It’s a bit chaotic, those final days of the legislative session when elected officials scramble to pass — or block — bills before the deadline.
Legislators voted up until midnight on Saturday, Aug. 31, and then this year’s legislative session came to a close. When all was said and done, about 1,200 bills were sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom this year, said veteran Sacramento lobbyist Chris Micheli.
That’s likely the largest amount in Newsom’s tenure thus far, said Micheli.
He’s already signed a handful of them, but here are just seven — ranging in topics from teacher hirings to short-term rental cleaning fees, access to low or no-cost spay and neuter services to speed monitoring devices in vehicles — that are still awaiting his decision.
Access to fertility care
Large group insurance plans would need to cover fertility care, including in virto fertilization, should SB 729 be signed into law.
From Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-San Fernando Valley, the bill ensures cancer patients are eligible for IVF insurance, her office said. But it also ensures equitable coverage for LGBTQ+ people who had otherwise been excluded from fertility treatment coverage.
“SB 729 has been two years in the making, plus decades of painstaking work by advocates and legislators who paved the way,” Menjivar said in a statement. “This is a historic day for so many Californians, and especially LGBTQ+ folks discriminated against under the current law, that want to build a family.”
The bill saw bipartisan support in the Assembly, but no Republicans voted for it in the upper chamber.
The Chamber of Commerce opposed the bill, saying “employer-based health care coverage is usually one of the most formidable expenses a business experiences and, while this bill is well-intentioned, it will unintentionally exacerbate health care affordability issues.”
Speed monitoring devices for vehicles
Every car sold or leased in California, beginning in 2030, would need to be equipped with a system to alert drivers if they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour, if a bill from Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, is approved.
California would be the first state in the nation to mandate what’s called intelligent speed assistance in vehicles should the governor OK SB 961. The idea, according to Wiener’s office, is to curtail traffic deaths by warning drivers if they’re going too fast.
“The evidence is clear: Rising levels of dangerous speeding are placing all Californians in danger, and by taking prudent steps to improve safety, we can save lives,” said Wiener.
No Republican senator voted for the bill, and Democratic Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, was also a no. In the lower chamber, Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, D-Bakersfield, joined Republicans in voting against it.
Of note: This was a relatively high-interest bill this legislative session, according to CalMatters’ Digital Democracy project. Twenty-three organizations took a position on SB 961, including the Alliance for Automotive Innovation which opposed the bill, arguing that automatically limiting vehicle speed does not necessarily improve pedestrian safety.
Low or no-cost animal services
A bill expanding access to low or no-cost spay and neuter services saw unanimous, bipartisan support to propel it to the governor’s desk.
SB 1233 from Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, establishes a framework for UC Davis and Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona to create a High-Quality High-Volume Spay/Neuter certification program.
Billed as a first-in-the-nation program, it would allow veterinarians to perform large numbers of spay and neuter procedures at low or no cost, according to Wilk’s office.
“One of the leading causes of heartbreaking euthanasia in our shelters is the shortage of veterinarians trained in efficient spay and neuter techniques,” Wilk said. “By expanding opportunities for veterinarians trained in high-quality, high-volume procedures, we can begin to alleviate this crisis and save animals’ lives.”
There was no opposition to the bill.
Short-term rental cleaning fees
Can’t sweep those cleaning fees under the rug, a bill before the governor says to short-term rental property owners and platforms.
From Assemblymember Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, AB 2202 requires short-term rental hosts, like Airbnb and VRBO, to disclose upfront what cleaning tasks guests would need to complete to avoid a fee or penalty. There is already existing law that requires price transparency for all short-term rentals, but that doesn’t include cleaning responsibilities — like stripping a bed, sweeping or taking out the trash — that could result in a fine or low customer ranking if left undone, according to the bill analysis.
“Transparency helps California’s consumers make informed choices when it comes to short-term vacation rentals,” said Rendon, the speaker emeritus. “By requiring that short-term vacation rentals disclose requested cleaning duties in advance, we can ensure customers have the information they need to make a truly informed choice about their short-term vacation rentals.”
The bill had no opposition in the Assembly, but four Republican senators opposed it in the upper chamber: Sens. Marie Alvarado-Gil, R-Jackson; Brian Dahle, R-Bieber; Brian Jones, R-San Diego; and Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta.
Insurance coverage for menopause issues
Another bill that saw broad and near-unanimous bipartisan support was AB 2467, which requires insurance companies to cover evaluations and treatment for perimenopause and menopause.
From Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, the bill notes that every woman experiences menopause and would ensure coverage of a variety of different treatments, including medications and hormone therapy.
“Menopause impacts half the population, yet the lack of comprehensive coverage often leaves them struggling to afford the necessary care,” Bauer-Kahan said in a statement earlier this year. “AB 2467 is a vital piece of legislation addressing this disparity head-on to ensure access to the support and treatments that are essential for a healthy life.”
While nearly every legislator voted to send the bill on to Newsom, the bill was opposed by the Department of Finance, given the associated costs. The bill’s analysis included an estimated cost analysis of just under $1 million annually for the Department of Managed Health Care.
Teacher hiring process
Teachers applying at a new school district, county office of education or charter school would need to disclose where they have previously worked — and that potential new employer would then need to check with those places to determine if they have any credible complaints or discipline for “egregious misconduct” reported to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, should AB 2534 be signed into law.
The bill passed out of the legislature with broad, unanimous support.
The idea, said bill author Assemblymember Heath Flora, R-Ripon, is to ensure hiring decisions are based on complete information.
“As a father of two daughters, I am passionate about parental rights and our children’s safety,” Flora said.
Stolen rental cars
AB 2741, which is before the governor, aims to crack down on stolen rental cars.
From Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, the bill shortens the time that rental care companies need to wait — from 72 hours to 24 hours — before activating a vehicle tracking system if a car is not returned.
By waiting 72 hours before activating the tracking system, Haney’s office said, a car could have already been damaged or even shipped outside the U.S.
“This is all about stopping crime before it’s too late,” said Haney. “Criminals have figured out that there’s a loophole in current California law that allows them to use rental cars as a getaway vehicle to commit heinous crimes.”
“It’s a simple fix that will have resounding impacts on our public safety,” he added.
No one voted against the bill in the legislature.
But the Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety nonprofit had expressed concern about the potential for false arrests, pointing to rental car companies erroneously reporting vehicles as stolen that were actually returned. In 2022, Hertz agreed to pay $168 million in a settlement with customers who had been wrongly arrested or even jailed when the rental car company falsely said vehicles were not returned.