2022 Legislative Budget Successes
California Youth Empowerment Commission - $1.5 million to fund the recent creation of the California Youth Empowerment Commission for staffing, operational, and transportation expenses.
Computer Science Educator Training - $100 million to prepare teachers to instruct computer science across grades K-12. Supporting educators with multiple and flexible opportunities for becoming trained in computer science is key to building a strong computer science teaching community. It also ensures every school in our state has the trained professionals needed to teach computer science in the classroom.
Extreme Heat Resilience Program - $175 million for the creation of the Extreme Heat Resilience Program to help the State respond to and mitigate extreme heat.
2022 District Budget Successes
Boys and Girls Club of San Fernando Valley - $5 million for the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley to conduct building maintenance and safety upgrades, close the digital divide, modernize its afterschool science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) activities, increase staffing capacity and provide afterschool meals to ensure children and teens have a safe place to play and learn.
Great Wall of Los Angeles - $5 million for the Great Wall of Los Angeles to go towards the construction of a pedestrian bridge, mural, and refurbishment of existing artwork.
Los Angeles County's Department of Children and Family Services - $200 million for Los Angeles County’s Child Welfare Services to mitigate the harmful impact of a structural budget deficit projected in upcoming fiscal years. This funding ensures Los Angeles County’s ability to maintain and improve critical child welfare services for vulnerable children and youth.
Los Angeles Mission College - $10 million in one-time funding for the Los Angeles Mission College to create a San Fernando Valley regional STEM hub and expand its offerings in the biotechnology area.
Northeast Valley Health Corporation - $5 million to purchase a retinal camera, colposcopy machines and essential medical, telehealth and office equipment for the Northeast Valley Health Corporation.
Pacoima Wash Pedestrian Safety Bridge - $7.5 million to construct a pedestrian bridge over the Pacoima Wash to connect existing bike/walking paths and revitalize the Pacoima Wash Natural Park to the City of San Fernando.
2022 End of Year Bill Summaries
AB 975 – Fair Political Practice Commission: This bill sought to amend the Political Reform Act of 1974 (Act) by requiring public officials and candidates to electronically file their Statements of Economic Interests (SEIs) – Form 700. Additionally, AB 975 would have reconciled the timeline for a public official to reimburse the cost of admission to an invitation-only event with the deadline for a lobbyist employer to notify the public official of the value of attending the event.
AB 1690 – Smoking Waste Pollution Prevention Act: This bill sought to transition the sale of single-use cigarettes, cigars, and all-in-one disposable vapes to rechargeable and reusable smoking products. AB 1690 would have protected public health and the environment from toxic chemicals and waste that come from these single-use smoking products.
AB 1832 – California Seabed Mining Prevention Act: This bill prohibits seabed mining in state marine waters due to the unacceptably high risk of damage and disruption it poses to our marine ecosystem and the state’s coastal communities. AB 1832 proactively safeguards more than 2,500 square miles of seafloor and connected habitat, which, in turn, protects our state’s ocean recreation, tourism, and fishing industries, valued at more than $27 billion annually.
AB 1868 – Long Term English Learners: This bill reports and separates achievement and growth data of English learner students into different categories to ensure assistance and services are tailored to their specific needs. These new categories include long-term English learners, current English learners, and reclassified fluent English proficient students. These classifications allow California to better serve English learner students with the highest needs.
AB 1894 – Cannabis Vape Marketing for Proper Disposal Act: This bill prohibits the advertisement and marketing of cannabis vaporizers from indicating that these devices are disposable, may be thrown in the trash or recycling streams.
AB 1931 – Protecting Californians from Toxic Lead Pipes: This bill sought to require water agencies performing lead service line replacements to properly notify affected residents of lead line replacements. Additionally, these agencies would have been mandated to provide certified water filters or replacement cartridges to affected residents to ensure they have access to safe drinking water before service begins. AB 1931 would have also required water service agencies to test serviced water upon the completion of the replacement to ensure there are no levels of lead. This is an issue that heavily impacts low-income communities of color.
AB 1939 – Climate Change Education: This bill sought to prioritize climate change education in the 2023-24 school year. This legislation would have made climate change education a course requirement for grades 1-6 and a graduation requirement for grades 7-12.
AB 2039 – Job Order Contracting: This bill sought to authorize LA Metro to perform job order contracting on smaller infrastructure projects to expedite their completion and save costs.
AB 2076 – Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program: This bill would have created a Chief Heat Officer, an Extreme Heat Advisory Council, and an Interagency Heat Task Force under the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR). OPR would have administered competitive grants through the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program, which local governments could have used to protect their communities from the dangers of extreme heat. Additionally, the bill created a mechanism for the state to track heat related illnesses and deaths in real time.
AB 2187 – Computer Science Education: This bill sought to increase professional development material for teachers who want to teach computer science by adding computer science to the California Subject Matter Projects (CSMP). By doing so, this bill would have used the existing CSMP framework to train educators to teach computer science to all students.
AB 2203 – Housing Subsidy Credit Reporting Act: This bill would have expanded access to affordable housing options by prohibiting housing providers from requiring credit checks for applicants utilizing state-backed housing subsidies.
AB 2229 – Non-Citizen Language Clean-up: This is a technical clean-up urgency measure that reenacts the bias requirement training in Government Code Section 1031 that was unintentionally eliminated through legislation enacted last year.
AB 2238 – Advance Warning and Ranking Systems for Extreme Heat Wave: This bill initiates the development of an extreme heat ranking and advanced warning system. AB 2238 directs the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) to work with the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP) at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), California Department of Public Health (DPH), and the California Department of Insurance (DOI) to create and implement a statewide extreme heat ranking system based on climate and health impact information. This bill empowers local governments in their efforts to prepare for extreme heat waves.
AB 2325 – California Coordinated Homelessness Response Act: This bill would have addressed the state’s fragmented approach to addressing homelessness. AB 2325 would have made the California Interagency Council on Homelessness an independent agency, by moving it under the jurisdiction of the Governor’s office, and would have created a Director who would have been tasked with overseeing all homelessness programs. Additionally, this bill would have established a workgroup to improve statewide coordination, streamline service delivery, and ensure individuals do not fall into homelessness.
AB 2375 – Identifying Homeless Youth: This bill requires all Local Education Agencies to administer a housing questionnaire for the 2022-2023 school year for purposes of identifying homeless youth and connecting them to support services regardless of receiving American Rescue Plan funding.
AB 2404 – Pacifica Hospital Seismic Retrofit Deadline Extension: This district-specific legislation provides Pacifica Hospital an extension to retrofit their hospital. Pacifica Hospital was unable to meet the deadline due to the high amount of patients they served during the pandemic. AB 2404 also ensures that low-income residents who utilize medical care will continue to have a place to receive healthcare services.
AJR 8 – Federal School Meal Programs: This resolution sought to urge the federal government to provide free school lunches to all elementary, middle and high school students in the United States.
ACR 132 – Engineers’ Week: This resolution promotes the importance of STEM education and motivates students to pursue engineering careers by recognizing the week of February 20, 2022, to February 26, 2022, as Engineers Week.
ACR 133 – Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day: This resolution celebrates the contributions that women have made in the field of engineering and encourages girls to explore male-dominated STEM fields by recognizing February 24, 2022, as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.
ACR 176 – Cruising: This resolution celebrates the rich history and culture of cruising in California. ACR 176 encourages local officials, law enforcement, and local car clubs to work collectively to foster a safe and welcoming car enthusiast environment.