Asm. Robert Garcia

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 establishes the State Department of Public Health, headed by the State Public Health Officer, and sets forth its powers and duties, including the administration of provisions relating to the prevention and control of communicable diseases. Existing law authorizes the department to take necessary measures to ascertain the nature and prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Existing law prohibits the governing authority of a school or other institution from unconditionally admitting or advancing to the 7th grade level any person as a pupil of any public or private elementary or secondary school, childcare center, day nursery, nursery school, family daycare home, or development center, unless, prior to their admission or advancement to that institution, they have been fully immunized against various communicable diseases, as provided, subject to any specific age criteria. Existing law requires the governing authority of a school or other institution, on at least an annual basis, to file a written report on the immunization status of new entrants to the school or institution under their jurisdiction with the department and the local health department at times and on forms prescribed by the department. This bill, the Informed Parents, Healthy Schools Act, would require the department to establish, and update as needed, levels of immunization rates needed to prevent the spread of specified communicable diseases. The bill would require the department to establish notification procedures designed to annually inform designated parties, including schools, daycare centers, and county departments of public health, when an immunization rate is determined to fall below the rate established by the department, among other things. The bill would require that the notification be translated into any language, in addition to English, that is spoken by 15% or more of enrolled children. The bill would require the department to apply existing data de-identification standards and methodologies to protect individual privacy, consistent with applicable state and federal law, in implementing these provisions. The bill would require a school or institution, as defined, to distribute the above-described notification to parents or guardians of enrolled children within 10 business days of receiving the notification from the department. The bill would authorize the school or institution to determine the manner of distribution for the notification, consistent with specified requirements. The bill would require the governing authority of the school or institution to cooperate with the department in carrying out these provisions. By requiring school districts to comply with these requirements, 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws, including numerous motion picture credits. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, and before January 1, 2032, would allow a credit against the taxes imposed by those laws to a qualified taxpayer that produces qualified commercials, as defined, in the state in an amount equal to 20% or 30% of the qualified production costs in excess of $500,000 that are attributable to the production of a qualified commercial, as specified. The bill would exclude any commercial that is created entirely by generative artificial intelligence, as specified, or that utilizes generative artificial intelligence or autonomous vehicles in a manner that replaces the job functions customarily performed by a human worker in the production. The bill would require the qualified commercial to adhere to specified labor standards. The bill would require the California Film Commission to establish an application process and allocate the credits on or after July 1 each year, in accordance with certain requirements. The bill would limit the aggregate amount of credits that may be allocated for a fiscal year under these provisions to $15,000,000. The bill would require specified certifications under penalty of perjury. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. 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. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary education in this state. Under this system, local educational agencies throughout the state provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and existing law establishes courses of study for those pupils. This bill would encourage school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to integrate outdoor learning into standards-aligned instruction across all grades and subject areas, as provided. Existing law establishes the State Department of Education under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and assigns the department numerous duties relating to the governance and funding of local educational agencies. This bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2028, to curate and maintain on its internet website resources for educators on outdoor learning. The bill would also encourage the department, in carrying out these provisions, to consult with county offices of education, classroom educators, tribal partners, mental and physical health professionals and researchers, environmental literacy experts, and community organizations with experience in outdoor learning. The bill would authorize the department to provide resources to address the particular needs of each local educational agency. The bill would authorize the department to accept voluntary contributions to be deposited into the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Account, which the bill would create in the State Treasury, to fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the costs of these provisions.

Existing law declares the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food. Existing law defines food insecurity as the occasional or constant lack of access to the food one needs to live a healthy life and the uncertainty of being able to acquire enough food to meet the needs of an individual or household due to insufficient money or other resources. Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education within this state. The University of California comprises 10 institutions of higher education located at various campuses, including in the City of Los Angeles. This bill, the Count Hunger Act, would encourage the University of California, Los Angeles, in administering the California Health Interview Survey, to expand the portion of the survey relating to food insecurity to include households with incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. The bill would further encourage the University of California, Los Angeles, to make available statewide, regional, and county-level data regarding food insecurity among households with incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level through the AskCHIS reporting tool or a successor public reporting platform, as specified. The bill would encourage these provisions to be undertaken only to the extent that the University of California, Los Angeles, determines sufficient resources are available.

Existing federal law, the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) , governs the proceedings for determining the placement of an Indian child when that child is removed from the custody of the child's parent or guardian. Existing law specifies that the state is committed to protecting the essential tribal relations and best interest of an Indian child by promoting practices in accordance with ICWA. Existing law also provides for the state and an Indian tribe to enter into an agreement regarding the care and custody of Indian children and jurisdiction over Indian child custody proceedings. Existing law establishes, in order to provide additional funds to eligible Indian tribes that have entered into an agreement with the state pursuant to those provisions, the Tribally Approved Homes Compensation Program to provide funds to recruit and approve homes for the purpose of foster or adoptive placement of an Indian child and the Tribal Dependency Representation Program to provide funds to pay for legal counsel to represent the Indian tribe in a California Indian child custody proceeding. This bill would establish the Tribal Foster Care Prevention Program to provide funding to assist any federally recognized Indian tribe located in California, or with lands that extend into California, in funding the costs associated with services aimed at preserving families and preventing the entry of children into foster care. The bill would require an Indian tribe that seeks funding for this purpose to submit an annual letter of interest to the department. The bill would require the department, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for this purpose, to provide each Indian tribe that enters into a specified agreement and submits a letter of interest an annual allocation. The bill would require an Indian tribe that receives funds to submit a progress report regarding the number of Indian children and their families served to the department on or before September 30 following the close of the fiscal year in which funding was received. This bill would authorize the department to issue written guidance to implement, interpret, or make specific these provisions without taking any regulatory action.

Existing law, the Governor's Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025, beginning July 1, 2026, eliminates the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and instead establishes the Business and Consumer Services Agency and the California Housing and Homelessness Agency (agency) . Existing law requires the agency to coordinate with the California Health and Human Services Agency and the California Consumer Protection Agency on various state policies, including housing. This bill would require the agency to create a study on issues impacting pregnant people experiencing homelessness and report the results of the study, as well as recommendations to establish a PINK Alert, to the Legislature by July 1, 2028. The bill would require the recommendations to include how the PINK Alert can meet specified conditions, including that it be a system that nonprofits can opt in to in order to get notifications if there is a pregnant person in need of emergency housing or prenatal services.

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.

This measure would acknowledge and celebrate 50 years of coastal protection and affirm the state's longstanding commitment to protecting its coastal waters, as specified.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates June 2026 as Men's Mental Health Month to raise awareness about mental health issues affecting men. The measure is a formal proclamation that does not change laws or allocate funding, but rather encourages public recognition of the topic. Once passed, it serves as an official declaration without imposing new requirements on individuals or organizations.