Sen. Kelly Seyarto

Maddy summaryThis bill designates August 7, 2026, as Purple Heart Day within the state of California. It directly affects state agencies and the general public by establishing an official date to honor military personnel who have received the Purple Heart medal. The measure requires no new funding or changes to existing laws, serving instead as a formal recognition of service and sacrifice.

In order to establish a record by which an adoptee can prove the facts of a foreign adoption, existing law requires a state resident who has finalized an intercountry adoption in a foreign country to file a petition to readopt within the earlier of 60 days of the adoptee's entry into the United States or the adoptee's 16th birthday. If the adoptive parent fails to file the petition within the prescribed timeframe or to provide a copy of the petition to each adoption agency that provided adoption services to the adoptive parent, existing law requires the adoption agency that facilitated the adoption to file the petition within 90 days of the child's entry into the United States and to provide a file-marked copy of the petition to the adoptive parent and any other adoption agency that provided services to the adoptive parent, as specified. Existing law requires the petition to include, among other things, a report from at least one postplacement home visit by an intercountry adoption agency or a contractor of that agency licensed to provide intercountry adoption services in the state. Existing law requires the clerk of the court to submit an order granting the petition to the State Registrar, as specified, and requires the State Registrar to issue a delayed registration of birth upon receipt of the order. This bill would authorize an adoptee of any age to file a petition on their own behalf if both the adoptive parent or parents and the adoption agency that facilitated the adoption failed to file a petition to readopt pursuant to the above-described provisions. The bill would, notwithstanding the documentation requirements described above, authorize a court to grant a petition for readoption that does not include those documents if (1) the petitioner establishes, by a preponderance of the evidence, that they are the adoptee, (2) the petitioner proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that one or more of the required documents cannot be obtained due to the passage of time or other circumstances beyond the petitioner's control, and (3) the petitioner is able to establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, the fundamental facts necessary for the court to make the findings required to grant the petition. The bill would authorize evidence presented to the court for these purposes to include both documentary and nondocumentary evidence, including, among other things, testimony, declarations, court records, agency records, correspondence, and other corroborating sources of information the court deems sufficient. Existing law requires the court to notify all appropriate authorities if it finds that the child may be a subject of human trafficking or may be within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court as a dependent child, as specified. This bill would also expand the notice requirements described above to include any adoptee who may be, or may have been, a subject of human trafficking.

Existing law, the California Retail Food Code, establishes uniform health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities, which are primarily enforced by local public health agencies. Violation of the California Retail Food Code is a misdemeanor, except as otherwise provided. Existing law limits the size of a passthrough window service opening to 216 square inches, and requires the opening to be provided with a solid or screened window, equipped with a self-closing device. Existing law authorizes a passthrough window of up to 432 square inches if equipped with an air curtain device. This bill would remove the requirement that the 216 square inch solid or screened window has to be equipped with a self-closing device. The bill would require a passthrough window service opening of up to 432 square inches to be equipped with an air curtain device or a self-closing device. The bill would require a passthrough window service opening that is larger than 432 square inches to be equipped with both a self-closing device and an air curtain device. The bill would require a passthrough window or other service opening to be used specifically for food delivery operations and not as a general entrance or exit for employees or customers. By expanding the scope of an existing 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 establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires the board of governors to adopt criteria and standards for periodic assessment of the fiscal condition of community college districts. In so doing, existing law requires the board of governors to develop, by regulation, appropriate procedures and actions for community college districts that fail to achieve fiscal stability or that fail to comply with the board of governors' recommendations, and to report to the chairs of the educational policy and fiscal committees of both houses of the Legislature, the Director of Finance, and the Governor, related corrective actions taken by the community college district and related actions taken against the community college district. This bill would instead require the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to report the above-described information, as needed, and to additionally report the information to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Beginning in the 2027–28 fiscal year, the bill would also require any information reported to be included with the below-described report related to community college district audits. Existing law requires the board of governors to annually submit a report to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee on the number and nature of audit exceptions and estimated amount of funds involved in the exceptions, a list of community college districts that failed to file their audits under existing law, and the actions taken by the State Department of Education to eliminate audit exceptions and comply with management improvement recommendations. This bill would revise the contents of the report to instead include actions taken by the chancellor's office to eliminate audit exceptions and comply with management improvement recommendations. The bill would instead require the chancellor's office to report that information, and to additionally report that information to the educational policy and fiscal committees of both houses of the Legislature, the Director of Finance, and the Governor. Beginning in the 2027–28 fiscal year, the bill would also require the report to include any of the above-described information related to corrective actions taken by, and actions taken against, a community college district.

Maddy summaryThis California Senate Resolution formally recognizes the week of September 17-23, 2026, as Constitution Week in the state. The bill encourages Californians to mark the occasion by studying the U.S. Constitution, reflecting on civic responsibilities, and participating in community activities. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies of the resolution to the author for distribution.

Existing law establishes a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (smog check) program that is administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs. The smog check program requires inspection of motor vehicles upon initial registration, biennially upon renewal of registration, upon transfer of ownership, and in certain other circumstances. Existing law requires all motor vehicles to biennially obtain a certificate of compliance or noncompliance, as provided. Existing law exempts specified vehicles from obtaining the certificate of compliance or noncompliance, including, among others, all motor vehicles manufactured before the 1976 model year. Existing law also exempts from a specified portion of the smog test, both biennially and at transfer, a collector motor vehicle that is insured as a collector motor vehicle, is at least 35 model years old, complies with the exhaust emissions standards for that motor vehicle's class and model year as prescribed by the department, and passes a functional inspection of the fuel cap and a visual inspection for liquid fuel leaks. Existing law defines collector motor vehicle for this purpose to mean a motor vehicle owned by a collector, as defined, used primarily in shows, parades, charitable functions, and historical exhibitions for display, maintenance, preservation, and not used primarily for transportation. This bill would expand the definition of a collector motor vehicle to include a motor vehicle that is at least 35 model years old and complies with certain regulations that are required to be adopted by the Bureau of Automotive Repair, as specified. The bill would, beginning January 1, 2028, exempt specified collector motor vehicles manufactured before the 1981 model year from the requirement to obtain a certificate of compliance or noncompliance upon initial registration, biennially upon renewal of registration, or upon transfer of ownership. The bill would extend the applicability of this exemption by one model year each year until the final extension takes effect on and after January 1, 2033, that would exempt specified collector motor vehicles manufactured before the 1986 model year from the requirement to obtain the certificate of compliance or noncompliance. The bill would be known, and may be cited, as Jay Leno's Law.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 137 formally declares October 2026 as National Chiropractic Health Month in California. The resolution highlights chiropractic care as a drug-free option for treating musculoskeletal conditions and notes that the profession is regulated by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, which operates without using state general fund money. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies of the resolution to the California Chiropractic Association and the bill's author.

Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to develop a plan and timeline of target dates for the testing, implementation, and operation of a Next Generation 911 emergency communication system, including text to 911 service, throughout California. This bill would require the office to provide quarterly reports to the Legislature on the development, implementation, and spending on the Next Generation 911 system, as specified.

The Small Business Procurement and Contract Act permits a state agency or the California State University to award a contract for goods, services, or information technology with an estimated value between $5,000 and $250,000 to a certified small business, including a microbusiness and a disabled veteran business enterprise, without complying with specified competitive bidding requirements. This bill would increase the maximum estimated value of a contract for services or information technology awarded pursuant to the act from $250,000 to $350,000. Commencing January 1, 2029, and biennially thereafter, the bill would require the Director of General Services to conduct a review of that maximum value, and would authorize the director to adjust that value to reflect changes in the California Consumer Price Index.

The California Constitution provides that all property is taxable and requires that it be assessed at the same percentage of fair market value, unless otherwise provided by the California Constitution or federal law. The California Constitution and existing property tax law provide various exemptions from taxation, including, among others, a disabled veterans' exemption. Under existing law, the disabled veterans' exemption exempts from taxation part of the full value of property that constitutes the principal place of residence of a veteran, the veteran's spouse, or the veteran and veteran's spouse jointly, and the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran, as provided, if the veteran incurred specified injuries or died while on active duty in military service, as described. Existing law exempts that part of the full value of the residence that does not exceed $100,000, or $150,000 if the household income of the claimant does not exceed $40,000, as adjusted for inflation, as specified. This bill would, until January 1, 2037, exclude service-connected disability payments from the definition of "household income" for purposes of the disabled veterans' exemption. The bill would also correct an erroneous cross-reference in the above-described provisions. By imposing additional duties on local tax officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. 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. Existing law requires the state to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding those provisions, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.