April 2025 Updates

Legislative Session in Full Swing

The 2025 legislative session is in full swing with hundreds of bills being referred to their respective policy committees. Committee hearings are well underway with stacked agendas and will continue to increase in frequency until early June as the Legislature hits several deadlines. The deadline for bills tagged as fiscal to be referred out of the Appropriations committees is May 23. From there, all bills must be passed by their house of origin by June 6 to be sent to the opposite house (i.e., all Senate Bills must advance to the Assembly and vice versa). Additionally, all “spot” bills had to be amended by the end of March to include substantive language. This resulted in an influx of new bills throughout the month and therefore what CPPG is tracking for you, including as priority, continues to evolve. The Legislature will adjourn for Spring Recess on April 10 and return on April 21.

The Legislature also conducted several informational and oversight hearings of interest in March. These are when the Legislature invites subject matter experts and stakeholders in a policy area to each give several minutes of panel testimony to a committee. They are held so that the Legislature can gather information on a specific policy so that they are better able to consider any connected legislation, usually in relation to a recent major event or policy action. No votes are taken during informational or oversight hearings.

Permitting Reform Legislation Package

On March 27, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) issued a press release announcing that she was leading a bipartisan permitting reform legislation package. The bill package contains more than 20 bills “aimed at making housing more affordable by slashing red tape, removing uncertainty, and drastically diminishing the time it takes to get new housing approved and built.” The press release also stated, “The package targets the five key bottlenecks that delay housing development: application, CEQA compliance, entitlement, post-entitlement, and enforcement. By addressing inefficiencies at every step, lawmakers aim to reduce project timelines, cut costs, and get shovels in the ground faster.”

Brown Act Informational Hearing
On March 19, the Senate Local Government Committee held an informational hearing on the Brown Act exploring ways to improve public access, participation, and transparency in local government meetings. Discussions highlighted the benefits of remote participation in increasing engagement, particularly for seniors, people with disabilities, and those with limited access to in-person meetings, while also addressing concerns about the financial burden on local governments.

Panelists shared successful hybrid meeting models and emphasized the need for regional collaboration to share resources and best practices. Additional topics included challenges like technological disruptions and the importance of maintaining in-person access alongside remote options. Committee members expressed interest in pursuing legislative updates to ensure equitable participation and enhanced transparency in local governance.

The agenda for this hearing can be found here.

While industry representatives argued that COLR obligations are outdated in a state where 70% of residents are wireless-only, the PAO stressed the importance of maintaining affordable and reliable services for underserved communities. The CPUC highlighted its commitment to protecting public safety and ensuring equitable access to communication services, particularly in rural areas and tribal regions. Legislators raised concerns about emergency preparedness, service quality, and consumer protections in the absence of COLR obligations. As the CPUC continues its rulemaking process, including public hearings and workshops, it was emphasized that the focus will remain on balancing the modernization of telecommunications infrastructure with the responsibility to serve all Californians, ensuring that no communities are left behind.

The agenda for this hearing can be found here.

Homelessness Informational Hearings

On March 11, the Assembly Budget Committee held an informational hearing to discuss efforts to reduce homelessness through the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Program and related homelessness grant programs. A total of $20 billion was allocated to homelessness response, with $15 billion directed towards grant programs and $5 billion allocated to tribes. The Committee discussed the need for stronger data collection and accountability.

Megan Kirkeby, Deputy Director of Housing Policy from HCD, outlined that the data collected through HHAP allows for tracking service utilization and client outcomes. However, not all grantees have the same success rates, prompting the committee to question whether the funds are being used effectively and whether these efforts are truly reducing homelessness.

Assemblymember Wicks asked whether there is a clear correlation between HHAP investment and the reduction of homelessness. Local officials from San Diego and Santa Cruz agreed that while HHAP funding has been helpful, it is difficult to gauge the full return on investment (ROI) without more data and a consistent metric of success. There were discussions about the role of local nonprofits in providing services and whether they are held accountable for their spending. Kirkeby noted that while most grantees report data regularly, there are still gaps, and HCD is working to ensure better compliance. Several members raised the issue of the lack of uniformity in measuring success, with some communities focusing on permanent housing exits and others on reducing encampments.

In conclusion, the committee recognized the complexity of the homelessness crisis and the need for ongoing collaboration and data-driven solutions to improve the effectiveness of state and local efforts.

The agenda for this hearing can be found here.

CPPG ACTIVITY

CPPG continues to review priority bills—keeping Association staff apprised of developments on legislation during our standing meetings and throughout the month as needed. CPPG continues to work hand in hand with Association staff to gather Association-specific information while actively engaging with lawmakers and agency officials on legislation of interest to the Association. CPPG has marked 44 bills as “priority” for the Association and will continue to bring bills of potential interest to staff for review in the coming weeks.

Positioned Legislation

• SB 499 (Stern) Residential projects: fees and charges: emergency services.
  • Status: Senate Rules
  • Position: Sponsor
• SB 315 (Grayson) Quimby Act.
  • Status: Senate Local Government
  • Position: Oppose
• AB 259 (Rubio, Blanca) Open meetings: local agencies: teleconferences.
  • Status: Assembly Local Government
  • Position: Support
• AB 339 (Ortega) Local public employee organizations: notice requirements.
  • Status: Assembly Appropriations
  • Position: Oppose
• AB 340 (Ahrens) Employer-employee relations: confidential communications.
  • Status: Assembly Appropriations
  • Position: Oppose
• AB 810 (Irwin) Local government: internet websites and email addresses.
  • Status: Assembly Local Government
  • Position: Oppose
• AB 1109 (Kalra) Evidentiary privileges: union agent-represented worker privilege.
  • Status: Assembly Judiciary
  • Position: Oppose
• SB 239 (Arreguín) Open meetings: teleconferencing: subsidiary body.
  • Status: Senate Local Government
  • Position: Support
• SB 392 (Grayson) Regional park districts: East Bay Regional Park District: East Bay Hills Conservation Program.
  • Status: Senate Local Government
  • Position: Support
• SB 496 (Hurtado) Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation: appeals advisory committee: exemptions.
  • Status: Senate Environmental Quality
  • Position: Support
• SB 534 (Padilla) Green Empowerment Zone for the Salton Sea and Southeastern Desert Valleys.
  • Status: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development
  • Position: Support
• SB 707 (Durazo) Open meetings: meeting and teleconference requirements.
  • Status: Senate Local Government

California Public Policy Group