Exciting Bills Awaiting the Governor’s Signature

2024 has been an exciting and bittersweet year for me. It’s my last year in the California Legislature. While I’m excited for what Congress will bring, and the real change I will be able to make in those hallowed halls, I am so proud of the things I have been able to accomplish during my time in the California State Assembly.

For the past eight years, I’ve been able to work on a diverse array of legislation to build a better future for California … and this year is no different. I’ve been working on legislation to address sexual assault and antisemitism on college campuses as well as bills on housing, transportation and protections for our state’s vulnerable wildlife, wetlands and those facing devastating hospital bills. All of that legislation now sits on Gov. Newsom’s desk awaiting his signature.

Throughout my time in Sacramento, I’ve worked to combat harassment wherever it occurs. This year, I’ve introduced two bills focused on our college campuses and protections for both students and staff.

Every college and university has a responsibility to protect the safety and wellbeing of everyone who studies, works and competes on their campus, but when it comes to preventing sexual harassment and assault, we’re failing. In an egregious practice known as “passing the harasser,” professors, coaches or staff accused of these offenses simply resign and go to work at a different university. When investigations substantiate allegations, but don’t result in criminal convictions, the violations never appear on a background check. AB 810 closes that loophole. It requires colleges and universities during the hiring process to inquire about substantiated allegations of harassment, abuse or assault made against the potential new hire.

That obligation to safety includes protecting students from discrimination. California is home to the third largest Jewish community globally. Since the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, there has been a dramatic increase in incidents of antisemitism on college campuses. Protestors at one point blocked Jewish students from entering the college library during finals. Campuses across the state have struggled with how to respond and what resources, if any, they had for students experiencing discrimination. AB 2925 will better equip college campuses to respond with better training. Utilizing annual hate crime data, campuses will be required to include training to address discrimination against the five most targeted groups as part of any antidiscrimination training or diversity, equity and inclusion training that is already offered by the institution.

Universally on the minds of all Californians these days is housing. Most of us either are or have been renters. We all know how hard it is to save up for a security deposit. We also know how hard deposits can be to get back and how that can impact our ability to move into our next apartment or save for a down payment on a home. AB 2801 requires that landlords return deposits in total, so long as the residence was left as clean as it was upon move-in, minus expected wear and tear. When a landlord needs to keep any portion of the deposit to cover repairs, s/he will need to provide photographs to document the damage and provide a work order showing the cost to make the repairs. It’s a common sense bill that protects renters and landlords alike.

Keeping our region moving and connecting communities continue to be top priorities for me. I authored AB 761, a transportation funding bill that makes it easier for communities to invest in key projects. Under AB 761, West Hollywood and the City and County of Los Angeles could secure the necessary funding for LA Metro’s K Line extension. The proposed line could add 186,480 jobs to our region and billions of dollars to our economy.

Protecting our environment has always been a central part of my legislative package. This year, I authored AB 2552 to ban extremely toxic first generation anticoagulant poisons that inadvertently kill wildlife and pets and sicken 3,000 people, including 2,300 children each year. Also on the governor’s desk is AB 2875, a bill to shield California’s wetlands from a Supreme Court decision that would have resulted in half of our state’s remaining wetlands being stripped of protection.

And finally, we all know how expensive healthcare can be and the toll that medical debt can take on families. Even with the changes we’ve made to improve access to affordable health care coverage, medical debt remains a significant driver of bankruptcy, poverty and racial inequities. AB 2297 strengthens patient protections by closing a loophole that has allowed hospitals and debt collectors to place liens on homes to recover medical debt. Home liens should be completely prohibited in the collection of unpaid hospital bills from financially qualified patients.

It was an exciting last year in the California Legislature. Serving in this body has been the honor of a lifetime. In next month’s column I’ll update you on which bills get signed.