Asm. Ash Kalra

Maddy summaryThis House resolution honors California veterans and urges the federal government to speed up the processing of disability claims. It highlights that long wait times for these benefits can cause financial hardship and delay access to necessary medical care. The bill calls on Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce backlogs by improving staffing, increasing administrative efficiency, and modernizing their claims systems. Ultimately, it is a formal request for federal action rather than a law that changes state rules or allocates new funds.

Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, sets forth the requirements for the adoption, publication, review, and implementation of regulations by state agencies. The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (act) , approved by the voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. Existing law authorizes certain regulations needed to effectuate or implement programs of the act to be adopted as emergency regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, as provided. Existing law requires the emergency regulations to be filed with the Office of Administrative Law and requires the emergency regulations to remain in effect until repealed or amended by the adopting state agency. This bill, notwithstanding the above, would exempt the adoption of regulations for purposes of developing and adopting program guidelines and selection criteria needed to effectuate or implement programs of the act from the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, as provided. The bill would require a state entity that receives funding to administer a competitive grant program established using the Administrative Procedure Act exemption to do certain things, including, among other things, to develop draft project solicitation and evaluation guidelines, to transmit copies of the draft guidelines to the fiscal committees and to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, to hold a noticed public meeting on the draft guidelines, and to submit the final guidelines to the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, except as provided. The bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to post an electronic form of the guidelines submitted by a state entity and the subsequent verifications on the Natural Resources Agency's internet website. The bill would authorize the use of certain previously developed program guidelines and selection criteria for these purposes, as provided. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

This measure would extend an invitation to the people and government of the Province of Gauteng in South Africa to enter into a sister state relationship with California, would encourage the strengthening of existing partnerships, and would call upon California's universities, research institutions, and public agencies to explore new memoranda of understanding with Gauteng-based counterparts in areas of mutual interest.

Existing law requires the California Law Revision Commission to study, and limits the commission to studying, topics approved by resolution of the Legislature or by statute. This measure would grant approval to the commission to continue its study of designated topics that the Legislature previously authorized or directed the commission to study and two new topics of study, as specified. The measure would require the commission, before commencing work on any project within its authorized calendar of topics, to submit a detailed description of the scope of work to the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary and the Senate Committee on Judiciary, and any other policy committee that has jurisdiction, as specified. If a major change to the scope of work occurs during the course of the project, the measure would require the commission to submit a description of the change.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates June 5, 2026, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day. It is a commemorative resolution that does not change laws or require funding, but rather establishes a specific date for public awareness. The measure affects the general public by setting a day for reflection on gun violence, without mandating any specific actions or events.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates June 2026 as Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month. It serves as a commemorative resolution intended to raise public attention about abuse affecting older adults and dependent individuals. The measure does not create new laws or funding but rather establishes an official month-long observance. Once enacted, it becomes part of the state statutes without altering existing policies or requiring specific actions from government agencies.

This measure would designate a specified overcrossing on State Route 15 in the County of San Diego as the United States Navy Sailor Noah Tobin Memorial Overcrossing. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

Existing law requires the Governor to proclaim certain days each year for specified reasons. Existing law also designates particular days each year as having special significance and encourages all public schools and educational institutions to observe those days and to conduct suitable commemorative exercises on those days. This bill would require the Governor to annually proclaim May 17 as Bruce Lee Day, would designate and set apart that date each year as having special significance, and would encourage all public schools and educational institutions to observe that date by conducting exercises remembering the life of Bruce Lee and recognizing his accomplishments and the contributions he made to the state.

Existing law, the Local Agency Public Construction Act, regulates contracting by local agencies, including counties and special districts. The act includes specific provisions for contracting by counties and contracting for county highways, bridges, and subways, and county waterworks districts. Those provisions include change order authorization for contracts, as prescribed, and impose caps on the extra cost of any change order, varying with the value of the original contract. Existing law, until January 1, 2027, authorizes the County of Los Angeles and the County of Santa Clara to add a change order cap of $400,000 for contracts whose original cost exceeds $25,000,000 and of $750,000 for contracts whose original cost exceeds $50,000,000, both of which are adjusted annually to reflect the percentage change in the California Consumer Price Index. Existing law imposes similar caps for both counties with regard to county highways and similar caps for the County of Los Angeles with regard to county bridges, subways, waterworks districts, and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. That law requires the provisions specific to the County of Los Angeles and the County of Santa Clara modify no more than 7 contracts and requires those counties to provide a review report to the Assembly Committee on Local Government and the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance no later than July 1, 2026. This bill would no longer require the County of Los Angeles and the County of Santa Clara to modify no more than 7 contracts and no longer require those counties to provide a review report, as described above. The bill would delete the January 1, 2027, repeal date, thereby extending these provisions indefinitely. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Santa Clara and the County of Los Angeles.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution recognizes the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and encourages communities across California to participate in related celebrations and educational events. The measure honors the contributions of all individuals who have helped build the nation, with specific attention to those whose stories have historically been overlooked. It calls for reflection on both the achievements and shortcomings of American democracy while reaffirming a commitment to creating a more inclusive union. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal statement of the legislature's values and intent.