Rep. Natasha Johnson

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Resolution that formally declares March 2026 as Women's History Month in California. It aims to honor the historical and ongoing contributions of women across various fields such as business, science, and civil rights. The resolution does not create new laws or change existing policies but serves to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women throughout history.

Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with each council of governments, to determine each region's existing and projected housing need, as provided. Existing law requires each council of governments, or delegate subregion as applicable, to develop and adopt a methodology for distributing the existing and projected regional housing need to cities, counties, and cities and counties within the region or within the subregion, as provided. Existing law also requires each council of governments and delegate subregion, as applicable, to adopt a final allocation of regional housing needs to each local government in the region or subregion, where applicable, and the department, based on that adopted methodology. Existing law requires that the housing element of a county's or city's general plan include, among other things, a quantification of the locality's existing and projected housing needs for all income levels, which must include the locality's share of the regional housing need, as provided. Existing law authorizes a local government within the same county as a federally recognized Native American tribe to enter into a voluntary agreement with a tribe to allow new tribal housing development projects to count toward the locality's share of the regional housing needs allocation if certain conditions are met. This bill would authorize a local government, as defined, to enter into a voluntary agreement with another local government to allow new housing development projects to count toward each locality's share of the regional housing needs allocation if certain conditions are met, including that the project includes affordable housing units for very low and lower income households.

Existing law, the Local Agency Public Construction Act, sets forth the requirements for competitive bidding on various types of contracts awarded by local agencies. Under existing law, a municipal water district and a sanitation district, when letting a contract for $35,000 or more, is required to let the contract to the lowest responsible bidder. This bill would increase that threshold dollar amount to $220,000. The bill would require the Controller, commencing January 1, 2028, to adjust that amount annually to reflect the percentage change, as specified, and publish the adjusted amount on its internet website.

Existing law provides that it is the public policy of this state to ensure that children have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents have ended their relationship, and to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of child rearing in order to effect this policy, except where the contact would not be in the best interest of the child, as specified. Existing law provides for proceedings to determine the custody of a child, and establishes a presumption, affecting the burden of proof, that joint custody is in the best interest of a minor child, as specified. This bill would, for child custody proceedings filed on or after January 1, 2027, establish a rebuttable presumption that equal parenting time is in the best interest of the child if (1) both parents are found fit, willing, and able to parent and (2) both parents reside within 25 miles of the child's primary school or educational institution. The bill would authorize the court to deny equal parenting time if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that shared parenting time is not in the interest of the child due to circumstances that are detrimental to the child, including, but not limited to, a history of substantiated domestic abuse. The bill would require any decision to deny equal parenting time to be substantiated in writing and specify the evidence relied upon.

Maddy summaryACR 116 is a ceremonial resolution honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It does not create new laws or affect specific groups, as it is a symbolic gesture of recognition. The measure was adopted by the Assembly on January 16, 2026, and is now pending in the Senate Committee on Rules and Legislative Services. This type of resolution typically serves to acknowledge historical figures or events without implementing policy changes.

Maddy summaryACR 118 designates January 13, 2026, as Korean American Day in recognition of Korean American contributions. This ceremonial resolution does not create new laws or affect policy; it simply formally proclaims a specific date for observance. The bill directly affects public acknowledgment of Korean American heritage within the state. It has advanced through committee approval and passed the Assembly with unanimous support.

This measure would proclaim the month of January 2026 as National Mentoring Month, and would proudly recognize Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central California for its unwavering commitment to the children and families of our region and its enduring impact on future generations.

Maddy summaryACR 122 designates the week of January 25-31, 2026, as Anesthesiologists Week to honor anesthesiologists for their contributions to patient care. This ceremonial resolution has no binding effect or policy changes - it simply recognizes the profession through a symbolic week-long observance. It directly affects the broader public by raising awareness of anesthesiologists' roles, but does not impose requirements or alter laws. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Committee on Rules and Licensing (RLS).

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA, until January 1, 2040, exempts from its requirements certain projects for the improvement, institution, or increase of passenger rail service, including the maintenance, construction, or rehabilitation of stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities, which will be exclusively used by zero-emission trains or certified Tier 4 or cleaner rolling stock or locomotives, as provided. CEQA requires, for purposes of this exemption, that the project be located entirely within an existing rail right-of-way or existing highway right-of-way, as provided. This bill would instead eliminate the condition that the public project be exclusively used by zero-emission trains or certified Tier 4 or cleaner rolling stock or locomotives, thereby expanding the scope of the exemption. The bill would require, for purposes of the exemption, the mainline rail of the project, instead of the whole project, to be located entirely within an existing right-of-way or existing highway right-of-way. As part of the above-described exemption, CEQA prohibits a public project from being eligible for that exemption if used by certified Tier 4 or cleaner rolling stock or locomotives that are not zero-emission rolling stock or locomotives and the project is located in an air basin designated as a serious, severe, or extreme nonattainment area for particulate matter and ozone. This bill would instead authorize an otherwise ineligible project, as described above, to be eligible for the exemption if the project would provide daily passenger rail service between termini more than 5 miles apart where none exists as of January 1, 2027, and the rail service would run parallel to a state highway or interstate highway corridor. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a project qualifies for these expanded exemptions, 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.

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act (CESA) , among other things, authorizes the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency in an area affected by or likely to be affected thereby, if specified conditions exist and either specified local officials request the Governor to make that proclamation, or the Governor determines that local authority is inadequate to cope with, the emergency. During a state of emergency, existing law confers on the Governor, to the extent the Governor deems necessary, complete authority over all agencies of the state government and the right to exercise within the area designated all police power vested in the state by the Constitution and laws of the state to effectuate the purposes of the CESA. This bill, instead, would authorize the Governor to exercise within the area designated all executive power vested in the state by the Constitution and laws of the state to effectuate the purposes of the CESA. Existing law requires the Governor to proclaim the termination of a state emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant. Existing law requires all of the powers granted to the Governor by the CESA with respect to a state of emergency to terminate when the state of emergency has been terminated by proclamation of the Governor or by concurrent resolution of the Legislature declaring it at an end. This bill would require a state of emergency that has not been terminated by the Governor to automatically terminate 90 days after the Governor's proclamation unless the Legislature extends it by a concurrent resolution, as specified.