Governor’s Deadline to Sign Legislation Approaches 

Since the Legislature adjourned on August 31, CSAC Legislative Affairs staff have continued to track and advocate on the legislation with significant implications for county government that made it to the Governor’s desk in 2026. Now, with less than a week before Governor Newsom’s September 30 deadline to act on new legislation, we’re bringing you an update on the bills we’ve been tracking that have been signed and vetoed, as well as some whose fate is yet to be decided. 

Chaptered 

AB 690 (Schultz) (Chapter 359, Statutes of 2026)
Criminal procedure: indigent defense compensation. CSAC, alongside the Urban Counties of California (UCC) and Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), remained opposed to this piece of legislation through the final weeks of the legislative session, even as late amendments proposed limiting the prohibition on the use of flat fee payment models for cases that carry a life without the possibility of parole or death penalty sentence, and changed compliance with indigent defense workload standards to consideration of the workload standards, amongst other changes, as they did not adequately address county concerns. The coalition consistently argued that this legislation would result in administrative and fiscal impacts to counties statewide, and while the state has delegated the entire responsibility of providing indigent defense to counties, the state still has the responsibility of fulfilling its constitutional duties. Read the coalition’s request for veto letter here.
Questions? Contact Ryan Morimune at rmorimune@counties.org and Michaela Stone at mstone@counties.org. 

AB 1439 (Garcia) (Chapter 365, Statutes of 2026)
Public retirement systems: development projects: labor standards. The version of AB 1439 signed by the governor requests the UC Berkeley Labor Center to conduct a study of the labor standards protections of CalPERS and CalSTRS investments in real estate and infrastructure. The bill also requests both pension systems to provide data needed to conduct the study. While the final bill includes permits, but does not require, the completion of a study and pension fund involvement with the study, CSAC remained opposed out of concerns the bill infringes on the independence of the pension systems and would advance policies that could lead to future restrictions in investment opportunities by pension systems. Read the coalition request for veto letter.
Questions? Contact Eric Lawyer at elawyer@counties.org and Julissa Ceja Cardenas at jcejacardenas@counties.org. 

AB 2224 (Hadwick) (Chapter 292, Statutes of 2026)
County recorders: fees.
AB 2224 makes several changes to the statutory fee restrictions for county recorders, including an increase to the maximum fee amount from $10 to $15 for the first page and $3 to $4 for each subsequent page. The bill also compels counties to adopt an electronic recording delivery system that allows for the elimination of outdated fees.
Questions? Contact Eric Lawyer at elawyer@counties.org and Julissa Ceja Cardenas at jcejacardenas@counties.org. 

AB 2341 (Fong) (Chapter 170, Statutes of 2026)
Local government: emergency response services: use of languages other than English.
CSAC sponsored this measure to correct confusion created by AB 1638 (Chapter 587, Statutes of 2023) which required that a city, county, or city and county provide information related to an emergency in languages other than English spoken by members of their community. Late amendments to AB 1638 inadvertently required that all languages spoken in a county be translated, despite the intent of the bill to only require translations if a language is commonly spoken by at least five percent of a community with translation needs. AB 2341 fixes this problem, ensuring that emergency translations are delivered into languages spoken by at least five percent of speakers with translation needs – defined as those that speak English less than “very well,” providing vital clarity for public agencies and ensuring the law can meet its intended purpose. Read the coalition request for signature letter.
Questions? Contact Eric Lawyer at elawyer@counties.org and Julissa Ceja Cardenas at jcejacardenas@counties.org. 

AB 2640 (Hadwick) (Chapter 307, Statutes of 2026)
Commission on State Mandates: state mandates
This measure authorizes local government agencies, upon receiving a written notification of mandate reimbursement claim adjustments from the State Controller, to elect to offset any reduced reimbursement from other unpaid reimbursement claims occurring on or after January 1, 2027, or adjust the payment of claims for underpayments or overpayments that occurred in previous years. This change will provide local governments with financial relief instead of allowing the state to take back funds while still owing debts to that same local government. Read the coalition request for signature letter.
Questions? Contact Emma Jungwirth at ejungwirth@counties.org and Julissa Ceja Cardenas at jcejacardenas@counties.org. 

SB 922 (Laird) (Chapter 148, Statutes of 2026)
Vehicles: local agency charges: use of streets or highways.
CSAC co-sponsored the measure alongside the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) and RCRC to clarify and reaffirm long-standing local authority to recover street maintenance and repair costs caused by essential public services – including garbage, recycling, and green waste collection – through service-related fees and charges. This measure preserves these longstanding cost recovery practices and ensures that local governments are not forced to rely solely on the General Fund or limited state transportation revenues to maintain safe and reliable streets and highways. Read the coalition request for signature letter. 
Questions? Contact Emma Jungwirth at ejungwirth@counties.org and Julissa Ceja Cardenas at jcejacardenas@counties.org. 

SB 1005 (Caballero) (Chapter 321, Statutes of 2026)
Local agency: payment: rounding amount.
SB 1005 allows local agencies to round cash payments to the nearest five cents after the elimination of the penny, providing critical relief to local agencies who would be unable to provide exact change in cash. Read the coalition request for signature letter. 
Questions? Contact Emma Jungwirth at ejungwirth@counties.org and Julissa Ceja Cardenas at jcejacardernas@counties.org. 

AB 871 (Stefani) (Chapter 360, Statutes of 2026)
Mandated reporters of suspected financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult.
This measure, which was sponsored by the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), expands requirements for mandated reporters at financial institutions beginning January 1, 2028. Ultimately, this measure will improve elder and dependent adult financial abuse prevention efforts and aid cross-jurisdictional criminal investigations by requiring financial institutions to report suspected financial abuse to federal authorities, in addition to local authorities. Read the request for signature letter. 
Questions? Contact Justin Garrett at jgarrett@counties.org and Danielle Bradley at dbradley@counties.org.  

AB 1660 (Schiavo) (Chapter 369, Statutes of 2026)
Public guardians and public administrators.
This measure, which was sponsored by the California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators, adds enforcement consequences for financial institutions and third parties who do not promptly comply with lawful requests for information and property by Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators. The measure authorizes courts to impose fines of no less than $1,000 when financial institutions and third parties fail to comply within 30 days following receipt of service, supporting efficient case management and administration for PAs, PGs, and PCs. Read CSAC’s request for signature letter. 
Questions? Contact Brendan McCarthy at bmccarthy@counties.org and Danielle Bradley at dbradley@counties.org. 

SB 16 (Blakespear) (Chapter 314, Statutes of 2026)
Mental Health: involuntary commitment.
CSAC joined a coalition of county voices, including the County Behavioral Health Directors Association, California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators, Urban Counties of California, and Rural County Representatives of California, in opposition to this measure following amendments made to the bill in the last month of session that removes local control form county behavioral health directors over the selection and designation of individuals authorized to place or lift 72-hour involuntary holds (known as 5150 holds), due to a person’s behavioral health condition. The measure, which was unfortunately signed by the Governor, also places new costs on counties to develop and oversee policies and procedures related to placing 5150 holds. Read the coalition request for veto letter.
Questions? Contact Brendan McCarthy at bmccarthy@counties.org and Danielle Bradley at dbradley@counties.org.  

SB 802 (Ashby) (Chapter 417, Statutes of 2026) 
Housing finance and development: Sacramento Regional Housing and Homelessness Joint Powers Authority Act.
This measure requires, by January 1, 2028, the County of Sacramento and the cities within to form a joint powers authority for purposes of providing regional housing and homelessness services. CSAC, along with the Urban Counties of California, called for the Governor’s veto of AB 802, as it strips the County of Sacramento of local decision-making authority and sets a concerning precedent for the state to mandate the formation of local joint powers authorities (JPAs). Regrettably, the measure was signed by Governor Newsom. The Governor’s signature message can be viewed here.  Read the coalition request for veto letter. 
Questions? Contact Justin Garrett at jgarrett@counties.org and Danielle Bradley at dbradley@counties.org. 

Vetoed

AB 1383 (McKinnor) Public employees’ retirement benefits.
AB 1383 would have reduced the minimum retirement age for public safety members, establish a new 3% at 55 bargainable benefit tier, and increase compensation caps for any highly compensated employee. Read the joint statement on the veto of AB 1383 here.
Questions? Contact Eric Lawyer at elawyer@counties.org and Julissa Ceja Cardenas at jcejacardenas@counties.org. 

AB 1602 (Rubio) Foster youth: disaster aid assistance.
This measure would have established a Child Welfare Disaster Response Program to provide funding, upon appropriation of the Legislature, to support the immediate needs of foster youth and their caregivers in disaster-impacted communities. The Governor vetoed this measure, noting that the measure lacked an identified funding source. Read CSAC’s request for signature letter.
Questions? Contact Justin Garrett at jgarrett@counties.org and Danielle Bradley at dbradley@counties.org. 

But wait, there’s more! 

In the coming weeks, we will publish comprehensive updates on the outcome of legislation for each policy area. The schedule of publications by policy area is as follows: 

• Thursday, October 1 – Administration of Justice 
• Thursday, October 8 – Government Finance and Administration 
• Thursday, October 15 – Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources 
• Thursday, October 22 – Health and Human Services 
• Thursday, October 29 – Housing, Land Use, and Transportation 

Curious about the fate of specific bills and can’t wait for an article to be published? We encourage you to reach out to CSAC’s Legislative Affairs staff anytime.