BILL SUMMARY
Legislative Year (2025-2026)
Pending Action
Wildfire Response & Recovery:
SB 742, The Wildfire & Emergency Management Act, would require the removal of abandoned or decommissioned powerlines, like the one that caused the Eaton Fire. It would also require electrical utilities to collaborate with regional emergency operation centers to ensure effective communication with local and public safety partners during an emergency.
SB 877, The Fair Claims Practices and Transparency Act, would address the insurance industry’s impact on our community by requiring insurers to disclose to policyholders all loss estimate materials and revisions. This would ensure that homeowners understand how their policy payouts were calculated. This bill is sponsored by Consumer Watchdog and Every Fire Survivor’s Network.
SB 878, The Insurance Payment Accountability Act, would strengthen existing prompt-payment insurance laws by imposing financial penalties for missed claim decisions and payment deadlines. The bill would also require insurers to identify disputed items in writing and make timely payment on all undisputed amounts, even when other portions of a claim remain unresolved. This bill is sponsored by Consumer Watchdog, Every Fire Survivor’s Network, and the State Insurance Commissioner.
SB 1090, The Keep Altadena Land in Altadena Hands Act, is community-driven legislation that would protect Altadena from real estate speculators seeking to acquire fire-damaged properties for higher-density development at a scale that would overwhelm the community’s infrastructure. This bill would create a temporary moratorium on SB 1123, that was signed into law in 2024, similar to the protections extended to Palisades Fire communities through an executive order issued by Governor Newsom. This legislation contains urgency language and would take effect on October 1 if signed into law.
SB 1098, The Protect Ratepayers from Utility Overspending Act, would establish safeguards for ratepayers by setting guidelines for investor-owned utilities’ use of memorandum and balancing accounts and requiring that any costs approved for recovery through rates be set below the current authorized rate of return. This bill is sponsored by The Utility Reform Network (TURN).
SB 1417, The Mutual Water Company Rate Disclosure and Fair Notice Act, would require mutual water companies, including those serving Altadena, to comply with specified notice and public meeting requirements before increasing rates. The bill would also require these entities to provide company records upon request by an eligible person and state that a mutual water company may not hold a shareholder’s tenant directly responsible for water service.
Protecting Civil Liberties:
SB 957, The Protecting Vulnerable Immigrant Detainees Model Act, would direct the Attorney General to develop a comprehensive oversight plan for privately-operated detention facilities to better protect the health, safety, and welfare of people inside. This comes after Senator Pérez’s SB 995, The Masuma Khan Justice Act, died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 1105, The Protect California Rights Act, would respond to actions by the current federal administration that have raised concerns about discriminatory and retaliatory enforcement practices. This bill would protect Californians’ civil rights by requiring state and local law enforcement agencies participating in federal task forces to state in writing, through a memorandum of understanding, that they will not engage in racial profiling or the criminalization of speech when operating alongside federal agents. This bill is sponsored by the ACLU California Action and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).
Advocating for Students and Health Clinics:
SB 1083, Statewide Accountability System for Egregious Misconduct,would protect students by building on Senator Pérez’s Safe Learning Environments Act (SB 848), passed in 2025. This legislation strengthens investigation and reporting requirements and creates appropriate vetting standards for independent contractors who work with students. Specifically, SB 1083 would require fingerprint-based background checks, disclosure requirements, and appropriate vetting measures to protect student safety. This bill is sponsored by California School Employees Association (CSEA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) California, California Federation of Teachers (CFT), and SEIU California.
SB 845, The High School Youth Apprenticeship Act, would expand access to career-connected learning across the state by strengthening hands-on learning opportunities, removing barriers to industry participation, and connecting students with high-demand careers, all efforts that are guided by the Career Education Master Plan and the recommendations of the California Youth Apprenticeship Committee. Doing so will provide a strong foundation for preparing students for career success, which is essential for building a more inclusive economy. This bill is sponsored by the California Workforce Association and NextGen California.
SB 526, Change-of-Location Health Care Clinic Application, would authorize community health centers with an affiliate to use the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) fast-tracked licensing process when opening a new health center, relocating an existing one, or changing management. This process is not currently accessible for clinics licensed before 2010, even if the clinic is in good standing. Through this bill, facilities like Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley would be allowed to relicense a new facility using this fast-tracked process. This bill is sponsored by Planned Parenthood Affiliates of CA and the California Primary Care Association.
Signed Into Law
Housing and Tenant Protections
SB 610 (Pérez) –Disaster Protections for Homeowners and Renters
This bill provides clarity to existing law and establishes key protections for tenants and homeowners following a disaster. It creates a presumption that the presence of debris from a disaster makes a unit uninhabitable; clarifies that landlords are responsible for repairing damage, including from smoke and ash, to the unit; clarifies tenants are not obligated to pay rent during a mandatory evacuation order; and requires the state to coordinate with mortgage lenders and servicers to facilitate mortgage forbearance for financially-impacted homeowners. (Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 547, Statutes of 2025.)
SB 634 (Pérez) – Unhoused Service Providers Protection Act
This bill reaffirms California’s commitment to addressing the unhoused crisis through a common sense and humanitarian approach. It prohibits state and local government entities from adopting a new ordinance, or enforcing an existing ordinance, that prohibits a person or organization from providing supportive services, including legal and medical services, as well as other basic survival resources, to unhoused individuals. By eliminating these barriers, it ensures that people providing critical life-saving survival resources and support to the state’s most vulnerable residents can do so without fear of persecution and penalty, as the California continues to tackle the unhoused crisis. (Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 521, Statutes of 2025.)
Wildfire Response & Recovery
SB 293 (Pérez) – The Generational Homeownership Protection Act
This bill establishes a pathway for homeowners affected by the 2025 Southern California wildfires who inherited their homes from facing unexpected financial hardships by extending the deadline to qualify for an intergenerational transfer from six months to three years after receiving a reassessment notice, giving families more time to recover and help prevent retroactive tax assessments that could put them at risk of losing their homes. (Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 539, Statutes of 2025.)
SB 547 (Pérez) – Commercial Insurance Protection Act
This bill expands the Residential Insurance Moratorium law to include commercial properties to prevent insurers from canceling or refusing to renew commercial insurance policies for one year following a declared emergency. The protections would apply to businesses, homeowners’ associations (HOAs), condominiums, affordable housing units, small businesses, non-profits, and other commercial entities within an affected disaster area. By pausing non-renewals for a year, the bill helps maintain services, preserves jobs, and supports community recovery without the added burden of losing insurance coverage. (Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 544, Statutes of 2025.)
SB 782 (Pérez) – Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District
The bill establishes a streamlined option for cities and counties to create a disaster relief financing district following a Governor-declared state of emergency. The formation and implementation of the district requires public engagement and transparency, including multiple public hearings and public access to the infrastructure financing plan before approval. All district revenues are strictly dedicated to projects that repair, rehabilitate, or replace disaster-damaged infrastructure, and initiatives that mitigate future disaster risks. This includes economic recovery projects, resiliency enhancements, small business recovery, and workforce development programs. (Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 552, Statutes of 2025.)
Supporting Immigrant Communities
SB 98 (Pérez) – Sending Alerts to Families in Education (SAFE) Act
This bill requires schools and higher education institutions in California to include procedures for notifying parents and school staff when immigration enforcement agents are present on campus. These notifications are essential to prevent disruption, foster a secure learning environment, and ensure all students feel safe and supported, regardless of immigration status. (Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 124, Statutes of 2025.)
SB 281 (Pérez) – Immigration Advisement Verbatim Plea Agreement
This bill promotes uniformity across California courts by requiring judges to deliver the mandatory advisement of potential immigration consequences verbatim when a plea agreement is entered into the record, as prescribed by existing law. This requirement ensures consistency, eliminates confusion among judges and counties, and upholds the statutory mandate that has existed for over 100 years. (Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 666, Statutes of 2025.)
SB 805 (Pérez) – The No Vigilantes Act
This bill expands the scope of existing police impersonation laws by making it illegal to impersonate peace officers, including federal agents, and requires all law enforcement operating in California to clearly display identification that includes their agency and either a name or badge number or both. This bill also authorizes law enforcement to request identification from anyone claiming to be law enforcement, under certain circumstances, and bans bounty hunters from engaging in any form of immigration enforcement in California. (Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 126, Statutes of 2025.)
Protecting & Supporting Our Students
SB 848 (Pérez) – Safe Learning Environments Act
This bill strengthens protections against educator sexual misconduct in K-12 schools by establishing clear professional boundaries, improving work history verification, and creating an electronic database to track school employee misconduct. It also mandates comprehensive staff training, requires abuse awareness education for students, and ensures the prompt reporting of egregious misconduct, amongst other safeguards. (Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 460, Statutes of 2025.)
Pending Action
SB 323 (Pérez) – California Financial Aid Assurance Act
This bill addresses potential college under-enrollment by requiring the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to make the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) available to all students in California eligible for state financial aid, regardless of their federal financial aid eligibility. It also mandates collaboration between CSAC and higher education institutions to ensure students are informed about their financial aid options and how to maximize available resources. (Status: Vote pending in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations)
SB 511 (Pérez) – Autonomous Self-Driving Vehicle Safety
This bill revises California vehicle code to regulate the registration and operation of self-driving autonomous vehicles, ensuring compliance with essential safety standards. (Status: Vote pending in the Senate Committee on Transportation)
Held in Committee
SB 52 (Pérez) – End AI Rent Hikes Act
This bill prohibits landlords from using algorithmic tools to set rental rates or occupancy levels for residential units. It authorizes the Attorney General, city attorney, or county counsel to file civil actions for violations, and allows tenants to do the same against landlords for using such algorithms. (Status: Held in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations)
SB 256 (Pérez) – The Enhanced Infrastructure for Wildfire Mitigation Act
This bill requires investor-owned utilities to identify and plan to permanently remove abandoned or decommissioned power lines. It also strengthens California's electrical infrastructure and wildfire resilience by improving wildfire mitigation planning, enhancing emergency response efforts, undergrounding power lines, and requiring closer collaboration between utilities, emergency services and local communities to prevent wildfires and manage power shutoffs safely and transparently. (Status: Held in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations)
SB 341 (Pérez) – Instructional School Gardens Program
This bill offers a proven and equitable approach to enhancing student learning and fostering environmental literacy. It accomplishes this by re-establishing and expanding the Instructional School Garden Program, as well as convening a working group to develop grant criteria and program requirements. It also transfers oversight of the program from the California Department of Education to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. (Status: Held in the Senate Committee on Appropriations)
SB 416 (Pérez) – Financial Aid Uniformity Working Group
This bill addresses the ongoing lack of clarity and uniformity in financial aid offer letters provided to prospective students upon acceptance to a college or university. It requires the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to convene a working group tasked with identifying common terms, definitions, and a standardized structure to ensure uniformity and transparency in future financial aid letters. It further requires all institutions, as a condition of being a qualifying Cal Grant user, to use the financial aid offer letter template created by the work group. (Status: Held in the Senate Committee on Appropriations)
SB 465 (Pérez) – The California Alerts Act
This bill establishes a statewide emergency alerts system, administered by the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), to support and supplement locally operated warning systems. It will serve as a backup in the event of a local system failure and a resource to help local governments issue timely and effective emergency alerts. (Status: Held in the Senate Committee on Appropriations)
SB 658 (Pérez) – Community Preservation Act
This bill supports community preservation efforts in the Eaton and Palisades communities by requiring Los Angeles County to create a process that connects property owners with qualified governmental and nonprofit organizations interested in purchasing land within fire-impacted areas. To facilitate this, the County would maintain a publicly accessible website listing these registered organizations. Residents looking to sell their property would be informed of their option to notify the county and these entities to ensure that recovery effort prioritize long-term community preservation. (Status: Held in the Senate Committee on Appropriations)
Vetoed
SB 355 (Pérez) – Employee Wage Theft
This bill strengthens protections for California workers who have been victims of wage theft by authorizing the Labor Commissioner’s Office (LCO) to submit notices of unpaid wage claims to the Tax Support Division of the Employment Development Department (EDD) as potential tax fraud. This provides the LCO with an additional enforcement mechanism to hold violators accountable. (Status: Vetoed by the Governor)
SB 411 (Pérez) – Stop Child Hunger Act of 2025
This bill seeks to close the gaps in school meal access, particularly during the summer months, by establishing a secure, year-round child nutrition safety net. It creates a single statewide website for families to submit their SUN Buck application, codifies key child privacy protections including a prohibition on the sale of children’s data, and requires the integration of the SUN Bucks application to improve participation and cross-program awareness. (Status: Vetoed by the Governor)
SB 512 (Pérez) – District Elections Initiatives
This bill updates California’s election laws to align with Proposition 218 to facilitate voters in transportation districts to propose and pass local sales tax measures for transit projects through a ballot initiative. (Status: Vetoed by the Governor)