Sen. Catherine Blakespear

Existing law establishes the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) program for the purpose of providing jurisdictions with grant funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address their immediate homelessness challenges, as specified. Existing law provides for the allocation of funding under the program among continuums of care, cities, counties, and tribes in 6 rounds, with rounds 1 to 5, inclusive, administered by the Interagency Council on Homelessness and round 6 administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, as provided. Existing law requires a program applicant to provide specified information through data collection, reporting, performance monitoring, and accountability framework, as established by the council. This bill would enact the Functional Zero Act, which, beginning with the next round of HHAP program applications, or when updates to the regionally coordinated homeless action plan are next required to be submitted, would require an applicant to provide information relating to its efforts to address homelessness in its jurisdiction, including an assessment of what would be required for the applicant to achieve and maintain both functional zero, which the bill would define as a milestone indicating a community has measurably solved homelessness, as specified, and functional zero unsheltered, which the bill would define as a necessary milestone in the effort to achieve functional zero indicating that sufficient housing options of all types to accommodate a jurisdiction's unsheltered, chronically homeless population based on its most recent homeless point-in-time count. The bill would require, as part of the assessment of progress toward functional zero, applicants to include, at a minimum, an analysis of the number of housing units of all types needed to achieve functional zero in a jurisdiction, and as part of the assessment of progress toward functional zero unsheltered, a financial model assessing the needs for investment in prescribed areas and further analysis of, among other things, funding programs that provide housing or services to persons experiencing homelessness. The bill would also require an applicant to provide information regarding the applicant's implementation of local homeless housing incentives, as provided, and to demonstrate its efforts to include small cities, as defined, in its regionally coordinated homeless action plan, as specified.

Existing law requires any sale, loan, or transfer of a firearm to be processed through a licensed firearms dealer. Existing law exempts from this requirement certain transfers such as those made by gift, bequest, intestate succession, or operation of law, among others. Existing law requires a person who receives a firearm pursuant to these provisions to submit to the Department of Justice a report, as prescribed by the department, describing the firearm and providing personal information. Existing law requires, for a firearm purchase when the register is used, 2 copies of the original sheet of the register containing certain information to be mailed to the department, and when the electronic or telephonic transfer of applicant information is used, the record of applicant information be transmitted to the department by electronic or telephonic transfer. Existing law requires that fees charged by the department for the processing of these forms be deposited in the Dealers' Record of Sale Special Account, which is available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to offset certain costs relating to the regulation of firearms, among other things. This bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, require the department to mail to each purchaser of a firearm, within 10 days of the application, or any person who notifies the department pursuant to the above-described reports of a firearm transaction, within 10 days of the notification, a letter that includes certain information relevant to firearm ownership, such as information on how to legally transfer or relinquish a firearm and resources regarding gun violence restraining orders, among others.

(1) The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, which is administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, establishes an integrated waste management program. The act requires each state agency to divert at least 50% of all solid waste through source reduction, recycling, and composting activities. "State agency" is defined, for purposes of these requirements, to include the California Community Colleges. The act requires each state agency to develop and adopt an integrated waste management plan to reduce solid waste, reuse materials whenever possible, recycle recyclable materials, and procure products with recycled content in all state agency offices and facilities, including any leased locations, as provided. The act requires each state agency to submit an annual report to the department summarizing its progress in reducing solid waste by at least 50%, as provided. This bill would require a state agency to include in its integrated waste management plan descriptions of actions to be taken to source reduce certain materials, as specified. The bill would require, on or before July 15, 2027, each state agency to submit an adopted integrated waste management plan to the department for review and approval, and would, on or before January 1, 2028, require the department to complete its review of the plans, as specified. The bill would require a state agency's annual report to include summaries of the state agency's compliance with the requirement to reduce solid waste by 50% and the requirements relating to the adoption of an integrated waste management plan. By imposing new duties on community colleges, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the department to provide advice to help state agencies and facilities reduce solid waste by at least 50%. The bill would, on or before January 1, 2027, require the department to publish on its internet website a list of products available for purchase by state agencies that would reduce the overall amount of plastic or paper waste generated. (2) Existing law requires plastic beverage containers sold by a beverage manufacturer, as specified, to contain a specified average percentage of postconsumer recycled plastic. Between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2029, inclusive, existing law requires that percentage to be no less than 25% postconsumer recycled plastic per year, and on and after January 1, 2030, no less than 50% postconsumer recycled plastic per year. This bill would require, on and after January 1, 2026, reportable purchases by state agencies of plastic beverage containers to be of plastic beverage containers with no less than those above-referenced percentages of postconsumer recycled plastic per year. (3) 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.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 60 designates November 25, 2025, as "Elimination of Violence Against Women Day" in California. It formally recognizes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, observed globally since 1999 to honor the Mirabal sisters. The resolution urges policymakers to advance efforts against violence toward women year-round but does not create new laws or funding. As a symbolic declaration, it directly affects state recognition and public awareness, not specific individuals or policies.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 56 designates September 2025 as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in California. The resolution highlights statistics on ovarian cancer (including 2025 U.S. estimates of 20,890 new diagnoses and 12,730 deaths) and emphasizes the importance of early detection through symptom awareness. It does not create new laws or allocate funding; instead, it serves as a symbolic proclamation to honor those affected by the disease and encourage community awareness efforts. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the California Senate on August 29, 2025.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 54 designates August 15, 2025, as Korean Independence Day in California. The resolution commemorates the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonization on August 15, 1945, and recognizes the contributions of California's Korean American community - home to over 530,000 residents - to the state's cultural and economic life. As a symbolic gesture without legal effect, it formally honors this historical milestone and the enduring U.S.-South Korea alliance.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 58 is a ceremonial resolution commemorating the 105th anniversary of the 19th Amendment (ratified in 1920), which granted women the right to vote in the U.S. It honors the suffrage movement and California's early role in women's voting rights (1911) while acknowledging ongoing voting barriers faced by women of color and people with disabilities. The resolution has no binding policy effect - it simply expresses the Senate's recognition of this historical milestone through formal commemoration. It was unanimously adopted by the California Senate on August 25, 2025.

Maddy summarySCR 94 designates June 2025 as "California Mountain Biking and Trail Stewardship Month" through a symbolic resolution. This non-binding measure does not create new laws, allocate funding, or directly affect any specific group or policy. It serves solely as a ceremonial recognition to highlight mountain biking and trail stewardship efforts across the state. The resolution has no enforcement mechanism or practical impact beyond raising awareness during that month.

This measure would recognize June 14, 2025, as Flag Day in California and encourage the citizens of the state to celebrate the symbol of our freedom and remember the hard work and sacrifices that so many made to ensure that freedom.

Maddy summarySCR 87 designates June 10, 2025, as Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis Awareness Day. This resolution does not create new laws or affect policies; it is a symbolic measure to raise public awareness about focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a rare kidney disease. The resolution directly affects the FSGS patient community and advocacy groups by providing a designated day for education and outreach. It has no regulatory or financial provisions.