New CA laws include reproductive freedom, homelessness, trafficking of minors

By SDCN Editor

Sacramento, CA–In partnership with the Legislature, Governor Gavin Newsom last year signed landmark legislation to support the reproductive rights of Californians, increase affordable housing, hold Big Oil accountable, and protect the safety, health, and well-being of all Californians.

As the country continues to reel after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, California is building on its nation-leading efforts to safeguard reproductive freedom for all Californians.

• Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan’s AB 352 requires companies that manage electronic health records to protect all Californians’ and visitors’ electronic medical records related to abortion, gender-affirming care, pregnancy loss, and other sensitive services. This closes a major loophole in privacy protections for people traveling to California for abortion and gender-affirming care.
• Senator Skinner’s SB 345 protects providers and people from enforcement action in California of other states’ laws that criminalize or limit reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare services. 

To combat the opioid crisis, California is expanding lifesaving treatment to communities in need. Assemblymember Haney’s AB 663 allows for more mobile pharmacies to be created in communities across the state and enables them to dispense treatment medications for opioid use disorder. 

To help ensure Californians can take the time they need to care for themselves and their families, the governor signed Senator Gonzalez’s SB 616, which expands the number of sick days available to workers from 3 to 5.

The state has some of the strongest voting laws in the nation and continues working to make elections more accessible for all. Assemblymember Pellerin’s AB 545 allows voters with a disability to complete a regular ballot outside of any polling place—known as curbside voting—and removes the requirement for a voter to declare under oath that they are unable to mark their ballot to receive assistance.

Newsom is committed to making big oil more accountable for fleecing the state at the pump. Senator Skinner’s SBX1-2 grants the California Energy Commission new authority to penalize refineries and set a maximum gross gasoline refining margin if necessary to help combat price gouging. It also creates a new independent state watchdog to investigate market or price manipulation.

The state is increasing the amount of affordable housing available for Californians. Legislation signed this year aims to speed up the process to secure permits and meet housing goals.

• Senator Wiener’s SB 423 extends and expands existing law, requiring local governments that are failing to meet state housing planning goals to streamline affordable housing projects. This will increase affordable housing throughout the state in uncooperative cities.
• Senator Weiner’s SB 4, known as the “Yes in God’s Backyard” bill, allows housing to be developed on property owned by religious or independent higher education institutions. These groups are given this authority “by right,” which requires no discretionary local governance intervention.

Addressing the nation’s behavioral health crisis, Newsom signed legislation to improve healthcare delivery systems and make these services more accessible. These efforts will help tens of thousands of Californians and fill critical needs across the state, from homeless Californians with severe behavioral health issues to kids suffering from depression and everyone in between. Together, these reforms will be proposed to the voters for approval on the March 2024 ballot as Proposition 1. 

• Senator Eggman’s SB 326 reforms the Mental Health Services Act—making better use of Mental Health Services Act funding to address today’s needs and increasing accountability to the public.
• Assemblymember Irwin’s AB 531 would issue $6.38 billion in bonds to fund 11,150 new behavioral health beds and housing as well as 26,700 outpatient treatment slots.

“California is more than just a state of dreamers, we’re a state of doers. Thanks to the Legislature’s strong partnership in 2023, the state is leading by example to create opportunity, and advance and protect the rights of all Californians,” Newsom said.

In September, Newsom signed Senator Grove’s SB 14 to steepen penalties for human trafficking of minors in California. The law designates human trafficking of a minor for purposes of a commercial sex act as a serious felony.

AB 1291 by Assemblymember McCarty establishes the University of California (UC) Associate Degree for Transfer Pilot Program, beginning with UCLA, to prioritize the admission of a student who earns an associate degree for transfer (ADT) from selected community colleges and to redirect a student who meets those requirements but is denied admission to the applicable campus and offer admission to at least one other campus. Expanding ADTs to the UC system allows qualified community college transfer students to fulfill the requirements of an ADT and meet the requirements for participating UC and CSU campuses, streamlining the transfer process and saving students money by being able to earn two degrees in four years.