Existing law establishes the Domestic Violence Prevention Act for the purpose of preventing acts of domestic violence, abuse, and sexual abuse and providing for a separation of the persons involved in the domestic violence for a period sufficient to enable those persons to seek a resolution of the causes of the violence. Existing law authorizes a court to issue an ex parte protective order enjoining a party from, among other things, disturbing the peace of the other party. Existing law provides that disturbing the peace of the other party refers to conduct that includes coercive control, as defined, which includes unreasonably engaging in specified actions, including isolating the other party from friends, relatives, or other sources of support. Existing law makes an intentional and knowing violation of a protective order punishable as a misdemeanor. This bill would include forced marriage for purposes of the act. The bill would define "forced marriage" as a spousal relationship in which one or both parties do not or cannot consent and one or both parties are compelled, through force, fraud, coercion, duress, abuse of power, or coercive control, to enter, attempt to enter, or maintain, a marriage, regardless of whether the marriage is legally valid. If a protective order is sought to protect against a forced marriage, the bill would authorize all persons engaged in conduct to arrange, officiate, finance, or facilitate a forced marriage or attempted forced marriage to be included in one action as respondents. The bill would provide that coercive control, for purposes of the act, includes interfering with, threatening, or attempting to prevent a party or witness from participating in a court proceeding. The bill would provide that conduct undertaken to compel, attempt to compel, prepare for, or facilitate a forced marriage constitutes disturbing the peace of the other party, as specified. The bill would require the provisions of the act to be liberally construed. The bill would authorize a court to grant relief regardless of whether a marriage has occurred or whether a purported marriage would be legally valid in this state or any other jurisdiction. Because a violation of a protective order is punishable as a crime, by expanding the bases for the issuance of these orders, the bill would expand an existing crime, thereby imposing 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.
Sponsored bills
This measure would declare the month of March 2026 to be March4Water Month in California and would encourage all residents, businesses, and local leaders to participate in activities and programs that promote water efficiency, support workforce development in the water sector, and prioritize water solutions as essential investments in the state's economic future.
This measure would memorialize the Legislature's strong disagreement with the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and encourage states to adopt policies to limit the powers of corporations to contribute to political campaigns, consistent with the United States Constitution.
Existing law, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) , grants a consumer various rights with respect to personal information that is collected or sold by a business, as defined, including the right to direct a business that sells or shares personal information about the consumer to third parties not to sell or share the consumer's personal information, as specified. Existing law, the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, approved by the voters as Proposition 24 at the November 3, 2020, statewide general election, amended, added to, and reenacted the CCPA and establishes the California Privacy Protection Agency and vests the agency with full administrative power, authority, and jurisdiction to enforce those provisions. Existing law requires a retail grocery store or grocery department within a general retail merchandise store that uses a point-of-sale system to have a clearly readable price indicated on 85% of the total number of packaged consumer commodities offered for sale, subject to specified exemptions. This bill would, subject to certain exceptions, prohibit a retailer from engaging in surveillance pricing. The bill would define "surveillance pricing" to mean offering or setting a customized price for a good for a specific consumer or group of consumers, based, in whole or in part, on personally identifiable information, as specified, and determined in whole or in part through the use of any technology, software, program, machine-based system, or computational process that uses statistical modeling, data analytics, artificial intelligence, or other data processing techniques. The bill would also define "surveillance pricing" to mean random variations in prices to different consumers using a website, mobile application, or comparable online technology. The bill would provide that its provisions do not limit or impair any consumer right or remedy available under any other state or federal law. The bill would declare that any waiver of these provisions is against public policy and is void and unenforceable. This bill would declare that its provisions further the purposes and intent of the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020.
This measure would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 152 in the County of Santa Clara as the Rusty Areias Highway. The measure would request that the Department of Transportation determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those signs.
This measure would urge President Donald J. Trump to avoid raising the cost of living for American consumers by rescinding the tariffs that he has imposed since taking office in January 2025 and refunding the American people for the costs passed on to them by his tariffs. The measure would also urge the United States Congress to enact a joint resolution to rescind President Trump's tariffs and to oppose all future unilateral and arbitrary tariff increases imposed by President Trump.
The Powering Up Californians Act requires the Public Utilities Commission to determine the criteria for timely service for electrical customers to be energized, including, among other things, categories of timely electric service through energization, as specified. The act requires the commission to establish reasonable average and maximum target energization time periods to ensure that work is completed in a manner that minimizes delay in meeting the date requested by an electrical customer to the greatest extent possible. This bill would require the commission, by September 30, 2027, in a new or existing proceeding, to establish timelines for electrical corporations to respond to and process requests to energize small energization projects, as provided. The bill would require the commission, in establishing the timelines for energization, to require electrical corporations to comply with certain requirements. Under existing law, a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the above-described provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, 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.
Existing law generally provides for the placement of foster youth in various settings and governs the provision of child welfare services, which is defined to mean public social services that are directed toward the accomplishment of specified purposes, including protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, preventing the unnecessary separation of children from their families, and restoring to their families children who have been removed. Existing law provides that it is the policy of the state that all minors and nonminors in foster care have specified rights, including, among others, the right to have storage space for private use, the right to be free from unreasonable searches of personal belongings, the right to be informed of these rights in an age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate manner, and the right to receive a copy of these rights, at specified intervals. Under this bill, the foster youth would have an additional right to have their personal belongings transported during placement changes and other moves in a manner preserving the youth's property and dignity, including the use of suitcases, duffel bags, backpacks, and moving boxes rather than trash bags or other inappropriate receptacles. The bill would also include the right to maintain reasonable access to and use of personal belongings, clothing, and personal items.
Maddy summarySenate Resolution 134 designates August 19, 2026, as Afghan Independence Day in California to honor the nation's history and the contributions of its residents. The resolution highlights Afghanistan's struggle for sovereignty, its cultural heritage, and the resilience of its people, including a specific acknowledgment of the challenges faced by Afghan women and girls. It encourages Californians to learn more about Afghan traditions and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies of the document to the bill's author.
Maddy summaryThis California Senate Resolution designates August 26, 2026, as Women's Equality Day to mark the anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote. The text highlights historical milestones in the women's rights movement while acknowledging that significant gaps remain in areas such as fair pay, workplace safety, and access to healthcare. It also notes recent progress, including gender parity in the state Senate and increased representation on the U.S. Supreme Court. No new laws or funding are created; the bill serves solely as a formal commemorative statement.