That’s a wrap! The session ended with a whirlwind of excitement as bills raced to the Floor, hoping to secure a vote and make their way to the Governor’s desk. I have news to share on my 2024 bill package—what made it through, what didn’t, and which bills we’re eagerly waiting to see signed into law over the next month. The Governor has until September 30 to sign or veto most bills, and if signed, most will take effect on January 1, 2025. 

In addition, there is significant legislation that has already been signed into law. This includes a legislative package cracking down on retail crime and property theft. These incredible efforts are powered by community voices like yours from across the state to bring about much-needed changes to tackle the key issues of today.

Updates on my 2024 Legislative Bill Package

Environment

• SB 674 – The Refinery Pollution Reduction & Transparency Act
  Vetoed
  Senate Bill (SB) 674 will create a statewide standard for the refinery fence-line monitoring program to ensure that adequate noxious pollutants are measured, and that best practices and technologies are deployed in order to better protect the health and wellbeing of the surrounding communities.
  SB 674 Bill Language
  SB 674 Fact Sheet
• SB 1182 – Climate Resilient Schools Act
  Next Step: Governor's desk
  Requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop a Master Plan for Healthy, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Schools (Master Plan).
  SB 1182 Bill Language
  SB 1182 Fact Sheet
• SB 1425 – Long Beach Oil Cleanup Fund
  Next Step: Governor's desk
  Requires the state of California to save more each month to more adequately and responsibly reduce the State’s share of unfunded liability to plug and abandon the long-running oil extraction operations in the City of Long Beach.
  SB 1425 Bill Language
  SB 1425 Fact Sheet

Health

• SB 1016 – Latino and Indigenous Health Disparities Reduction Act
  Next Step: Governor's desk
  Requires the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to collect and disaggregate anonymous demographic health data on the ancestry or ethnic origin of specified Latino, and Indigenous Peoples.
  SB 1016 Bill Language
  SB 1016 Fact Sheet
• SB 1131 – Enhancing Family Planning Accessibility
  Next Step: Governor's desk
  Senate Bill (SB) 1131 would increase access to the Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) Program by expanding the definition of who can certify a clinic to provide Family PACT services. In addition, it allows an affiliate primary care clinic to enroll multiple sites under one site certifier.
  SB 1131 Bill Language
  SB 1131 Fact Sheet

Good Governance, Transparency & Accountability

• SB 537 –Mexican Repatriation Memorial
  Next Step: Governor's desk
  SB 537 commemorates the approximately two million Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants who were illegally deported from the United States during the Great Depression.
  SB 537 Bill Language
  SB 537 Fact Sheet
• SB 991 – LAUSD Office of Inspector General
  Next Step: Governor's desk
  Senate Bill (SB) 991 will establish the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Office of Inspector General (OIG) permanently. By doing so, the OIG will have the authority to continue performing audits, investigations, and issuing subpoenas to prevent, detect, and deter fraud, waste, and abuse in the district’s various programs, contracts, and construction projects – a responsibility it has carried out for twenty-five years.
  SB 991 Bill Language
  SB 991 Fact Sheet
• SB 1337 – Referendum Funding Transparency
  Next Step: Governor's desk
  Senate Bill (SB) 1337 will provide California voters with additional transparency about the entities and corporations that fund referendum measures to overturn existing law.
  SB 1337 Bill Language
  SB 1337 Fact Sheet

Combating Retail Theft & Community-Based Crime - Signed Into Law

Preventing Criminal Activity In The First Place

• SB 1144 (Skinner): Disrupts the sale of stolen goods on online marketplaces by requiring that third-party sellers be certified, and bans sellers suspected of criminal activity from operating through online marketplace platforms. 
   

Deterring Repeat Offenders And Cracking Down On Sophisticated Large-Scale Professional Thieves

• SB 1416 (Newman): Increases penalties on professional organized retail theft in particularly significant large-scale resale schemes.
   

Strengthening Tools For Law Enforcement To Make Arrests And Prosecute Brazen Criminal Activity

• SB 905 (Wiener): Removes the locked door loophole for automotive property thefts.  
• SB 982 (Wahab): Cements the work California has done on organized crime by making the law on organized retail theft permanent.
• SB 1242 (Min): Requires courts to impose higher penalties on criminals who create fires in order to engage in retail theft. The higher penalties do not impact Proposition 47.  

For more information on retail theft and property crime legislation signed into law this year, check out the Governor's Press release here, and fact sheet here.