AB 282: Ballot and Election Equipment Seizure
Makes it a felony to seize ballots, election records, or certified voting technology before election results are certified.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 19, 2026. Chapter 330, Statutes of 2026.
AB 502: Deceptive Media in Elections
Strengthens existing law prohibiting the distribution of certain campaign advertisements and other election communications that contain media that has been digitally altered in a deceptive way.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 19, 2026. Chapter 333, Statutes of 2026.
AB 1267: Ban on Child Marriage
Sets the minimum age for marriage at 18 with no exceptions.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 30, 2026. Chapter 850, Statutes of 2026.
AB 1548: Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority
Creates an authority serving Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties, focused on innovative funding solutions to support long term conservation and stewardship.
This bill was held in the Senate Rules Committee.
AB 1668: Open Space Property Tax Exemption
Extends for five years the current property tax exemption for land that is permanently conserved and open to the public.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 19, 2026. Chapter 814, Statutes of 2026.
AB 1736: Deceptive Lobbying Techniques
Bans lobbyist employers from engaging in deceptive lobbying techniques, like using AI-generated content (e.g., emails, social media posts, phone calls) to mislead people about public perception of proposed laws.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on July 13, 2026. Chapter 71, Statutes of 2026.
AB 1784: Sex Equity in Education Act
Extends existing protections and campus supports for pregnant or pregnancy-impacted graduate students to undergraduate students. Expands protections for all pregnant and pregnancy-impacted students by prohibiting institutions from requiring withdrawal or leave.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 30, 2026. Chapter 895, Statutes of 2026.
AB 1853: Voter Information Guide: Candidate Statements
Establishes clear and enforceable standards to ensure candidate statements which appear in official state publications are used only to inform voters about candidates’ qualifications and background and not used to spread profane or violent content.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 27, 2026. Chapter 554, Statutes of 2026.
AB 1902: Secured Youth Treatment Facilities
Makes changes to the process for detention continuation hearings to ensure proper placement for treatment.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 30, 2026. Chapter 836, 2026.
AB 1919: Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District Election Authority
Gives the Santa Cruz METRO the election authority needed for a citizen initiative.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on August 6, 2026. Chapter 107, Statutes of 2026.
AB 1988: PAUSE Act: Protective AI User Safety and Escalation
Requires chatbots to pause when the user indicates serious thoughts of suicide and encourage the user to seek help from a real person or contact the 988 Crisis Lifeline.
This bill did not move out of the Senate Privacy Committee.
AB 2025: Digital Staging of Rental Properties
Requires rental listings to disclose when generative AI or digital staging is used in apartment listing photos, preventing the potential renter from being misled about the rental unit’s size or features.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 27, 2026. Chapter 572, Statutes of 2026.
AB 2107: Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) Student Priority
Prioritizes English learners, foster youth, and low-income students for free, before-school, after-school, and summer care.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 27, 2026. Chapter 578, Statutes of 2026.
AB 2188: Midpeninsula Open Space District
Allows the Midpeninsula Open Space District greater flexibility for their contracts for services, including supplies and labor.
This bill is on the inactive file on the Senate Floor.
AB 2229: CSU Enrollment, Access, and Retention of Nontraditional Students (EARNS) Program
Establishes designated advisors at the California State University to ensure that students who have stopped out of the CSU and reenter have the necessary supports needed to graduate as quickly as possible through advising, priority registration, and a unified policy on course acceptance.
This bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 2255: Improved Campaign Transparency
Improves oversight and transparency of large campaign payments made by candidates not running in the upcoming election.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 27, 2026. Chapter 594, Statutes of 2026.
AB 2333: Foster Family Agencies
Extends indemnification protections for foster family agencies, which expire in 2027, to 2030.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on July 16, 2026. Chapter 96, Statutes of 2026.
AB 2357: Juror Mental Health
In response to the horrific kidnapping and murder of Maddy Middleton, this bill creates a pilot program within Santa Cruz County, through which jurors will have access to mental health resources at the conclusion of traumatic criminal cases.
This bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 2462: Recalled Products
Clarifies that recycling centers, solid waste facilities, retailers, and thrift retail stores can return recalled products to the manufacturer at no cost. This ensures that manufacturers, not consumers or local governments, take on the costs of managing product recalls.
This bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 2502: DUIs Involving Semi-Autonomous Vehicles
Clarifies that a driver under the influence behind the wheel of a semi-autonomous vehicle can still be charged with a DUI.
Vetoed.
AB 2650: CalSavers: Eligible Employers
Requires that domestic employees, like landscapers or nannies, are given a CalSavers retirement account, strengthening their financial security.
This bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
