2023 Legislation

2023 Legislative Wins
 

• SB/AB 112 Financially Distressed Hospital Emergency Loan Program: Creates an emergency loan program for at-risk hospitals seeking to re-open or those at risk of closure.
• SB 306 Extreme Heat: Establishes reporting guardrails on the newly funded Direct Install Program at the California Energy Commission and codifies California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan of 2022 to ensure regions, which experience extreme heat, have resources to help residents and to make sure state strategies are updated and made available.
• SB 599 Safe and Secure Visitation: Authorizes Superior Court locations to serve as supervised visitation and exchange locations for custodial visits, as well as clarifies in statute that virtual visitation is appropriate when a restraining order has been issued due to allegations of domestic violence. 
• SB 609 Supplemental and Concentration Funds Accessibility: Requires School Districts, County Offices of Education (COEs) and charter schools to post the current school year's approved Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) on the performance overview portion of the California School Dashboard (Dashboard). This ensures the public can access information on how the schools are utilizing special funds awarded to assist at-risk youth.
• SB 621 Reducing Prescription Drug Prices for California Patients Act: Increases patient access to certain lower-cost medications in order to reduce healthcare premiums and provide safe and effective treatment options.
• SB 684 Infill-Level Homeownership Production: Expedites the permitting process to assist in the construction of small homeownership development projects.
• SB 699 Non-Compete Agreements: Allows the award of attorney fees and damages to employees who are required to sign an employee contract in violation of California’s long-standing policy against “non-compete” clauses, when the employer threatens to enforce the clause.
• SB 149 CEQA Judicial Streamlining: Ensures that energy, transportation, water and semiconductor projects are eligible for expedited judicial review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
• SB 706 Progressive Design-Build: Will allow counties, cities, and special districts to use the Progressive Design-Build (PDB) procurement and delivery method to build infrastructure projects, to expedite construction and reduce costs.
• SB 747 Surplus Land Act Reform: Makes numerous improvements to the Surplus Land Act (SLA) giving cities, counties, and special districts clarity on the scope and application of the law to avoid delays and uncertainty for local agencies advancing important public policy priorities.
• SB 753 Cannabis Water Theft Penalties: Expands the existing felony of intentionally or with gross negligence causing substantial environmental harm to surface or ground water to those who plant, cultivate, harvests, dry, or processes more than six living cannabis plants without the legally required permits.
• SB 800 Advanced Air Mobility, Zero-Emission, and Electrification Aviation Advisory Panel: Creates the Advanced Air Mobility and Aviation Electrification Advisory Panel, to assess the feasibility and readiness of existing infrastructure for air mobility and the development of a three-year prioritized work plan, with pathways for promoting equity and access to advanced air mobility infrastructure.
• SB 831 The California Permanent Residency Program: Authorizes the Governor to work with the federal government to establish a program to allow undocumented agricultural workers in California to work legally in the state.

2023 BUDGET UPDATES
 

The 2023 Budget Act achieved two key goals:

1. Protect the progress made in recent years
2. Continue to implement responsible budget practices

This budget includes $30.7 billion in solutions and preserves a historically high level of reserves, while upholding the following commitments:

1. No ongoing cuts to core programs.
2. No middle class tax increases.
3. Maintains planned program increases for schools, higher education, CalWORKs and SSI/SSP grants, Medi-Cal expansions, and more.

• Up to $1.6 billion in financial support for hospitals to address augmentations to primary care, children’s preventive care, maternal care, patient care services and behavioral health as well as specialty care and outpatient and acute care systems.
• $512,000 to support the San Joaquin River Conservancy in projects for safe drinking water, water quality and supply and flood control.
• $2,041,000 to local assistance for the San Joaquin River Conservancy.
• $2 million for the improvement of streets, sidewalks and drainage facilities in the rural, communities of Cantua Creek and El Porvenir, in Fresno County. In addition, street repairs curb ramps and drainage facilities will be installed, and sidewalks leading to Cantua Creek Elementary will be constructed. The project will address flooding risks, and improve safety and accessibility.
• $20,000,000 for the community of Pajaro in Monterey County, and $20,000,000 for the community of Planada in Merced County for flood relief such as home inspections, remediation, repairs and retrofitting; rental assistance; vehicle replacement assistance; infrastructure repairs, community outreach; and direct relief, including, and not limited to, undocumented and non-citizen residents and workers.
• $19,684,000 to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to ensure that appropriate standards are met for the construction, maintenance, and protection of the flood control system that protects life, property, and wildlife habitat from the devastating effects of flooding in the areas of Atwater, Merced, Los Banos, Fresno, and Coalinga.
• $250 million for investments in the Fresno Public Infrastructure Plan designed to revitalize downtown Fresno and lay the groundwork for infill housing development through transportation, water, and greenspace projects.
• $387,500 for minimal to no cost energy efficiency upgrades on appliances and home modifications for low to moderate income residents in extreme heat areas to help reduce their energy costs.
• $7 million for the construction of the Dolores Huerta Peace and Justice multi-cultural community center. The center will serve to expand and improve organizing skills and training for civic leaders throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
• $2,800,000 to support the California Medicine Scholars Program. This is a pathway program that supports underserved students to enter a four-year university, medical school, residency to expand California’s health workforce.
• $915,000 to initiate the CalFresh Minimum Pilot Program to provide eligible households with a minimum monthly CalFresh benefit of $50 to support local economies and healthy eating.
• $3 million to the UC Merced Labor Center to support research, education, and public engagement for an economic impact study on the relationship between oil and gas industry changes and local services and jobs.
• $3.25 million to the University of California to support UC Medical School Projects at UC Merced.
• $11 million to the UC Merced Campus Expansion Project to build classrooms.
• $1 million for the radio transmission and reception improvements in the City of Greenfield.
• $500,000 to support the Del Valley Food Center of the Central Valley Community Foundation to provide agriculture products grown locally for residents who experience extreme poverty, food insecurity and high unemployment.
• $400,000 for improvements and maintenance of the Soledad Mission Recreation District in South Monterey County to ensure affordable programming and reduce use of water and natural gas.
• $1 million to complete the Indoor/Outdoor Regional Sports Park in the City of Parlier to provide leisure and economic opportunities for the city and the region.
• $1 million to complete the Hart Ranch Community Park project in Kerman to include multi-use sports fields, splash pads, walking paths, interpretive panels, shaded picnic area and a community garden.
• $100,000 for improvements for the Veterans Memorial Museum in the City of Fresno.
• $950,000 for the upgrades of the Mobile Command Center of the City of Madera that provides assistance in situations such as crime, natural disasters, or rescue operations.
• $500,000 to improve and upgrade the trail conditions for the Lions Town and Country Park in the City of Madera.
• $400,000 to upgrade the City of King Park Recreation Center Facilities.
• $350,000 to build additional playing fields at City's Sports Complex in the City of Reedley.
• $310,000 to build a community park in Santa Nella, in Merced County.
• $240,000 to support the construction of 27 homes in Firebaugh by Habitat for Humanity Greater Fresno Area.
• $150,000 to improve 18-person transitional housing facility in the City of Reedley. This project serves displaced families within an existing city owned two-story single-family residence.
• $100,000 to build an EV charging infrastructure at city facilities in the City of Reedley. This project serves displaced people.
• $1 million to support the building of a new centralized treatment plan and storage tank in the City of Livingston.
• $50,000,000 to the City of Fresno to support the city’s Public Infrastructure Plan.
• $60,672,000 to the Veterans Home of California at Fresno, and $8,914,000 to support rental payments on lease-revenue bonds at the Veterans Home of California at Fresno.
• $75,000 to support Fresno Unified School District.

Total: $2,044,824,000