Asm. Ash Kalra

Maddy summaryCalifornia Assembly Resolution 137 formally recognizes the Diwali festival scheduled for November 8, 2026, and encourages state residents to participate in the celebration. The resolution highlights the cultural significance of the holiday for Indian Americans and South Asian communities, noting its themes of unity, joy, and the triumph of light over darkness. It also acknowledges that California previously designated Diwali as an official state holiday in 2025. This measure serves as a commemorative statement rather than a law with new regulatory or financial provisions.

This measure would declare the Legislature's opposition to any federal executive action that restricts, burdens, or interferes with California's vote by mail system and would call upon the United States Congress to reject any federal legislation that would restrict or eliminate vote by mail options and to protect the constitutional authority of states to administer their own elections.

This measure would recognize August 26, 2026, as Women's Equality Day and its historic importance to women's rights, including the battle to attain those rights in the past, present, and future.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer to acknowledge the vital contributions of women in agriculture. It functions as a formal proclamation rather than a law that changes regulations or allocates funding. The measure directly affects the state by officially recognizing the importance of female agricultural workers during that year.

This measure would affirm the fundamental importance of indigent defense to due process, equal justice, and democratic governance, recognize public defenders as essential protectors of constitutional rights and the rule of law, and encourage the development of statewide approaches to indigent defense.

Under existing law, upon the proclamation of a state of emergency by the President of the United States or the Governor, or upon the declaration of a local emergency by the executive officer of any county, city, or city and county, and for 30 days following the proclamation or declaration of emergency, it is price gouging, a misdemeanor, for any person, business, or other entity, to increase the rental price advertised, offered, or charged for housing, to an existing or prospective tenant, by more than 10%. Existing law exempts an increase from these provisions if the person can prove that the increase is directly attributable to additional costs for repairs or additions beyond normal maintenance that were amortized over the rental term that caused the rent to be increased greater than 10%. This bill would instead make it an affirmative defense to charge of price gouging pursuant to that provision if an increase was directly attributable to additional costs for repairs or additions beyond normal maintenance incurred within the year prior to the proclamation or declaration and either the housing was rented, advertised for rent, or offered for rent at the time the costs were incurred or the person can prove that within a year before the proclamation or declaration, the intent to offer the housing for rent within 6 months of the repair or addition already existed. Existing law also makes the imposition of various other price increases upon the proclamation of a state of emergency by the President of the United States or the Governor, or upon the declaration of a local emergency by the executive officer of any county, city, or city and county, and for 30 days following the proclamation or declaration of emergency, price gouging. Existing law exempts certain price increases from these provisions. This bill would instead frame those exemptions as affirmative defenses. Existing law defines housing for these purposes as any rental housing with an initial lease term of no longer than one year. This bill would expand the definition of "housing" to include any rental housing without regard to the length of the initial lease term. Existing law defines the rental price of housing advertised, offered, or charged at a daily rate at the time of the proclamation or declaration of emergency that is advertised, offered, or charged on a periodic lease agreement after the declaration or proclamation of emergency as being 160% of the fair market rent established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, which may be increased by 5% if the housing is offered for rent fully furnished. This bill would define the rental price of housing advertised, offered, or charged at a daily rate following a declaration or proclamation of emergency, but that was not advertised, offered, or charged at a daily rate in the year prior to the declaration or proclamation of emergency as being 130 of the amount above. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 396 of the Penal Code proposed by SB 493 to be operative only if this bill and SB 493 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates June 2026 as Electronic Dance Music Month to recognize the genre's cultural significance. It directly affects communities and organizations involved in the electronic dance music scene by encouraging public awareness and celebration during that period. The measure requires no new funding or legal changes, serving instead as a symbolic declaration to highlight the month's theme.

This measure would encourage the chief administrator of each public building or facility owned by the state, a county, or a municipality to display the 9/11 Remembrance Flag on September 11 of each year and to prescribe procedures necessary for its display. The measure would declare that any public official or chief administrator of a public building or facility may accept a donation of one or more 9/11 Remembrance Flags for the purpose of display at a public building or facility owned by the state, a county, or a municipality.

This measure would call on the state's Representatives in Congress to continue to support investments in the federal Local Food for Schools and Child Care program and would call on the President of the United States to work with Congress to support family farmers who produce fresh, locally sourced food for school meals.

Maddy summaryACR 61 designates April 9-15, 2025, as Filicide Awareness Week through a formal proclamation. This resolution does not create new laws or affect specific groups; it simply establishes a designated week for public awareness. The key mechanism is the official naming of the dates by the legislature to encourage community education about filicide (the killing of a child by a parent or caregiver). The bill has no policy changes or funding provisions, serving solely as a commemorative measure.