Sen. John Laird

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.

Existing law, with certain exceptions, prohibits recreational use in which there is bodily contact with water in a reservoir in which water is stored for domestic use, and establishes water standards for those exempted reservoirs. This bill would create an exception from the above-described prohibition for recreation in which there is bodily contact with water by a participant in the Salinas Reservoir if the water subsequently receives complete water treatment in compliance with all applicable regulations of the State Water Resources Control Board before being used for domestic purposes, the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District conducts a prescribed monitoring program, and the reservoir is operated in compliance with regulations of the board. The bill would require, 2 years after approval of the changed use of the reservoir to a body contact reservoir by the board's Division of Drinking Water, and biennially thereafter, the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to file with the Legislature and the board a report on the recreational uses at the Salinas Reservoir and the water treatment program for that reservoir, as specified. By imposing a new requirement on the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal its provisions as of January 1, 2032. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Salinas Reservoir. 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.

Under existing law, it is the policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 90% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2035, 95% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2040, 100% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2045, and 100% of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2035, as specified. Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to procure eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources to satisfy those state agency obligations imposed on the State Water Resources Development System, commonly known as the State Water Project, pursuant to that policy. Existing law authorizes the department to defer, until no later than December 31, 2040, procuring zero-carbon electricity resource quantities equal to the amount of electricity provided under an existing contract to procure fossil generation entered into before January 1, 2010, if the department determines that the full achievement of the state agency obligations imposed on the State Water Project would require the early termination of the existing contract and that early termination of the existing contract would result in significant uneconomic costs. Existing law requires the department, in conducting procurement, to consider specified factors and requires that all resources procured be used first to meet the department's own electricity needs. This bill would require the department, in conducting that procurement, to also consider portfolio diversity, resource type, location, and hours of typical peak operation. The bill would expand the scope of the department's authorization to defer the procurement of those resource quantities to apply to an existing contract to procure fossil generation entered into before January 1, 2011, rather than January 1, 2010. The bill would authorize, on and after January 1, 2036, excess procurement of eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources, as defined, in one year to be applied to any subsequent year's obligation, as provided.

Existing law, the Local Agency Public Construction Act, governs public works contracts awarded by counties and requires the work of construction or repair of specified public buildings to be done by contract, if the estimated cost exceeds $4,000, as prescribed. Existing law, in counties containing a population of 500,000 or more, exempts that work from the above-described requirement if the estimated cost of the work is less than $6,500. This bill would, until January 1, 2035, authorize the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, upon approval of its governing body, to use specified alternative project delivery methods, in addition to other contracting methods allowable by law, and require a contract awarded pursuant to these provisions to be awarded on a best value basis or to the lowest responsible bidder. Because the bill would expand the crime of perjury, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the agency to follow specified procedures if its governing body approves the use of Job Order contracting, as defined, and limit the maximum total dollar amount that may be awarded under a single Job Order contract and the term of a Job Order contract. The bill would require the agency to prepare an independent cost estimate for each individual job order developed under a Job Order contract. The bill would prohibit an agency from using job order contracting unless it enters into a project labor agreement, as specified. The bill would also require an agency that uses job order contracting to submit a report to the Legislature, as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency. 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 proclaim April 10, 2026, as Dolores Huerta Day in California and would encourage all public schools and educational institutions to conduct exercises remembering her, recognizing her accomplishments, and familiarizing pupils with her contributions to California.

(1) The Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) creates the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) , which provides a defined benefit to members of the system based on final compensation, credited service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. PERL vests management and control of PERS in the Board of Administration. Under that law, members may make certain elections, including elections to purchase service credit for various types of public service, upon payment of additional contributions. Existing law permits a member who retires before paying off the entire amount for service credit to pay the balance due by deductions from their retirement allowance equal to those authorized as payroll deductions, as specified. Under existing law, upon the death of that member, a survivor of the member, who is eligible for a monthly allowance, may elect to continue those deductions from the survivor's allowance. Existing law authorizes the member, survivor, or beneficiary, as an alternative, on or after January 1, 2020, to elect to receive an allowance that is reduced by the actuarial equivalent of any balance remaining unpaid by the member. This bill would limit that alternative option to elections made on or after January 1, 2020, with an initial effective date prior to January 1, 2028. (2) Existing law provides that all elections taking effect on or after January 1, 2020, including elections for normal contributions, arrears contributions, absences, or public service become due and payable at the time of the member's retirement or preretirement death. This bill would require, for all elections with an effective date on or after January 1, 2028, except as specified, the member's payment to be received by the system no later than 90 days after the member's retirement effective date, or the survivor or beneficiary's payment to be received by the system no later than 90 days after the date the notification of balance due is mailed. For any balance not paid, the service credit included in the election would be reduced or eliminated, as specified. This bill would also require all contributions or service credit adjustments required by law or agreement with an effective date on or after January 1, 2028, to become due and payable at the time of retirement or preretirement death. The bill would require the member, survivor, or beneficiary to have their allowance reduced by the actuarial equivalent of any balance remaining unpaid by the member. (3) Existing law permits a member of PERS who has elected to receive credit for service and who retires for disability, including a safety member who retires due to industrial disability, to elect to cancel the installments prospectively, in accordance with certain provisions. Existing law specifies that, for an election taking place on or after January 1, 2020, the amount remaining for normal contributions, arrears, contributions, absences, or public service for the election becomes due and payable at the time of the member's retirement or preretirement death and provides that in these circumstances the member, survivor, or beneficiary allowance is reduced by the actuarial equivalent of any balance remaining unpaid by the member. This bill would require, for any election with an effective date on or after January 1, 2028, except as specified, the member's payment to be received by the system no later than 90 days after the member's retirement effective date, or the survivor or beneficiary's payment to be received by the system no later than 90 days after the date the notification of balance due is mailed. For any balance not paid, the service credit included in the election would be reduced or eliminated, as specified. (4) Existing law specifies that an election by a member to receive credit for service under PERL is effective only if accompanied by a lump-sum payment or an authorization for payments, in accordance with regulations of the board. Existing law authorizes a member paying for credit for service in after-tax installments to suspend these payments for a period not to exceed 12 months, with payments automatically resuming at the end of the period, or earlier, if requested by the member. Under existing law, a member who retires during the suspension period may, prior to retirement, either make a lump-sum payment for the recalculated balance due or cancel installment payments, as specified. Existing law also provides a 3rd option, under which a member, on or after January 1, 2020, may elect to reduce their allowance by the actuarial equivalent of the recalculated balance remaining unpaid by the member. Under existing law, a member's failure to make an election results in the resumption of installment payments as of the member's retirement date, or for elections with an initial effective date on or after January 1, 2020, results in the allowance being reduced by the actuarial equivalent of the recalculated balance remaining unpaid by the member. This bill would limit that 3rd option to elections made on or after January 1, 2020, with a initial effective date prior to January 1, 2028. The bill would provide that if a member fails to make an election, any balance remaining unpaid at the time of retirement would become due and payable, as specified. (5) The PERL establishes retirement formulas, known as the Second Tier, modified First Tier, and First Tier, which are applicable to specified members of the retirement system. Effective January 1, 2000, a member who received service credit subject to Second Tier benefits may elect to become subject to First Tier benefits and contribution rates. That law requires a member who elects to become subject to First Tier benefits to deposit accumulated contributions the member withdrew while they were subject to Second Tier benefits, plus interest, as specified, or alternatively, the deposit requirement may be satisfied by an election to reduce the member's allowance by the actuarial equivalent of any balance remaining unpaid by the member at the time of the member's retirement or preretirement death. This bill would make that alternative provision applicable only to elections made prior to January 1, 2028. Existing law specifies that, for a member who elects to receive First Tier credit on or after January 1, 2020, any unpaid balance of that member is due and payable at the time of the member's retirement or preretirement death, with the member, survivor, or beneficiary's allowance reduced by the actuarial equivalent of any balance remaining unpaid by the member. This bill would require for an election on or after January 1, 2028, the member's payment to be received by the system no later than 90 days after the member's retirement effective date, or the survivor or beneficiary's payment to be received by the system no later than 90 days after the date the notification of balance due is mailed. For any balance not paid, the service credit included in the election would be adjusted, as specified. The bill would make other related and clarifying changes.

Existing law authorizes cities and counties, subject to certain limitations and approval requirements, to levy a transactions and use tax for general or specific purposes in accordance with the procedures and requirements set forth in the Transactions and Use Tax Law, including a requirement that the combined rate of all taxes that may be imposed in accordance with that law in the jurisdiction not exceed 2%. This bill would authorize, until December 31, 2030, or December 31, 2031, as specified, various jurisdictions to levy taxes pursuant to the Transactions and Use Tax Law at specified rates, as prescribed. The bill would authorize those taxes to exceed the 2% limit described above. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the jurisdictions authorized to impose a tax pursuant to the bill. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 135 is a commemorative measure that formally honors the 40th Infantry Division of the California National Guard for its more than century-long history of service. The resolution highlights the unit's contributions in major conflicts, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and post-9/11 operations, as well as its role in responding to natural disasters within California. It specifically acknowledges the division's Medal of Honor recipients and notes that Major General Laura L. Yeager became the first woman to command an infantry division in 2019. The bill directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies of the resolution to the Adjutant General of California, the division commander, and the author for distribution.

Existing law provides for unemployment compensation benefits for eligible individuals in the state who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Existing law requires an employer, as defined, to make contributions for unemployment insurance premiums and to file specified reports with the Director of Employment Development, including, among other reports, a report of contributions, a quarterly return, and a report of wages paid, as specified. This bill would require the Employment Development Department to work with employers to enhance the reporting of employment and earning data, as specified, and, where feasible, to align and streamline definitions and requirements for the report of wages, deploy user-friendly application programming interfaces, and implement other means to simplify reporting processes. The bill would require, beginning July 1, 2027, every employer with 10 or more employees and every individual or organization that, as an agent, reports wages on behalf of one or more employers with 10 or more employees, as specified, to include in the report of wages, information on total monthly wage, industry, occupation, worker type, and hours worked for each employee, as provided. This bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2027, to adopt and develop appropriate procedures for the sharing of hours worked and other necessary employment data to support employment-related verifications for initial eligibility for, and ongoing receipt of, public benefits, and to enable access to relevant wage data, as specified. The bill would require the department to work with the California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) to develop and implement the necessary system changes to implement the data sharing process to verify hours worked for those public benefits. The bill would also require or authorize the department to work with other specified state agencies relating to reporting requirements on workforce and employment. This bill would require the department to use existing federal and state grant funds to the extent available and to implement the bill's provisions on or before July 1, 2027, except that, the bill would require the department to begin the data sharing process to verify hours worked for the public benefits, as described above, on January 1, 2028, or when the department notifies the Legislature that CalSAWS can perform the necessary automation to implement the data sharing process, whichever is later. 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 requires the director to permit the use of the information for specified purposes, including to enable governmental agencies to verify or determine eligibility for public social services. Existing law provides that a person who knowingly accesses, uses, or discloses this confidential information without authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would also require the director, on or before January 1, 2028, to enable the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Care Services to access hours worked and other necessary employment data to support employment-related verifications for initial eligibility for, and ongoing receipt of, public benefits, as prescribed. The bill would further require the director, on or before January 1, 2028, to enable the Office of the California Education Interagency Council to access any relevant wage data necessary for the council's specified purposes. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local 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.

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.