Legislative Update: Summer Comes to an End: Legislature Reconvenes

Like a great class of precocious students, the Legislature returned from its Summer Recess on Monday and set itself straight to work, with lengthy Appropriations Committee hearings taking place in both houses. The main budget effort and July 18 deadline for policy committees to meet this year are behind us, and in less than a month the books will close on the Legislative Session for 2025. Now, lawmakers are racing the clock to conclude legislative business before they head home for the year on September 12. Much remains to be done, with the redistricting package introduced this week to an already packed schedule of committee hearings. Descriptions of the individual measures that compose this package are included later in this publication.  

Here are some of the key events and pieces of legislation to keep track of as this final dash unfolds: 

Notable Committee Hearings 

Monday, August 18 

• Senate Appropriations Committee: Watch the recording here.  

Tuesday, August 19 

• Senate and Assembly Health Committees – Joint Informational Hearing on Federal Action Impacts on Community Health: Watch the recording here.  
• Senate and Assembly Human Services – Joint Oversight Hearing on the 2026–27 Community Services Block Grant State Plan: Watch the recording here.  
• Senate Committee on Elections & Constitutional Amendments – Informational Hearing on congressional redistricting measures: Watch the recording here. 

Wednesday, August 20 

• Assembly Appropriations Committee: Watch the recording here.  
• Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight – Informational Hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 on California’s budget: Watch the recording here. 
• Assembly Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials and Senate Environmental Quality Committees – Joint Oversight Hearing on Department of Toxic Substances Control’s Reform Updates and Community Perspectives: Watch the recording here.  
• Assembly Utilities & Energy, Natural Resources, and Transportation Committees – Joint Oversight Hearing on California’s Transportation Fuels Transition: Watch the recording here.  

Tuesday, August 26 

• Senate Elections & Constitutional Amendments Committee – Informational Hearing on Voter Identification in California 

Appropriations Suspense Hearings
Chief among the Legislature’s impending deadlines is the August 29 cutoff for the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees (collectively referred to as “the fiscal committees”) to hear bills. This will be the final chance for bills determined to have fiscal impacts on the state to make it to the floor of the second house and continue along the legislative process this year. Before August 29, the fiscal committees will also hold vote-only “suspense hearings” to consider the bills set aside in the “suspense file” and held in committee out of cost concerns. Stay tuned for more from CSAC on the outcome of these suspense hearings for key legislation as these deadlines approach. 

Notable Legislation

The measures listed below are of particular note for county governments. For questions about specific bills or other policy issues, please contact the CSAC Legislative Affairs team. You can also stay up to date on legislative activities and CSAC’s advocacy by visiting our website’s legislative tracking page.

Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources 

SB 72 (Caballero) The California Water Plan: long-term supply targets. — ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS SUSPENSE FILE 
CSAC Position: Sponsor 
Co-sponsored by CSAC, this bill would revise components of the California Water Plan, which is updated every five years by the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The California Water Plan requires DWR to coordinate with other local, state, and federal entities, and the stakeholder advisory committee to develop the Plan. The bill would require DWR to develop a long-term water supply planning target for 2050 that considers the identified and future water needs for all beneficial uses, including, but not limited to, urban, agricultural, and tribal uses, ensures safe drinking water for all Californians, and establishes an interim target to develop an additional 9 million acre-feet (AF) of water, water conservation, or water storage capacity by 2040. SB 72 would also require the Water Plan to include a discussion of the estimated costs, benefits, and impacts of any project type or action that is recommended by DWR within the Plan. 

Questions? Contact:
Jordan Wells, Legislative Advocate, jwells@counties.org
Caitlin Loventhal, Legislative Analyst, cloventhal@counties.org 

Administration of Justice

AB 690 (Schultz) Criminal procedure: indigent defense compensation. – SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUSPENSE FILE 
CSAC Position: Oppose.
This measure would prohibit the use of flat fee or per case contracts for the provision of indigent defense services, amongst other new requirements. As flat fee or per case compensation contracts are utilized to fit local capacity, this measure would remove the ability for counties to structure indigent defense contracts in a way that is feasible for that unique community. This bill is currently on the Senate Appropriations Suspense File and as such, CSAC is seeking estimated fiscal impacts from counties. 

SB 485 (Reyes) County public defender: appointment. – ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS SUSPENSE FILE
CSAC Position: Oppose unless amended.
This measure would make the appointed county public defender (PD) able to be removed by the board of supervisors by way of a 3/5 vote for neglect of duty, malfeasance or misconduct, or other good cause, effectively changing the PD’s status to that of an at-will employee. Absent safeguards, this bill could result in a perpetual appointment for public defenders – without an oversight or review process in place. This bill is currently on the Assembly Appropriations Suspense File.  

Questions? Contact: 
Ryan Morimune, Senior Legislative Advocate, rmorimune@counties.org 
Michaela Stone, Legislative Analyst, mstone@counties.org

Health and Human Services

AB 283 (Haney) In-Home Supportive Services Employer-Employee Relations Act – SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUSPENSE FILE
CSAC Position: Support If Amended 
This measure, which is sponsored by the IHSS provider unions (SEIU and UDW), would transition collective bargaining for the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program from counties to the state. CSAC, the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), and the California Association of Public Authorities (CAPA) negotiated with the author and sponsors over the past several months and reached agreement on a series of amendments that address county concerns. Two additional amendments that are not yet in print have been agreed to and will be incorporated if/when the bill is passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. These amendments clarify that counties would not be responsible for the increased costs that the state agrees to in statewide bargaining, including wage and benefit increases and new program requirements. A budget trailer bill (SB 129) makes the startup funding for the transition of collective bargaining to the state that was included in the 2025 Budget Act contingent upon the enactment of AB 283 or other legislation that provides an appropriation for that funding. 

SB 27 (Umberg) Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program – ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS 
CSAC Position: Engaged 
This measure makes numerous changes to the CARE Act, including changes to program eligibility, how respondents are referred, and the CARE Act court hearing process. Amendments to the measure are anticipated to be taken before or by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Among other provisions, the anticipated amendments will limit the expanded eligibility for CARE to include bipolar I disorder with psychotic features. The current version of the bill (as amended June 17) expands eligibility to all mood disorders with psychotic features.  While CSAC has not yet taken a formal position on the bill, we continue to engage with the author, Administration, and Legislature on implementation concerns, in particular with the urgency clause contained in the bill. 

Questions? Contact: 
Jolie Onodera, Senior Legislative Advocate, jonodera@counties.org
Justin Garrett, Senior Legislative Advocate, jgarrett@counties.org 
Danielle Bradley, Legislative Analyst, dbradley@counties.org 

Housing, Land Use, and Transportation 

AB 735/SB 415: Planning and zoning: logistics use developments: truck routes – SENATE/ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS SUSPENSE FILE 
CSAC Position: Concerns
These two bills are intended to serve as ‘clean-up’ vehicles to address the many issues that CSAC and other local government partners identified in last year’s late session warehouse bill, AB 98. However, at this time many of the clean-up priorities that CSAC and local government associations have identified for inclusion in these bills have not been amended into either measure. CSAC will continue to advocate on behalf of counties for the necessary clean-up language. 

Questions? Contact:
Mark Neuburger, Legislative Advocate, mneuburger@counties.org 

Government Finance and Administration 

AB 339 (Ortega) Local public employee organizations: notice requirements. – SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUSPENSE FILE
CSAC Position: Oppose. 
This measure would require counties and other local agencies to notify unions no less than 60 days prior to issuing any request for proposals, request for quotes, or renewing or extending an existing contract to perform services that are within the scope of work of the job classifications represented by the recognized employee organization—triggering a meet and confer upon request by the union. This bill is currently on the Senate Appropriations suspense file.   

AB 1018 (Bauer-Kahan) Automated decision systems. – SENATE APPROPRIATIONS Suspense File 
CSAC Position: Oppose.
This measure would regulate the development and deployment, by both the public and private sector, of automated decision systems that are designed or used to make or facilitate consequential decisions, or decisions that materially impact the cost, terms, quality, or accessibility of specified services, opportunities, access, resources, or treatment for natural persons. Examples of consequential decisions include: employment-related decisions; home appraisals and public housing; access to essential utilities or healthcare; child protective services; criminal justice decisions; elections; and any government benefit or service.  This bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations suspense file.   

SB 707 (Durazo) Open meetings: meeting and teleconference requirements. – ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS
CSAC Position: Support 
This measure would extend and adjust several existing Brown Act laws set to sunset in 2026 and provide new meeting flexibility for advisory bodies and multi-jurisdictional bodies. CSAC continues to negotiate on provisions that would impose new requirements on counties and other local agencies. The bill is currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. 

SB 346 (Durazo) Local agencies: transient occupancy taxes: short-term rental facilitator. – ASSEMBLY FLOOR 
CSAC Position: Support
This bill would strengthen local tools to ensure compliance with local ordinances regarding the collection and remittance of transient occupancy taxes applicable to short-term rentals.  

SB 7 (McNerney) Employment: automated decision systems. – ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS
CSAC POSITION: Oppose 
This bill would establish requirements governing the use of automated decision systems (ADS) to make employment-related decisions in the workplace. Specifically, this bill would: (1) broadly define ADS to apply to many technologies beyond just those that use artificial intelligence; (2) require employers to provide written notices that ADS are in use to make employment-related decisions; (3) require employers to maintain records of all ADS in use; and (4) require employers to implement an appeals process for decisions made using ADS relating to discipline or termination and establishes penalties for non-compliance. Due to the broad scope of this bill, routine tools used in the workplace would be deemed ADS and subject to the requirements outlined in the bill. 

ACA 8 (Rivas) Congressional redistricting. – ASSEMBLY FLOOR
CSAC POSITION: No position.
This measure, officially dubbed the “Election Rigging Response Act,” would amend the California Constitution, calling for the temporary use of new congressional district boundaries provided in AB 604 (described below). If passed by a 2/3 majority vote of the Legislature, this measure would be included on the ballot in the statewide special election on November 4, 2025 for consideration by California voters.  

AB 40 (Bonta) Redistricting: congressional districts. – SENATE FLOOR
CSAC POSITION: No position.
This bill would provide that ACA 8 (described above), if approved by voters this November, would only take effect if another state adopts a new congressional district map effective between August 1, 2025 and January 1, 2031. 

AB 604 (Aguiar-Curry) Redistricting: congressional districts. – SENATE FLOOR
CSAC POSITION: No position.
This bill would establish the boundaries of the new congressional districts which will take effect should ACA 8 (described above) be adopted by California’s voters in the special election later this year. This bill lists the counties, tracts, and census blocks which would make up each district. As an urgency statute, the new district boundaries provided by AB 604 would take effect immediately upon the adoption of ACA 8. AB 604 is set to be heard on the Senate Floor today, Thursday August 21. 

SB 280 (Cervantes) Elections. – ASSEMBLY FLOOR
CSAC POSITION: No position.  
This bill, an urgency measure, would call for and establish the procedures of a statewide special election to be held on November 4, 2025, for voters to decide whether the congressional redistricting proposed in ACA 8 and the related bills described above will become law. Notably, the bill would also provide an indeterminate appropriation from the General Fund to cover the costs for counties to administer the special election. The level of funding is subject to determination by the Department of Finance. This bill would also make changes related to the June 2, 2026 statewide primary election. SB 280 will be heard on the Senate Floor today, Thursday August 21. 

Questions? Contact: 
Emma Jungwirth, Senior Legislative Advocate, ejungwirth@counties.org 
Eric Lawyer, Senior Legislative Advocate, elawyer@counties.org 
Julissa Ceja Cardenas, Legislative Analyst, jcejacardenas@counties.org 

Included below are major legislative deadlines to be aware of: