What did California lawmakers leave on Gavin Newsom’s desk? Bills on housing, abortion, climate

California lawmakers spent the legislative session — and especially the past three days — passing thousands of measures and rejecting many others.

The Senate and Assembly closed out their final floor sessions early Thursday morning after sending a host of bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature or veto in September.

The successful measures covered abortion access, climate change, worker rights and housing. Other bills, aimed at expanding vaccine access, tightening concealed carry gun permitting and allowing a legislative staff union fell short in the final hours.

Newsom and his aides pushed hard for his ambitious environmental package and mental health court program. More often than not, the governor got his way.

California politicos will now turn to the November midterm elections, which stand to create a lot of turnover in the Legislature. A fight over the Assembly speakership also looms after new members are sworn in toward the end of the year.

Here’s what the Legislature approved and rejected during the final days of their lawmaking season.

Abortion access

▪ Assembly Bill 2223: Would protect pregnant people from criminal or civil penalties following a stillbirth, miscarriage or self-induced abortion.

▪ Assembly Bill 2091: Would prohibit abortion information-sharing with agencies from states where the procedure is restricted.

▪ Assembly Bill 1242: Would prevent California law enforcement from arresting anyone involved in an abortion or cooperating with out-of-state investigations into procedures performed in the state.

▪ Senate Bill 1375: Would allow nurse practitioners to perform abortions without physician supervision.

Housing

▪ Assembly Bill 2011: Would allow by-right affordable housing development in commercial areas if construction contractors are paid prevailing wage.

▪ Senate Bill 6: Would allow discretionary market-rate housing development in commercial areas if the first two bids for construction contractors go to union workers.

▪ Senate Constitutional Amendment 2: Would repeal a portion of the California Constitution that requires local voters to decide whether to allow public housing complexes in their communities.

Healthcare

▪ Senate Bill 107: Would prevent other states with anti-transgender laws from removing trans children from their parents after coming to California for gender-affirming healthcare.

▪ Senate Bill 1479: Would compel school districts to create COVID-19 testing plans with state health officials.

▪ Assembly Bill 2098: Would prohibit medical professionals from sharing misinformation about COVID-19 or vaccines, designating it “unprofessional conduct.”

Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, on Wednesday pulled Senate Bill 866, which would have allowed teens 15 and older to get vaccines without parental consent. Wiener said he could not secure the votes he needed due to “anti-vaxxer harassment.”

Technology

▪ Assembly Bill 2273: Would create standards for online platforms targeted at children, including privacy and data protections.

▪ Assembly Bill 587: Would define terms of service — a legal agreement between a service provider and a customer — for social media companies and require them to submit reports to the Attorney General’s Office about these policies.

Assembly Bill 2408 from Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, R-San Luis Obispo, would have allowed prosecutors to sue social media companies for addicting children. It died in August after being put on the suspense file in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Cunningham’s bill would have complemented AB 2273, and he cheered its passage on Tuesday.

“My disappointment over AB 2408 is exceeded by my joy to see AB 2273 heading to the Governor’s desk,” Cunningham tweeted. “This is the most important step ANY state has taken to ensure children’s online safety— by far!”

Worker rights

▪ Assembly Bill 257: Would create a fast food council responsible for negotiating standards for wages, hours and working conditions for the entire industry.

▪ Assembly Bill 2183: Would give farmworkers the option to vote by mail in union elections.

▪ Assembly Bill 2847: Would provide unemployment insurance benefits to workers who are not currently eligible due to their immigration status.

▪ Senate Bill 972: Would lessen the barriers for street vendors to obtain permits and conduct business.

Assembly Bill 1577 from Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Santa Cruz, would have allowed California Capitol employees to join a union. The measure fell short in a 2-4 vote at Wednesday’s Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee.

Criminal Justice

▪ Assembly Bill 2632: Would limit the use of solitary confinement in prisons, jails and immigration detention facilities.

Environment

▪ AB 1279: Would create a legally binding deadline by which California must reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions. It sets a target of soon as possible and no later than 2045.

▪ SB 1137: Would create a buffer zone of 3,200 feet between new oil and gas wells and homes, schools and hospitals. It would also require existing oil and gas wells within the “health protection zone” to meet certain health, safety and environmental requirements by 2025.

▪ SB 1020: Would require zero carbon sources to make up 90% of the state’s electricity by 2035 and 95% by 2040.

▪ SB 905: Would require the state to come up with regulations for projects that capture and remove carbon dioxide from the air.

▪ AB 1757: Would require the state to set goals for removing and storing carbon in vegetation and soils and through restoration and conservation.

▪ SB 846: Would allow the state to loan Pacific Gas & Electric up to $1.4 billion to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open beyond 2025, its current shut down date.

AB 2133 would have required that greenhouse emissions be reduced at least 55% below 1990 levels by 2030. The bill received just enough votes in the Senate but it failed to pass the Assembly.

This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.