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D California Senate · District 13

Sen. Josh Becker

Compare
Total votes
14,289
all sessions
Attendance
96%
411 missed
Near the chamber average
With party
99%
of cast votes
Near the chamber average
Bipartisan score
0%
crosses aisle rarely
Near the chamber average
Sponsored
499
bills & resolutions
Near the chamber average
Committees
9
assignments
499 bills and resolutions

Sponsored bills

Total
499
Primary
130
Co-sponsor
369
This page
499
matching current filters
Co-sponsor SB 1285
Passed · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Juvenile court: procedure.

Existing law authorizes a judge of the juvenile court in which a petition was filed to dismiss the petition, or set aside the findings and dismiss the petition, if the court finds that the interests of justice and the welfare of the minor require that dismissal, or if the court finds that the minor is not in need of treatment or rehabilitation, regardless of whether the minor is, at the time of the order, a ward or dependent child of the court. This bill would clarify that an adjudication dismissed pursuant to that provision be deemed to have not occurred and prohibit a person from suffering any future adverse questions based on an adjudication dismissed pursuant to that provision. The bill would specify that a dismissal of a sustained petition pursuant to that provision is deemed to include both dismissal of a petition and a setting aside of any findings.

Passed Aug 21, 2026 1 co-sponsor
Primary SR 139
In committee · California Senate · Lead sponsor
Relative to the County Welfare Directors Association of California's Centennial Anniversary.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a commemorative resolution that honors the County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) for its one-hundredth anniversary. It recognizes CWDA's century-long role in representing county human services agencies and advocating for social safety net programs across the state. The text highlights specific contributions, such as helping create the CalWORKs program, expanding foster care age limits, and supporting the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. No new laws or funding are created; the resolution simply directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies of the document to the bill's author for distribution.

In committee Aug 20, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary SJR 19
In committee · California Senate · Lead sponsor
Relative to federal grants.

This measure would express the California Legislature's formal opposition to a rule proposed by the United States Office of Management and Budget that would give political appointees the power to review and override federal grant decisions.

In committee Aug 13, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor AB 1914
Passed · California House · Co-sponsor
General plan elements: childcare.

The Planning and Zoning Law requires the legislative body of a city or county to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan that includes various elements, including, among others, a land use, circulation, housing, safety, and environmental justice element. Existing law requires a city or county to update its general plan elements subject to certain criteria and timelines. This bill would require a city, county, or city and county, no later than January 1, 2033, to prepare and adopt a childcare plan or integrate a childcare plan into the next adoption of the city, county, or city and county's general plan to address the childcare needs of the jurisdiction, as specified. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. 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.

Passed Aug 13, 2026 1 co-sponsor
Primary SB 943
Passed · California Senate · Lead sponsor
Public utilities: electricity: retail transmission rates: industrial transition usage.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. This bill would require each electrical corporation to obtain the commission's approval for the terms of its retail transmission rates, as specified. This bill would authorize the commission to direct an electrical corporation with more than 100,000 service connections in California, when billing a large commercial or industrial customer for separately metered new load to provide industrial heat, to apply an adjustment factor to the per kilowatthour rate for each volumetrically determined surcharge on energy use to limit the surcharge ratio, as defined, to no more than 25% or an alternative maximum ratio determined by the commission to be just and reasonable and in furtherance of facilitating electrification of industrial energy use. The bill would prohibit an eligible industrial transition customer that pays a reduced surcharge from receiving an incentive funded by that surcharge in an amount that exceeds the amount of the surcharge paid by the eligible industrial transition customer. The bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2032, and every 5 years thereafter, to evaluate and report to the Legislature on the adjustment factor, as specified. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the above provision would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing that provision would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law establishes the Independent System Operator as a nonprofit, public benefit corporation and requires the Independent System Operator, among other duties, to ensure the efficient use and reliable operation of the electrical transmission grid consistent with the achievement of planning and operating reserve criteria, as provided. This bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2028, to request the Independent System Operator to reconsider issues raised in its transmission access charge structure enhancements proceeding as potential reforms to its high-voltage transmission access charges. The bill would require the commission to develop recommendations for changes to high voltage transmission access charges that would improve consistency with the commission's causation principles, and to submit the recommendations to the Independent System Operator within a proceeding considering changes to the high-voltage transmission access charge structure. 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.

Passed Aug 13, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor SB 1138
Passed · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Load-serving entities: resource adequacy requirements.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the commission, in consultation with the Independent System Operator, to establish resource adequacy requirements for all load-serving entities, as provided. Existing law defines load-serving entity, for that purpose, as an electrical corporation, electric service provider, or community choice aggregator. Existing law requires each load-serving entity to be subject to the same requirements for resource adequacy, the renewables portfolio standard program, and the integrated resource planning process that apply to electrical corporations, as provided. This bill would require the commission to authorize a load-serving entity to elect to demonstrate compliance with resource adequacy requirements by selling to, or otherwise making transactions with, another load-serving entity, and would require those transactions to not represent more than 25% of a load-serving entity's compliance obligations and be of a short-term duration. The bill would require the commission to authorize those transactions to be denominated in the same unit of time used to denominate resource adequacy compliance requirements. The bill would authorize the commission to suspend or adjust that authority of a load-serving entity to sell to, or otherwise make transactions with, another load-serving entity, as specified. 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 the above provisions would be a part of the act, and because a violation of a commission action implementing the above prohibition 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.

Passed Aug 13, 2026 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 1185
Passed · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Pharmaceutical facilities: skilled and trained workforce.

Existing law requires a skilled and trained workforce to be used in the construction, alteration, demolition, installation, repair, or maintenance work of certain public works and privately-owned facilities engaged in certain petroleum-related activities, manufacturing hydrogen, biofuels, or certain specified chemicals, or capturing, sequestering, or using carbon dioxide, as specified. Existing law defines "skilled and trained workforce" to include, among other criteria, skilled journeypersons who are paid at least a rate equivalent to the applicable prevailing hourly wage rate. This bill would require an owner, operator, or developer of a facility that will be used for the research, development, or production of pharmaceutical products to, when contracting for the performance of construction, alteration, demolition, installation, repair, or maintenance work on the facility, require that its contractors and subcontractors use a skilled and trained workforce to perform all onsite work within an apprenticeable occupation in the building and construction trades, and would require all contractors and subcontractors performing the work to use a skilled and trained workforce. The bill would require the owner, operator, or developer of the facility to provide to the Labor Commissioner a monthly report demonstrating compliance with the bill's provisions that includes, among other things, the full name and other identifying information relating to each worker relied on to satisfy the apprenticeship graduation percentage requirements. If the Labor Commissioner determines that a contractor or subcontractor failed to use a skilled and trained workforce, the bill would require the contractor or subcontractor to forfeit, as a civil penalty to the state, up to $5,000 per month of work performed for a first violation, and, for a second or subsequent violation, up to $10,000 per month of work performed. The bill would authorize the Labor Commissioner to reduce or waive the penalty under specified circumstances.

Passed Aug 13, 2026 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 1295
Passed · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Electrical corporations: distributed energy storage systems.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to determine appropriate targets, if any, for each load-serving entity, as defined, to procure viable and cost-effective energy storage systems to be achieved by December 31, 2020. Existing law requires the commission to direct the state's 3 largest electrical corporations to file applications for programs and investments to accelerate widespread deployment of distributed energy storage systems. This bill would require an electrical corporation, as part of the distribution planning process, to evaluate whether distributed energy storage systems can meet the identified reliability or capacity need, as provided. The bill would require an electrical corporation, if it determines that a third-party alternative may be feasible, to conduct a competitive solicitation or other transparent process to evaluate third-party solutions. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill 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.

Passed Aug 13, 2026 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 1224
Passed · California Senate · Co-sponsor
The California Emerging Therapies Research Partnership Act.

Existing law, the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, classifies controlled substances into 5 schedules and places the greatest restrictions and penalties on the use of substances placed in Schedule I. Existing law classifies, among others, psilocybin, ibogaine, and dimethyltryptamine as Schedule I substances, classifies ketamine as a Schedule III substance, and prohibits various actions related to those substances, including their sale, possession, transportation, manufacture, or cultivation. Existing law authorizes a person who is lawfully entitled to use specified controlled substances under applicable federal laws or regulations to obtain and use those substances for approved purposes in bona fide research, instruction, or analysis. This bill, the California Emerging Therapies Research Partnership Act, would establish the California Emerging Therapies Research Partnership Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, within the State Treasury, to be administered by the State Department of Health Care Services (department) and the Department of Veterans Affairs, to, among other things, issue grants to a University of California campus to serve as an anchor institution for a federally registered emerging therapies clinical trial. The bill would define "emerging therapies" for these purposes to mean psilocybin, ibogaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, dimethyltryptamine, and ketamine when used in the context of a federally registered clinical trial, as specified. The bill would prohibit General Fund moneys from being deposited into the fund and would authorize the fund to receive federal grants, awards, and partnership payments and gifts, bequests, and philanthropic contributions made to the state, upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would prohibit the use of fund moneys for, among other things, purchasing, distributing, or administering a controlled substance. By creating a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency (agency) , in coordination with the department, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the office of the President of the University of California, to submit a complete application for partnership designation to the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) , as specified. The bill would require the department, within 90 days of receiving ARPA-H partnership designation, to execute a data-sharing memorandum of understanding with specified federal agencies to establish protocols for the sharing of deidentified, aggregated clinical trial outcome data. The bill would authorize specified legislative committees to request interim briefings from the agency on the status of the ARPA-H partnership application and would require the agency to respond to a request for briefing within 30 days. The bill would require the department to request that the University of California participate in specific activities. This bill would require the office of the President of the University of California to submit a readiness certification to the agency, the Department of Finance, and the Legislature, as specified. The bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to convene the California Veteran Emerging Therapies Research Advisory Council, with specified membership, to, among other things, serve as the primary advisory body to the department, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the agency on matters relating to emerging therapies research for veterans and other priority populations. The bill would require the council to submit a needs assessment to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the agency, and the Legislature, as specified. The bill would require the agency to submit a federal readiness report to the Legislature and the Department of Finance, no later than January 1, 2028, that addresses, among other things, the status of California's ARPA-H partnership designation and the total amount of federal moneys received, as specified. This bill would provide that its provisions are severable.

Passed Aug 13, 2026 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 1284
Passed · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Medi-Cal benefits: employer reports.

Existing law establishes the California Health and Human Services Agency, headed by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services. Existing law further establishes, within the agency, a number of departments and other entities, including the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, and under which qualified low-income persons receive health care benefits. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services, after obtaining specified information from the Employment Development Department (EDD) , to prepare a report that includes information regarding employers in California that employ 100 or more employees and have any employees who receive benefits from the Medi-Cal program, including, among other things, the estimated total annual cost of Medi-Cal services provided to employees, and the dependents of those employees, of each employer, and submit that report to the Legislature no later than September 1, 2027, and annually thereafter. The bill would provide that individually identifiable information about employees or Medi-Cal enrollees contained in the report is exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act, and would authorize the department and EDD to enter into data-sharing agreements, as provided. The bill would also repeal an obsolete reporting requirement. Under existing law, the information obtained in the administration of the Unemployment Insurance Code is for the exclusive use and information of the Director of Employment Development in the discharge of their duties and is not open to the public. However, existing law permits the use of the information for specified purposes, and allows the director to require reimbursement for direct costs incurred. Existing law provides that a person who knowingly accesses, uses, or discloses this confidential information without authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill would require the Director of Employment Development to permit the use of specified information in their possession by the State Department of Health Care Services to prepare and submit the above-described report. By requiring this information to be provided to the department for these purposes, this bill would expand the crime of unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of this information, and would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, subject to certain exceptions, also requires all types of information concerning a person, made or kept by any public officer or agency in connection with the administration of the Medi-Cal program, to be confidential, and makes knowingly releasing or possessing this confidential information punishable as a misdemeanor. The bill would make individually identifiable information about employees or Medi-Cal enrollees contained in the above-described report subject to these confidentiality requirements. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law establishes within the Department of Industrial Relations the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, headed by the Labor Commissioner, for the purposes of enforcing labor laws. Existing law prohibits an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating against an employee for specified actions, including, among other things, taking time off to serve on a jury or because of an employee's status as a victim of crime or abuse, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating or retaliating against an employee who applies for, or is enrolled in, the Medi-Cal program. The bill would also prohibit an employer from refusing to hire a person because that person is enrolled in the Medi-Cal program. 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. 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.

Passed Aug 13, 2026 1 co-sponsor
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