Protesters march north along Broadway toward L.A. City Hall as the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and other organizations rallied against the passage of Proposition 14, which overturned the Rumford Fair Housing Act. (Bettmann Archive)
Aug 21, 2024 Story by: Editor
As the 2023-2024 California State Legislative Session draws to a close this August, Black legislators have already seen success with approximately 100 bills signed into law. These new laws cover a range of sectors, including health, transportation, the environment, commerce, justice, and education. Meanwhile, more than 300 bills are still under consideration by the California Assembly and Senate. Below is a review of some significant proposed bills focusing on housing, elections, and voting rights.
Safety, Security, and Campaign Funds
Senator Steven Bradford introduced SB-1328: Elections, a bill aimed at strengthening voting security by regulating voting technology. Additionally, it mandates county and local election officials to retain all paper and electronic federal election records for 22 months.
AB-2041: Political Reform Act of 1974: Campaign Funds: Security Expenses by Assemblymember Mia Bonta would allow campaign funds to be used for the security of elected officials and candidates facing significant opposition. Similarly, AB-2911: Campaign Contributions: Agency Officers, authored by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, seeks to regulate donations to agency officers, particularly ensuring contributions are returned to donors who may benefit from the granting of permits or licenses.
Voting Rights
AB-544: Voting Pilot Program: County Jails, introduced by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, proposes allowing incarcerated individuals in select jails to exercise their voting rights. The bill mandates each jail facility to have a designated voting coordinator to assist in the voting process.
Assemblymember Bryan also introduced ACA-4: Elections: Eligibility to Vote, a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at expanding voting eligibility requirements in California, potentially energizing the state’s electorate.
Education
AB-25: Student Financial Aid: Middle Class Scholarship Program focuses on refining scholarship funding processes through the Department of Finance to better support students from middle-class families.
AB-359: Pupil Instruction: Dual Enrollment: College and Career Access Pathways Partnerships, authored by Assemblymember Christopher Holden, expands dual enrollment options for high school students. This would remove administrative barriers and increase access for students aiming to pursue higher education.
In addition, AB-2403: Community Colleges: Student Equity Plan, by Assemblymember Bonta, seeks to enhance transparency and accountability regarding how funding is used to improve access, retention, and completion rates for underrepresented students.
Housing
AB-1017: Homelessness: Striking Worker Emergency Homelessness Prevention Program, introduced by Holden, offers temporary financial assistance and housing support to workers involved in labor disputes, providing a safety net for union workers.
Bonta’s AB-846: Low-Income Housing Credit: Rent Increases aims to protect low-income tenants from excessive rent hikes by modifying the low-income housing credit.
Additionally, AB-1321: California Coordinated Neighborhood and Community Services Grant Program, also introduced by Bonta, proposes a grant program to fund local neighborhood and community support services.
College Housing and Support for Unhoused Students
AB-1818: Public Postsecondary Education: Overnight Student Parking, introduced by Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson, is a pilot program that addresses the needs of homeless students living in their vehicles by allowing overnight parking at public colleges.
In response to the underuse of funds for student housing projects, AB-2076: California Student Housing Revolving Loan Fund Act of 2022: State Fund Loan, introduced by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, proposes a transfer of $200 million from the Surplus Money Investment Fund to kickstart affordable student housing projects.
Homelessness Solutions
Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer’s AB-86 and AB-2338 propose the establishment of a Statewide Homelessness Coordinator to centralize and manage homelessness efforts across the state.
AB-1801: Supportive Housing: Administrative Office Space, introduced by Jackson, allows supportive housing developments to include office space for onsite management and service delivery.
AB-2187: Office of Tenants’ Rights and Protections, introduced by Bryan, advocates for the creation of a statewide agency dedicated to tenant protection. This would help renters facing unfair evictions, especially as California has one of the highest rates of renters in the U.S.
Next Steps
As lawmakers race to pass bills before the end of the session, California residents can follow the progress of these and other proposed laws by visiting the state’s legislative information website a https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/. Source: Lasentinel
