Sen. Sabrina Cervantes

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution designates the week of May 3 through May 10, 2026, as Cinco de Mayo Week in California. The measure urges all Californians to celebrate the historical victory at the Battle of Puebla and to acknowledge the contributions of Latinos to the state's culture, economy, and defense of democratic institutions. It highlights the role of Latino communities in various fields, including the arts, business, and public service, while recognizing their support for free institutions both in California and Mexico. The resolution is a commemorative action intended to honor the spirit and achievements of Latinos rather than to enact new laws or policies.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution designates April 2026 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and recognizes April 29, 2026, as Denim Day in California to raise public awareness about sexual violence. The resolution encourages all residents to wear jeans on Denim Day to symbolize that clothing choices do not constitute consent and to challenge victim-blaming attitudes. It highlights the importance of supporting survivors and preventing sexual assault by promoting education and accountability. The text does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal recognition of the issue and a call for community awareness.

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 acknowledge the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and express the Legislature's deepest respect to Muslims across California and throughout the world on this significant occasion.

Existing law designates specific days as holidays in this state, including Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, and requires the Governor to annually proclaim March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day. This bill would instead designate March 31 as Farmworkers Day and would require the Governor to annually proclaim March 31 as Farmworkers Day. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 80 establishes February 26 as César Chávez Day to honor the life and legacy of the farmworker leader. The resolution recognizes his contributions to civil rights, including his role in organizing the United Farm Workers and advocating for improved labor conditions through peaceful means. It highlights key events in his life, such as his early struggles, his service in the Navy, and his leadership in historic strikes and marches that led to California's Agricultural Labor Relations Act. This legislative measure serves as a formal acknowledgment of his impact on farmworkers and Latino communities without altering any existing laws or policies.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution formally declares March 2026 as Women's History Month in California to honor the historical and ongoing contributions of women across all fields of society. The measure recognizes women's roles in building the nation and state while acknowledging that many of their achievements have been overlooked or undocumented. By joining the United States Congress and state organizations in this observance, the resolution aims to raise awareness of women's accomplishments and encourage continued efforts to address gender inequity. The text is a commemorative proclamation rather than a law that changes specific regulations or mandates new programs.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 82 declares February 2026 as Children's Dental Health Month in California to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. The resolution highlights that tooth decay is a major public health issue affecting many children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and notes that untreated dental problems can lead to missed school days and learning difficulties. While acknowledging recent improvements in access to Medi-Cal dental services, the bill emphasizes the need for continued efforts to prevent cavities through education and preventive care. This measure serves as a symbolic recognition rather than establishing new laws or funding, aiming to encourage policymakers and the public to focus on childhood oral health.

Under existing law, if sufficient appropriations are not available for the payment of certain claims, settlements, or judgments, the Attorney General is required to report the claims, settlements, and judgments to the chairperson of either the Senate Committee on Appropriations or the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, who is then required to cause introduction of legislation appropriating the funds necessary for payment. This bill would appropriate an unspecified amount from the General Fund to the Attorney General to pay the judgment in an unspecified case. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law prohibits a public agency, which includes the state, a city, a county, a city and county, or any agency or political subdivision of the state, a city, a county, or a city and county, including, but not limited to, a law enforcement agency, from selling, sharing, or transferring automated license plate recognition (ALPR) information, except to another public agency, and only as otherwise permitted by law. Existing law defines ALPR information as information or data collected through the use of an ALPR system. This bill would provide that "public agency" does not include a transportation agency, a public transit operator, or a local department of transportation or public works department, as specified. The bill would, beginning January 1, 2026, require new, updated, expansions of, or addendums of contractual agreements with ALPR vendors, manufacturers, or suppliers to mandate that no default access is provided to any national ALPR database and that an agency's collected scans are by default not accessible to any other agency, and would impose new requirements on sharing between California state law enforcement agencies. The bill would authorize a law enforcement agency to use ALPR information only for purposes of locating vehicles or persons when either are reasonably suspected of being involved in the commission of a public offense. The bill would prohibit a public agency from retaining ALPR information for more than 60 days after the date of collection if it does not match information on an authorized hot list, as defined, and as of January 1, 2026, would require a public agency to delete all ALPR information that has been held for more than 60 days and does not match information on an authorized hot list within 14 days. By imposing new requirements on public agencies, which include local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law defines an ALPR operator as a person that operates an ALPR system, which does not include a transportation agency. Existing law defines an ALPR end-user a person that accesses or uses an ALPR system, which does not include, among other things, a transportation agency. This bill would additionally exclude from the definitions of "ALPR operator" and "ALPR end-user" a public transit operator, a local department of transportation or public works department, or an airport or airport operator, as provided. Existing law requires an ALPR operator and ALPR end-user to maintain reasonable security procedures and practices, including operational, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, to protect ALPR information from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure. This bill would require those security procedures and practices to include safeguards for managing which employees can see the data from their systems, as specified, and requiring data security training and data privacy training for all employees that access ALPR information. Existing law requires an ALPR operator and ALPR end-user to implement a usage and privacy policy that includes, among other things, a description of the job title or other designation of the employees and independent contractors who are authorized to access and use ALPR information. This bill would require the usage and privacy policy to identify what purpose employees and independent contractors access and use ALPR information for. The bill would also require the Department of Justice to, contingent upon an appropriation of sufficient funds, conduct annual random audits on a public agency that is an ALPR operator or ALPR end-user to determine whether they have implemented and are adhering to that usage and privacy policy. Existing law requires an ALPR operator that accesses or provides access to ALPR information to require that ALPR information only be used for the authorized purposes described in the usage and privacy policy and to maintain a record of that access that includes, among other things, the purpose for accessing the information. This bill would instead require that record of access maintained by the ALPR operator to include the case file number or task force name, as applicable, that justifies the search query, and would provide that no queries shall be allowed without a log entry with a valid and current case file number or task force name from the agency conducting the query. 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, 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.