CAPITOL UPDATE January 14, 2021

PDF VERSION

Here are just some of the bills we are following for you:
 

• Governor’s Preliminary Budget- Governor Newsom introduced his preliminary budget on January 8 in the amount of $227.2 billion.  The budget covers a broad scope including $372 million to speed up COVID-19 vaccines to all 58 counties; $14 billion for economic recovery, advancing direct payment of $600 to millions of Californians (“The Golden State Stimulus”).  Other allocations include monies for accelerating economic recovery and job creation which includes $1.5 billion for infrastructure, $1.1 billion relief for small business, $353 million for workforce development, and $385 million investment to build a more sustainable agricultural industry.  There are many more allocations that will be addressed in the coming weeks.

• SCA 2– Public Housing Projects-This bill would require a vote to amend the constitution of California to allow for the construction of 100% affordable rental units without a vote of the local electorate.  A vote is not required.

• AB 125-Food and agriculture: climate crisis: COVID-19 recovery. This bill defines the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to issue a bond to support solutions to the climate crisis and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that would create a more equitable and resilient food and farming system

• SB 29 – Elections: vote by mail ballots.  Extends the requirement to mail a ballot to every registered voter for all elections prior to Jan. 1, 2022. Hearing scheduled for 1/14/21.

• SB 14- Pupil health: school employee and pupil training: excused absences: youth mental and behavioral health. This bill would include another type of required excused absence an absence that is for the benefit of the mental or behavioral health of the pupil. On or before January 1, 2023, a local educational agency shall certify to the department that at least 50 percent of its employees who have direct contact with pupils have received the youth mental and behavioral health training.

• SB 74- Keep California Working Act. Help for small businesses -Appropriate the sum of two billion six hundred million dollars from the General Fund to the Office of Small Business Advocate for the purpose of administering the program.

• AB 112 Medi-Cal eligibility– This bill would require the suspension of Medi-Cal benefits to an adult or juvenile inmate of a public institution to end on the date they are no longer an inmate of a public institution or 3 years (currently it’s 1 year) from the date they become an inmate of a public institution, whichever is sooner.

• SB 45– Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Drought Preparation, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2022 – if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $5,510,000,000 to finance projects, including restorations such as, (I) Road elimination or road improvements to prevent sedimentation in streams.