Sen. Scott Wiener

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 96 designates April 2026 as National County Government Month to recognize the essential services provided by California's 58 counties. This proclamation encourages residents to celebrate the work of county governments, which manage public health, safety, infrastructure, and disaster response. The resolution highlights the historical significance of counties, noting that 2026 marks the 176th anniversary of California's original counties and the state's founding. It also acknowledges the advocacy efforts of the California State Association of Counties in supporting local decision-making and resource allocation.

Existing law gives a person the right of protection from bodily harm and the right to possess and use property. If a person suffers bodily harm or a loss of their property because of the unlawful act or omission of another, existing law authorizes them to recover compensation from the person at fault, which is known as damages. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General to bring various civil actions due to damage or loss. This bill would authorize the Attorney General to bring a civil action against specified fossil fuel companies for climate-attributable damage to recover costs and losses suffered by the California FAIR Plan Association, funds borrowed from the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, or costs and losses incurred by insurance policyholders. The bill would make those companies strictly liable without regard to fault for any relief granted. The bill would authorize the court and jury to use market share and alternate liability principles to determine proportionate liability of those companies for the climate-attributable damage, as described. This bill would make it an unlawful business practice for the company or affiliated entity to recover from California consumers, through retail or wholesale prices, charges, fees, surcharges, or any other adjustment to the price of gasoline or other motor fuels, for any costs and expenses incurred in connection with such a civil action, as defined. This bill would create the Attorney General Climate Disaster Fund into which the monetary relief recovered by the Attorney General would be deposited, and would set forth specified uses for the account upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing law, the Governor's Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025 (GRP) , which became effective on July 5, 2025, transfers the Department of Housing and Community Development to the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, which the GRP also establishes, as of July 1, 2026. Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission (commission) within the Department of General Services. Existing law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code (code) . Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. This bill would require the department to research, develop, and propose building standards for single-exit, single stairway multiunit residential buildings of up to 6 stories in height for inclusion in the next triennial edition of the code. In developing these standards, the bill would require the department to consult with the State Fire Marshal. Existing law, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, prohibits a city or county from making changes that are applicable to residential units to building standards that are published in the code, including to green building standards, unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. Existing law, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, requires the commission to reject a modification or change to any building standard affecting a residential unit and filed by the governing body of a city or county unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. Existing law provides that neither the State Building Standards Law, nor the application of certain building standards, limits the authority of a city, county, or city and county to establish more restrictive building standards, including, but not limited to, green building standards, reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions, and pursuant to making certain findings. Existing law, notwithstanding those provisions, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, prohibits a city or county from establishing more restrictive building standards that are applicable to residential units, unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. This bill would add a condition to each of the above-described provisions for changes or modifications that allow for single-exit, single stairway multiunit residential buildings of up to 6 stories in height.

This measure would recognize March 26, 2026, as Women's Equal Pay Day in California, in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all.

(1) Existing law, the Eminent Domain Law, authorizes a public entity to exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire property for a public use if the use for which the property is sought to be taken is a more necessary public use than the use to which the property is appropriated, as specified. Existing law specifies that if property has been appropriated to public use by any person other than a public entity, the use of the property by a public entity for the same or any other public use is a more necessary use than the current use. Existing law also specifies that if property that has been appropriated to a public use is electrical, gas, or water public utility property, as defined, that the public entity intends to put to the same use, the presumption of a more necessary use is a rebuttable presumption affecting the burden of proof, except as specified. This bill would exempt from that rebuttable presumption property that has been appropriated to a public use that is electrical or gas public utility property within the Pacific Gas and Electric Company service area. (2) Existing law authorizes a public entity to exercise the power of eminent domain only if it has adopted a resolution of necessity, as specified. Under existing law, a resolution of necessity adopted by the governing body of a public entity conclusively establishes that, among other matters, the public interest and necessity require the project. Existing law specifies that, if a taking is by a local public entity and the property is electrical, gas, or water public utility property, the resolution of necessity creates a rebuttable presumption that those matters are true. This bill would provide that, if a taking is by a local public entity within the Pacific Gas and Electric Company service area and the property is electrical or gas public utility property, the resolution of necessity instead conclusively establishes those matters. (3) Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law prohibits public utilities, other than certain common carriers, from selling, leasing, assigning, mortgaging, or otherwise disposing of, or encumbering, its assets that are necessary or useful in the performance of its duties to the public, unless the public utility has secured an order or approval from the commission to do so, as provided. Existing law requires, for any voluntary or involuntary change in ownership of assets from an electrical corporation or gas corporation to ownership by a public entity, the commission to determine, as part of its review under these provisions, whether the transaction is fair and reasonable to affected public utility employees. This bill would instead require the commission, in its review of a voluntary or involuntary change in ownership of assets from an electrical or gas corporation to a public entity, to limit its review to determining whether the transaction is fair and reasonable to affected public utility employees. The bill would require the review to occur after a change in ownership agreement is made for a voluntary change in ownership, or after the completion of the condemnation proceeding for an involuntary change in ownership. (4) Existing law provides procedures for the acquisition under eminent domain proceedings, or otherwise, of lands, property, and rights of a public utility by a political subdivision, and requires the commission to fix the just compensation to be paid by the political subdivision for the lands, property, and rights, as provided. This bill would require the owner of a public utility, within 90 days of a political subdivision submitting an amount for just compensation or a plan for the separation of the public utility's assets, to also submit an amount for just compensation or provide a response to the separation plan, as provided. The bill would authorize the commission, if it finds that the total just compensation should include costs for the physical separation of the public utility's assets, to establish a process for the reimbursement of those costs and to determine the reasonableness of those expenses. The bill would require the commission to make and file its findings regarding just compensation with respect to the public utility within 18 months of the date the petition is filed. This bill would prohibit a public utility from recovering from ratepayers any litigation costs associated with a political subdivision's efforts to acquire utility property, as provided. (5) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for public entities within the Pacific Gas and Electric Company service area. (6) Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because certain provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing the bill's requirements would be 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.

Existing federal law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health benefit plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers. PPACA defines a "qualified health plan" as a plan that, among other requirements, provides an essential health benefits package. Existing state law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange, also known as Covered California, to facilitate the enrollment of qualified individuals and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under PPACA. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Knox-Keene) , provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. This bill, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, would create the California Guaranteed Health Care for All program, or CalCare, to provide comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage and a health care cost control system for the benefit of all residents of the state. Under the bill, CalCare would be a health care service plan subject to Knox-Keene. The bill, among other things, would provide that CalCare cover a wide range of medical benefits and other services and would incorporate the health care benefits and standards of other existing federal and state provisions, including the federal Children's Health Insurance Program, Medi-Cal, ancillary health care or social services covered by regional centers for persons with developmental disabilities, Knox-Keene, and the federal Medicare Program. The bill would make specified persons eligible to enroll as CalCare members during the implementation period, and would provide for automatic enrollment. The bill would require the board to seek all necessary waivers, approvals, and agreements to allow various existing federal health care payments to be paid to CalCare, which would then assume responsibility for all benefits and services previously paid for with those funds. This bill would create the CalCare Board to govern CalCare, made up of 9 voting members with demonstrated and acknowledged expertise in health care, and appointed as provided, plus the Secretary of California Health and Human Services or their designee as a nonvoting, ex officio member. The bill would provide the board with all the powers and duties necessary to establish CalCare, including determining when individuals may start enrolling into CalCare, employing necessary staff, negotiating pricing for covered pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, establishing a prescription drug formulary, and negotiating and entering into necessary contracts. The bill would require the board, on or before July 1 of an unspecified year, to conduct and deliver a fiscal analysis to determine whether or not CalCare may be implemented and if revenue is more likely than not to pay for program costs, as specified. The bill would establish an Advisory Committee on Long-Term Services and Supports to advise the board on matters of policy related to long-term services and supports. The bill would require the board to convene a CalCare Public Advisory Commission to advise the board on all matters of policy for CalCare, an Advisory Committee on Public Employees' Retirement System Health Benefits to provide recommendations related to public employee retiree health benefits, and a CalCare Health Workforce Working Group to provide the board with input on issues related to health care workforce education, recruitment, and retention. The bill would establish an Office of Health Equity within CalCare and under the direction of the Director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information to ensure health equity under the program and other health programs of the California Health and Human Services Agency and to support the board through specified actions. This bill would provide for the participation of health care providers in CalCare, including the requirements of a participation agreement between a health care provider and the board, provide for payment for health care items and services, and specify program participation standards. The bill would prohibit a participating provider from discriminating against a person by, among other things, reducing or denying a person's benefits under CalCare because of a specified characteristic, status, or condition of the person. This bill would prohibit a participating provider from billing or entering into a private contract with an individual eligible for CalCare benefits regarding a covered benefit, but would authorize contracting for a health care item or service that is not a covered benefit if specified criteria are met. The bill would authorize health care providers to collectively negotiate fee-for-service rates of payment for health care items and services using a 3rd-party representative, as provided. The bill would require the board to annually determine an institutional provider's global budget, to be used to cover operating expenses related to covered health care items and services for that fiscal year, and would authorize payments under the global budget. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would develop a revenue plan, taking into consideration anticipated federal revenue available for CalCare. The bill would create the CalCare Trust Fund in the State Treasury, as a continuously appropriated fund, consisting of any federal and state moneys received for the purposes of the act. The bill would specify uses for moneys in the CalCare budget, including special projects for which not-for-profit or governmental entities may apply. Because the bill would create a continuously appropriated fund, it would make an appropriation. This bill would prohibit specified provisions of this act from becoming operative until the Secretary of California Health and Human Services gives written notice to the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly that the CalCare Trust Fund has the revenues to fund the costs of implementing the act. The California Health and Human Services Agency would be required to publish a copy of the notice on its internet website. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution urges the Pro Football Hall of Fame to induct legendary quarterback Jim Plunkett into its hall for the Class of 2027. The bill highlights Plunkett's historic achievements, including winning two Super Bowls as the only Latino player to do so and being the first Latino selected first overall in the NFL Draft. It notes that despite his accolades and previous nominations, he has not yet been inducted and requires 80 percent of the votes from the selection committee to be honored. The resolution formally requests the Hall of Fame to consider his induction as a matter of pride for California residents.

Existing law, known as the Cartwright Act, defines a "trust" as a combination of capital, skill, or acts by 2 or more persons for certain prohibited purposes, including, among others, creating or carrying out restrictions in trade or commerce, preventing competition in specified activities, including sale or purchase of merchandise or commodities, or entering into certain exclusive dealing agreements that substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General, a district attorney, a specified city attorney, or a person who is injured in their business or property to bring an action for civil or criminal penalties for a violation of those provisions. This bill would prohibit a covered provider, as defined, from preferencing its own products, services, or lines of business over those of another business user, including manipulating the order of search results or rankings to favor the products or services of the covered provider. The bill would prohibit a covered provider from restricting interoperability or data portability, as specified, including restricting a business user or consumer from obtaining a copy of their data in a useful and portable format. This bill would declare that its remedies and penalties are cumulative and enforceable in addition to other specified remedies, and would provide an affirmative defense for certain conduct. The bill would exempt from these provisions displays of objective content, including mathematical calculations and standard unit conversions, under certain conditions. The bill would specify that its provisions are enforceable by the same means, penalties, damages, and fees as under the Cartwright Act, thereby expanding the scope of existing crimes. The bill would declare its provisions severable. 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 measure would recognize March 21, 2026, as the beginning of the International Day of Nowroz and extend best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous Nowroz to all Californians.

This measure would designate the month of December each year as Multifaith Heritage Month, and would encourage residents of California to join in fostering a community grounded in mutual respect, understanding, and harmony among diverse faiths and cultures.