Silver tsunami. Older adults make up an increasing share of California's homeless population, in part because many live on fixed incomes while facing increasing rental costs.
When is the hearing? June 12 at 9 a.m. in the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.

Expanded prosecutorial power

State law misdemeanors. AB 2309 (Muratsuchi) would make it easier for cities to prosecute state misdemeanors within city limits. Cal Cities supports the measure.
Take a load off. Current law allows some city attorneys to prosecute state law misdemeanors if the county district attorney consents. Repealing this requirement would allow city attorneys to prosecute lower priority crimes, like misdemeanor retail theft and shoplifting.
When is the hearing? June 11 at 8:30 a.m. in the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Online fencing

Not the one with swords. SB 1144 (Skinner) would make it harder to sell stolen goods online by adding certification requirements for high-volume, third-party vendors and banning the online sale of stolen goods. Cal Cities supports the bill.
A “legitimate” front. Earlier this year, Attorney General Rob Bonta charged the suspected leader of a retail theft ring that stole nearly $8 million in beauty products, which were then sold on Amazon.
What is the hearing? June 11 at 9 a.m. in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Four more retail theft measures to watch

Butch Cassidy 2.0. AB 1972 would add cargo theft to a successful regional property crime task force’s purview.
Continued collaboration. AB 1802 (Jones-Sawyer) would repeal the sunset date for the crime of organized retail theft and extend the operation of the Regional Property Crimes Task Force.
Restraining orders. AB 3209 (Berman) would allow courts to bar repeat shoplifters from entering a retail establishment.
Auto burglaries. SB 905 (Wiener) would close a legal loophole that makes prosecuting car break-ins difficult.
When are the hearings? June 11 at 8:30 a.m. in the Senate Public Safety Committee. Cal Cities supports all four bills.

Rooting out illegal weed

Underlying infrastructure. SB 820 (Alvarado-Gil) would make it easier for law enforcement to remove specialized equipment used for illicit cannabis operations, which often bounce back quickly after raids. Cal Cities supports the measure.
An optional tool. The bill would adopt moonshining laws for illicit cannabis. This would not require a criminal conviction and defendants could prove they legally used the property in a civil proceeding. The bill contains several protections for workers’ property and legal cannabis businesses.
When is the hearing? June 11 at 9 a.m. in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.

Cal Cities-supported facial recognition bill

Reasonable oversight. AB 1814 (Ting) would stop police from using facial recognition technology-generated matches as the sole basis for probable cause in an arrest, search, or warrant. Cal Cities supports the measure.
Accountability and access. Facial recognition is just one tool that law enforcement officers use to generate leads. This bill requires reasonable safeguards while also allowing officers to use this technology to prevent criminal activity.
When is the hearing? June 11 at 8:30 a.m. in the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Improved bike safety and access

Removing bureaucratic hurdles. SB 689 (Blakespear) would make it easier for coastal cities to convert motorized vehicle lanes into dedicated bicycle lanes. Cal Cities supports the bill.
A demonstrated need. Most cities need to update their local coastal programs to convert motorized vehicle lanes, which can be time-consuming and costly to the detriment of residents. Many amendments require studies and mandatory public testimony.
When is the hearing? June 10 at 2:30 p.m. in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

Community clinics approval

Streamlined approval. AB 2085 (Bauer-Kahan) would require a community health clinic to be a permitted use, reviewed on an administrative, nondiscretionary basis in some nonresidential zones. Cal Cities supports the bill if amended.
Proposed changes. Cal Cities is seeking changes that clarify what a “community clinic” is, allow for distance requirements from sensitive sites, and give cities more time to review the application.
When was the hearing? June 5 at 9:30 a.m. in the Senate Local Government Committee.

Water conservation flexibility

Enforcement timelines. AB 3121 (Hart) would shift compliance mechanisms for a new statewide water conservation rule. Cal Cities supports the bill if amended.
Proposed changes. Cal Cities is seeking changes that further shift the compliance mechanisms back, aligning the statute with its original legislative intent.
When is the hearing? June 11 at 9 a.m. in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.

A small investment for a significant change

Expedited construction. SB 1046 (Laird) would expedite new compost facilities without compromising environmental review. Cal Cities supports the measure.
A little bit of wonk. The bill would allow projects to “tier” off more comprehensive programmatic environmental impact reports to focus on project-specific impacts. CalFire created a similar process for vegetation management work, which has been extremely helpful.
When is the hearing? June 10 at 2:30 p.m. in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

Organic waste flexibility for rural cities

Exemption waivers. SB 1175 (Ochoa Bogh) would require the California Air Resources Board to consider additional factors when determining what constitutes a “low population” community under the state’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy. Cal Cities supports the measure.
Why it matters. Many smaller communities do not have the infrastructure or funding needed to conduct large-scale organic waste procurement required by state law.
When is the hearing? June 10 at 2:30 p.m. in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

More options for zero-emission procurements

A bright idea. AB 637 (Jackson) would allow rental zero-emission trucks to count towards the state’s Advanced Clean Fleet’s procurement requirement. Cal Cities supports the measure.
Watt cities need. Many fleet owners rent vehicles covered by the Advanced Clean Fleet rule to supplement their existing fleets and keep costs low. Counting qualified rental vehicles is a cost-effective way for cities to meet the state’s ambitious goals.
When was the hearing? June 5 at 9:30 a.m. in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

First responder protections

Quality reviews, quality care. AB 2225 (Rodriguez) would expand some legal protections for healthcare professionals to emergency medical services (EMS) professionals. Cal Cities supports the measure.
Why it matters. The inability of EMS staff to engage in quality assurance reviews without exposing themselves to legal risks hurts patient care in the long run.
When is the hearing? June 11 at 1:30 p.m. in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Reducing dangerous sideshows

Differing terminology. AB 2807 (Villapudua) would clarify that a sideshow is also known as a street takeover. Cal Cities supports the measure.
Same events. Aligning terminology would make it easier for law enforcement to hold reckless drivers accountable. The California Highway Patrol has reported 30 deadly crashes and 124 injuries from sideshows and street racing over the past five years
When is the hearing? June 11 at 1:30 p.m. in the Senate Transportation Committee.

Cal Cities is also engaged on four other priority measures, all of which are set for policy committee hearings this week: AB 2922 (Garcia), SB 1361 (Blakespear), AB 2729 (Patterson, Joe), and AB 1889 (Friedman).

View all tracked bill hearings