Hundreds of new laws take effect in the new year. By GV Wire’s count, 41 were written by local legislators.
In a reversal of Sacramento’s perception of reducing criminal penalties, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 14, stiffening the sentences for the trafficking of minors for prostitution.
It was not without a fight. Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, battled the public safety committees in both the state Senate and Assembly.
Several local legislators also helped pass AB 112/SB 112, which provided loans to distressed hospitals, with the shuttered Madera Community Hospital in mind.
Local Lawmaker Rollcall
Here is a listing of other bills authored by Central Valley lawmakers and signed by the governor set to take effect in 2024.
Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno
Arambula had three bills signed, including a water safety bill. Bills authored: 19; bills signed: 3.
AB 447: Establish and maintain college programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
AB 494: Extends reimbursem*nts to the Robert F. Kennedy Farm Workers Medical Plan through 2031.
AB 1445: Establishes a program to teach elementary students, parents, and caregivers water safety. Named for Neng Thao, a 2017 Edison High School graduate who drowned in 2017.
Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, D-Bakersfield
The Kern County legislator focused on crime prevention, especially with fentanyl. She also authored a resolution commemorating the Sikh genocide. Bills authored: 15; bills signed: 4 (plus four resolutions).
AB 33: Establishes the Fentanyl Misuse and Overdose Prevention Task Force.
AB 1166: Expands civil liability protections for those providing emergency treatment for opioid overdoses.
AB 1203: Exempts breast pumps and supplies from sales tax.
AB 1519: Prohibits the illegal removal of ID numbers added to catalytic converters. Violation would be a felony.
Four resolutions proclaiming Older Californians Month, Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month, State Scientist Day, and condemning the 1984 Sikh genocide in India.
Assemblymember Devon Mathis, R-Porterville
Several veteran-oriented bills from Mathis reflect his military service. He declined to run for a final term in 2024. Bills authored: 25; bills signed: 9 (plus one resolution).
AB 248: Removes the word “retarded” and similar terms from California code and replaces it with “individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.”
AB 298: Constructs a blind veterans memorial at the state Capitol.
AB 356: Extends CEQA exemptions for abandoned or dilapidated buildings.
AB 322: Informs veterans about post-secondary education options.
AB 606: Extends legal protections for farmers and ranchers for accidental “take” of an endangered species, as long as it is reported.
AB 682: Improves State Water Board online search tool to process applicationsfor drinking water systems.
AB 883: Expedites business licenses for veterans enrolled in certain programs.
AB 988: Reports on the number of veterans utilizing the state suicide hotline.
AB 1492: Constructs a monument for veterans of Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
ACR 48: Encourages sensor-friendly movie screenings for people with autism.
Assemblymember Jim Patterson, R-Fresno
In his second-to-last year in the Legislature before terming out, Patterson authored several bills dealing with taxes, healthcare, and adoption. Bills authored: 18; bills signed: 4.
AB 314: extends a sales tax exemption for trucks and trailers through 2029. It was set to expire in 2024.
AB 633: allows licensing for retired nurses.
AB 1462: Requires state Department of Public Health to access data and report on veteran overdose deaths.
AB 1650:Requires a petitioner for adoption to inform the court about postadoption contract agreements.
Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno
The first-year legislator authored several veterans bills, as well as for the city of Merced. Bills authored: 19; bills signed: 5.
AB 1259: Bill to help the city of Merced improve infrastructure.
AB 1311: Studies the efficacy of health programs at the state’s colleges.
AB 1350: Establishes a fund to maintain veterans’ memorials at the state Capitol.
AB 1566: Improves data collection for county veterans officials, allowing for better delivery of services.
AB 1745: Raises the income cap of veterans’ dependents for college tuition waivers.
Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced
Caballero was one of the most prolific local legislators with 12 bills, mainly dealing with housing. Bills authored: 32; bills signed: 12.
SB 149: Allows for expedited CEQA review for eligible energy, transportation, water, and semiconductor projects.
SB 306: Focuses resources for California homes in areas that experience extreme heat.
SB 599: Authorizes Superior Courts as locations for supervised visitation and exchange locations for custodial visits.
SB 609: Requires school districts to post performance overviews on the publicly accessible Dashboard.
SB 621: Helps access for lower-cost medications.
SB 684: Expedites permitting process to construct small home ownership.
SB 699: Provides protections to employees required to sign non-compete clauses in violation of state law.
SB 706: Allows local governments to use the “Progressive Design-Build” process to deliver infrastructure projects and expedite construction and reduce costs.
SB 747: Amends theSurplus Land Act “to avoid delays and uncertainty for local agencies advancing important public policy priorities.”
SB 753: Expands the felony environmental law to include stealing water for six or more cannabis plants without proper permits.
SB 800: Creates an environmental panel “to assess the feasibility and readiness of existing infrastructure for air mobility and the development of a three-year prioritized work plan, with pathways for promoting equity and access to advanced air mobility infrastructure.”
SB 831: Authorizes governor to work with federal authorities to “establish a program to allow undocumented agricultural workers in California to work legally in the state.”
Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield
Grove had only one other bill signed into law. Bills authored: 17; bills signed: 2.
SB 14: see above
SB 293: Requires that California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress results be publicly available by Oct. 15 of each year.
Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield
A light year for Hurtado, whose stances on on oil drilling and fracking put her on the outs with the Newsom administration and her party. Bills authored: 21; bills signed: 2 (plus two resolutions not requiring the governor’s signature)
SB 628: Declares state policy “that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food.”
SB 701: Expands registration and fee laws for fruit and vegetable wholesalers to every county.
SCR 63: dedicated May 2023 as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month.
SCR 66: dedicated every May as Latina Maternal Health Awareness Month.
