Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil

Existing law makes a person who is a dealer in or collector of junk, metals, or secondhand materials, or their agent, employee, or representative, who buys or receives any wire, cable, copper, lead, solder, mercury, iron, or brass that the person knows or reasonably should know is used by or belongs to specified entities, including a railroad, certain utility companies, or a public entity engaged in furnishing public utility service, without using due diligence to ascertain that the person selling or delivering that material has a legal right to do so, guilty of criminally receiving that property and, in addition to imprisonment, makes that act punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000. This bill would prohibit organized metal theft, described as acting in concert with one or more persons to steal metal materials from one or more of specified materials and items with the intent to sell, exchange, or return those metal materials for value, acting in concert with 2 or more persons to receive, purchase, or possess those metal materials knowing or believing it to have been stolen, acting as an agent of another to steal those metal materials as part of an organized plan to commit theft, or recruiting, coordinating, organizing, supervising, directing, managing, or financing another to undertake acts of theft of metal. The bill would make a violation of organized metal theft punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony. The bill would make related findings and declarations and state the intent of the Legislature. By creating new crimes, 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.

Existing law governs the dissolution of marriage and legal separation. Existing law prohibits a judgment of dissolution of marriage from being made final until 6 months have expired from the date of service of a copy of the summons and petition or the date of appearance of the respondent, whichever occurs first. Existing law authorizes a court to extend the 6-month period for good cause shown. Existing law also requires a court to enter a judgment dissolving a marriage when 6 months have expired from the date of the filing of a joint petition for summary dissolution, unless a revocation has been filed. This bill would additionally authorize the court to reduce or waive the 6-month period described above for good cause shown, as specified, provided that the parties have resolved all material issues related to the dissolution.

This measure would declare the month of March 2026 to be March4Water Month in California and would encourage all residents, businesses, and local leaders to participate in activities and programs that promote water efficiency, support workforce development in the water sector, and prioritize water solutions as essential investments in the state's economic future.

(1) The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws, including, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, and before January 1, 2027, a credit for qualified taxpayers in an amount equal to 15% of the qualified value of fresh fruits or vegetables and specified raw agricultural products or processed foods donated to a food bank. This bill would extend the authorization for those tax credits for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2032. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. For purposes of complying with these requirements, existing law requires the Franchise Tax Board to submit a report to the Legislature regarding the utilization of the above-described credit on or before December 1 of each year until January 1, 2026. This bill would extend that reporting requirement to January 1, 2031. The bill would make related findings and declarations. (2) Existing law authorizes individuals to contribute amounts in excess of their personal income tax liability for the support of specified funds, including the Emergency Food for Families Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund. Under existing law, the provisions governing that voluntary contribution fund are in effect until January 1, 2026, and are repealed as of December 1 of that year. This bill would extend the provisions that apply to the Emergency Food for Families Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund until January 1, 2033, as provided. The bill would additionally make a nonsubstantive change reflective of existing law. By extending the term of a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

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 requires, within 7 months after the close of each fiscal year or within the time prescribed by the Controller, whichever is later, the officer of each local agency, as defined, who has charge of the financial records to furnish to the Controller a report of all the financial transactions of the local agency during the preceding fiscal year, as specified. Existing law requires the report to contain underlying data from audited financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, as specified, and to state certain information, including the aggregate income during the preceding fiscal year. Existing law requires the legislative body, upon completion of the report, to either post the report in a conspicuous location on its internet website or to cause copies of the report to be prepared and the clerk of the legislative body to furnish a copy to any person requesting it, as specified. This bill would require a local agency, as defined, that maintains an internet website to post its audited financial statements, or its annual comprehensive financial report, on its internet website within 30 days of the date that the statements or report are completed by the local agency, as specified. The bill would make its provisions operative on January 1, 2028. By imposing additional duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would include findings and declarations related to these provisions. 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.

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.

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 establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge children to be dependents of the court under certain circumstances, including when the child suffered or there is a substantial risk that the child will suffer serious physical harm, or a parent fails to provide the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment. Existing law requires a social worker who has cause to believe that a child meets the requirements to be adjudged a dependent of the court to immediately conduct an investigation to determine whether child welfare services should be offered to the family and whether proceedings in the juvenile court should be commenced. Existing law authorizes a court to make any reasonable orders to the parents or guardians of the child as the court deems necessary and proper. This bill would require a social worker, if an investigation involves an allegation that a parent or guardian has used or is under the influence of fentanyl or other opioids, to document whether the risk of fentanyl or opioid exposure to the child was specifically assessed, as specified. The bill would also require a juvenile court that finds a risk of fentanyl use, as specified, by a parent or guardian to order the parent or guardian to submit to testing for fentanyl. If the court finds a risk of fentanyl use, the bill would require the case plan for the parent or guardian to include certain resources, including, among others, information on the proper storage of controlled substances and prescription medications. By imposing additional duties on county social workers, this bill would create 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 Department of Transportation and requires it to improve and maintain the state highways, as provided. This bill would require the department to provide written notice of certain construction or maintenance projects within the right-of-way of a state highway in a county with a population of 60,000 people or fewer to a person who resides in, or a business that is located within, 5 miles of the project limits, as specified. The bill would also require the department to place the notice on its internet website.