Rep. Steve Bennett

Maddy summaryCalifornia House Resolution 136 designates the second week of September each year as Home Hardening Week to promote fire safety measures for residents. The resolution cites rising wildfire risks and insurance costs as reasons for encouraging homeowners to use fire-resistant building materials and manage defensible space around their properties. It urges local organizations and county boards of supervisors to distribute information about these protective steps, which studies suggest can significantly increase the likelihood that a home survives a wildfire.

Maddy summaryCalifornia House Resolution 128 designates October 23, 2026, as Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase (AADC) Deficiency Awareness Day. The resolution aims to increase public and medical community awareness of this ultrarare genetic condition, which prevents the body from producing dopamine and causes severe developmental delays. By highlighting the challenges faced by patients and their caregivers, the bill encourages Californians to learn more about the disease to support earlier diagnosis and continued research into treatments.

Maddy summaryThis California House Resolution proclaims September 2026 as Young Women's Reproductive Health Awareness Month to highlight the importance of early diagnosis and education for adolescent girls. The resolution urges high schools, colleges, public health agencies, and medical providers to promote educational campaigns on topics such as menstrual health, HPV vaccination, and sexual health practices. It specifically aims to address disparities in care by encouraging outreach to communities that face systemic barriers or lack culturally appropriate resources.

Maddy summaryCalifornia Assembly Resolution 131 proclaims October 11 through 17, 2026, as Student Cancer Education, Detection, and Prevention Week. The resolution encourages middle schools, high schools, colleges, public health agencies, pediatricians, and community health providers to promote educational campaigns on cancer prevention and detection. These efforts aim to inform students about risk factors, warning signs, and the importance of timely screenings to support better health outcomes for young people in the state.

Existing law prohibits a person from selling or offering for sale a product, as defined, that is labeled with the term "compostable" or "home compostable" unless, among others, the product meets a specified ASTM standard specification, has OK compost HOME certification, and meets a standard adopted by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. Existing law requires the department to review revisions to the ASTM standard specification, as provided. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt a standard different from an ASTM standard if adopted or developed by a standard-setting organization recognized by the department, the standard adds qualifications to an ASTM standard specification, and the standard is more stringent than an ASTM standard specification, as provided. Existing law exempts a fiber product that is demonstrated to not incorporate any plastics or polymers from complying with any of these ASTM standards. This bill would instead prohibit a person from selling or offering for sale a product that is labeled with the term "compostable" or "home compostable" unless the product has OK compost HOME certification or meets a standard adopted by the department. The bill would repeal the requirement for the department to review revisions to the ASTM standard specification. The bill would instead authorize the department to adopt an existing standard different from an ASTM standard specification if the standard is adopted or developed by a standard-setting organization recognized by the department. This bill would exempt a fiber product that is demonstrated to not incorporate any plastics or polymers from requirements for labeling compostable products, as specified, unless the department adopts a standard for compostable fiber products. This bill, on and after June 30, 2027, would prohibit a person from selling or offering for sale a product in this state that is labeled with the term "compostable" or "home compostable" that is made wholly or partially of plastic, as defined. This bill would exempt from prohibition a food service establishment's use of plastic single-use food service ware that is accepted by a recycling collector that services the jurisdiction in which the food service establishment operates, as specified. The bill would provide that this exemption does not preempt a local requirement for food service establishments to use compostable or reusable service ware or otherwise limit the authority of a local government to regulate service ware outside of the exemption, as specified. Existing law requires a compostable bag that meets an ASTM standard specification described above to comply with certain labeling requirements. This bill would repeal those labeling requirements.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution officially designates September as Black Music Month to honor the significant contributions of Black artists to American culture. The measure recognizes a wide range of musical genres, including jazz, blues, gospel, and hip-hop, by highlighting their historical origins and influential figures. While the text celebrates these artistic achievements, it does not impose any new legal requirements or funding mandates.

Existing law requires the operator of a private detention facility, as defined, to comply with, and adhere to, the detention standards of care and confinement agreed upon in the facility's contract for operations, as specified. Existing law requires a private detention facility operator to comply with, and adhere to, all local and state public health orders and occupational safety and health regulations. This bill, the Masuma Khan Justice Act, would authorize the State Department of Public Health to inspect an involuntary residential facility, defined as a facility that houses more than 50 individuals overnight, restricts residents' ability to enter or leave, as specified, and provides specified onsite services, for the limited purpose of ensuring sanitary, hygienic, and safe conditions, using standards and inspection protocols consistent with those applied to licensed residential health facilities. The bill would authorize unnoticed inspections under specified conditions. The bill would require the department, within 30 days of completing an inspection, to submit a report to the Legislature. The bill would require the operator of a facility to provide access to the department for an inspection described above, to maintain all records necessary to demonstrate compliance with the above-described standards, and to correct any violation identified by the department, as specified. The bill would make a violation of the above-described requirements by an operator of a facility, after appropriate notice and an opportunity for a hearing, subject to an administrative penalty, as specified, per violation per day. If an operator fails to correct a violation within the time specified in the citation, the bill would authorize the department to issue a safety warning that identifies the uncorrected condition and requires prompt corrective action by the operator. The bill would authorize the department to refer violations to the Attorney General, and would authorize the Attorney General to bring a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief. The bill would require the department to adopt rules and regulations to ensure that all involuntary residential facilities comply with measurable standards for sanitary, hygienic, and safe conditions and would require the department to consult with specified organizations in the development of these standards. The bill would require the department to implement the above-described provisions in a manner that avoids unnecessary duplication of existing state or local health and safety oversight, as specified. The bill would declare that its provisions are severable. The bill would make related findings and declarations. The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law establishes the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) for the purpose of benefiting children residing in foster homes by providing the stability and security of permanent homes. Under existing law, a child is eligible for AAP benefits if they meet, among other requirements, an age requirement wherein the child is (1) under 18 years of age, (2) under 21 years of age with a mental or physical handicap, or (3) under 21 years of age, has attained 16 years of age before the adoption assistance agreement became effective, and one or more of specified conditions are met. This bill would add a 4th age eligibility category for a nonminor who is 18 years of age, is under an adoption assistance agreement that became effective before the nonminor's 16th birthday, was, prior to attaining 18 years of age, attending high school or the equivalent level of vocational or technical training on a full-time basis or pursuing a high school equivalency certificate, continues in such attendance, continues to reside with the adoptive parent, and remains otherwise eligible. This bill would make that nonminor age eligible until the date of completion of the program they are attending or the nonminor's 19th birthday, whichever occurs first. The bill would, to the extent that federal financial participation is unavailable for adoption assistance payments continued pursuant to this eligibility expansion, require the department to ensure that state-realigned funding is available for those payments, as specified. By expanding eligibility of a county-administered program, thereby imposing duties on counties, this 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.

By Executive Order No. N-82-20, Governor Gavin Newsom directed the Natural Resources Agency to combat the biodiversity and climate crises by, among other things, establishing the California Biodiversity Collaborative and conserving at least 30% of the state's lands and coastal waters by 2030. Existing law requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to prepare and submit, on or before March 31, 2024, and annually thereafter, a report to the Legislature on the progress made in the prior calendar year toward achieving the goal to conserve 30% of California's lands and coastal waters by 2030. Existing law provides that it is the goal of the state to conserve at least 30% of California's lands and coastal waters by 2030, known as the 30x30 goal. Existing law establishes the Equitable Outdoor Access Act, which sets forth the state's commitment to ensuring all Californians can benefit from, and have meaningful access to, the state's rich cultural and natural resources. Existing law declares that it is state policy, among other things, to ensure that all Californians have equitable opportunities to safe and affordable access to nature and access to the benefits of nature, and to prevent and minimize the intentional and unwarranted limitation of sustainable public access to public lands, where appropriate, including, but not limited to, local, regional, state, and federal parks, rivers, lakes, beaches, forests, mountain ranges, deserts, and other natural landscapes. Existing law requires specified state agencies to consider and incorporate, as appropriate, the state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, or grant criteria, or making expenditures, as specified. Existing law requires all state agencies implementing the above-described state policy to do so in a manner consistent with the mission of their agency and that protects the health and safety of the public and conserves natural and cultural resources. This bill would provide that, to advance and promote environmental, conservation, and public access policies and budget actions, the Governor's office, state agencies, and the Legislature, when distributing resources, shall recognize the coequal goals and benefits of the 30x30 goal and the Outdoors for All initiative, and, to the extent practical, maximize investment in historically underserved urban communities consistent with those initiatives. The bill would encourage decisionmakers, when distributing resources to achieve the goals and benefits of the 30x30 goal and the Outdoors for All initiative, to consider factors that are unique to urban settings, including, among other things, higher land value acquisition and development costs per acre, the acute health needs of a local population due to historic lack of greenspace access and development externalities, local park needs assessment plans, current or impending loss of parks or greenspace as a result of state or federal infrastructure projects, and the availability of mobility options near a proposed land conservation site. The bill would encourage regulatory agencies, including the Department of Toxic Substances Control, to work with local communities to restore degraded lands that could contribute to a more equitable strategy for meeting the state's environmental, conservation, and public access goals. The bill would require state funding agencies, including certain state conservancies and the Wildlife Conservation Board, to allow, to the extent consistent with the funding source, the funding program's authorizing statutes, and the state's goals, for urban nature-based projects on degraded lands to be eligible and competitive for state funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill serves as a commemorative resolution to mark the 50th anniversary of the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975. It does not create new laws or alter existing regulations but instead formally acknowledges the milestone achievement of the original legislation. The measure is intended to honor the history of mining and land reclamation efforts established by the 1975 act.