LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: April 9, 2025
Subject: Positions on State Legislation: Taken and Recommended
Submitted For: Legislation Committee
Department: County Administrator’s Office
Presenter: E. Struthers
Contact: (925) 655-2045
Referral History:
Legislation Committee typically reviews and provides direction on state legislation of interest to the County. While positions approved in the County’s adopted Legislative Platforms may be taken without further review of the Legislation Committee, staff endeavors to keep the Committee, County staff, and members of the public informed on these positions through Legislation Committee. With 2025 being the first year of a two-year legislative session, there is adequate time to bring recommended positions to the Committee for their review and input, enhancing the Committee’s involvement and transparency.
Referral Update:
The 2025-2026 State Legislative Session began on January 6, 2025. This session, over 2,600 bills have been introduced for consideration. Bills impacting the direct operations of the County are brought to the attention of the Committee and Committee staff by department staff, groups such as the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), and the County’s advocates. Currently, forty-one (41) bills are included on the County’s list to monitor. The attached list of tracked bills (Attachment A) includes both recommended positions, along with positions that have already been taken. Positions that have been taken thus far align with the Board of Supervisors’ adopted legislative platform.
Positions taken during this session include:
• Amendments Requested:
o SB 72 (Caballero)
• Oppose
o AB 339 (Ortega)
• Support
o AB 274 (Ransom)
o AB 227 (Grayson)
o SB 239 (Arreguin)
In addition to these bills, numerous measures are being monitored with a “Watch” position. Of these, several positions are being recommended for consideration by the Legislation Committee.
Beginning on page 12 of the attachment, several positions are recommended for consideration by the Committee.
Recommended “Oppose” Positions:
• AB 306 (Schultz) Building regulations: state building standards.
• AB 470 (McKinnor) Telephone corporations: carriers of last resort.
• AB 933 (Ávila Farías) Organized residential camps: organized day camps.
• AB 946 (Bryan) Chief probation officer: designee.
• AB 1198 (Haney) Public works: prevailing wages.
• SB 16 (Blakespear) Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program: housing element: Integrated Plan for Behavioral Health Services and Outcomes.
• SB 357 (Menjivar) Juveniles: delinquency.
• SB 606 (Becker) Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program: reporting requirements: functional zero unsheltered.
• SB 789 (Menjivar) Vacancy tax: commercial real property.
Recommended “Support” Positions:
• AB 346 (Nguyen) In-home supportive services: licensed health care professional certification.
• AB 871 (Stefani) Mandated reporters of suspected financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult.
• AB 896 (Elhawary) Foster care: placement transition planning.
• AB 898 (Bryan) The Family Urgent Response System.
• AB 970 (McKinnor) Child abuse and neglect reporting.
• AB 1288 (Addis) Registered environmental health specialists.
The attachment includes links to the bill language and analysis for further information.
The County’s Adopted 2025-26 State Legislative Platform includes policy positions that support the recommended positions above. Accordingly, staff recommend taking positions consistent with the platform, as outlined above and in the attachment.
Following directions from the Committee, staff will communicate any recommended positions to the County’s advocacy team and coordinate with the Chair of the Board on submitting related position letters.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
Review recommended positions on state legislation of interest to the County and provide any necessary feedback.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
None.