Final 2025 Legislative Priorities Update
After the California Legislature closed the 2025-26 legislative session Sept. 12 with a final rush to pass hundreds of bills out of both houses, what remained was for Gov. Gavin Newsom to decide what to sign and what to veto. The deadline for the governor to sign bills was Oct. 12. Of the 917 bills introduced during the 2025 legislative session, he signed 794 into law and vetoed 123.
The 12 bills in our 2025 legislative package for racial equity addressed critical issues to protect children, families, and communities now under attack. They reflect our core values and mission to build systems designed for justice, providing equitable access to resources and opportunities for all Californians—not just the privileged few.
Below is the final update on our 2025 legislative package listed by legislative bill number, author in parenthesis, title, and brief description. Of the 12 measures we prioritized, the governor signed six.
Bills signed by Gov. Newsom
SB 42 (Umberg) Political Reform Act of 1974: public campaign financing: California Fair Elections Act of 2026
This bill aims to revise the Political Reform Act of 1974 to allow public funding of campaigns, which is currently prohibited in all jurisdictions except charter cities. Passage would refer the issue to voters through a ballot measure in the November 2026 general election. Currently, wealthy people, corporations, and special interests use their financial resources to finance electoral campaigns, allowing well-funded candidates a significant competitive advantage in elections.
Because wealth is concentrated in Whiter and older communities, this system shuts out candidates from communities of color and low-income communities, denying them a similar voice in elections, policy creation, and decision-making.
SB 42 will not create public financing of campaigns or require any government to offer public financing, but it will repeal the ban. Repealing this ban will allow all jurisdictions in California the ability to adopt campaign public finance models like those in Oakland and Los Angeles that can help balance the political influence between low-income BIPOC Californians and traditional wealthy donors.
Status: 10/02/2025—Signed into law by Gov. Newsom
AB 49 (Muratsuchi): School sites: immigration enforcement
This bill would prohibit school officials and employees of a local educational agency from allowing an immigration authority to enter a nonpublic area of a school site for any purpose without being presented with a valid judicial warrant or order.
"I thank Governor Newsom for signing my AB 49, the Safe Haven Schools Act, which reaffirms every student's constitutional right to attend public schools regardless of immigration status," Asm. Al Muratsuchi said. "Students cannot learn or thrive if they live in fear of deportation or family separation. I want all of our students—but especially our immigrant students—to hear this message: you have a right to an education, and California will always stand with you."
The bill would mandate school officials and employees of a local educational agency, to the extent practicable, to request valid identification of any immigration authority seeking to enter a nonpublic area of a school site. As the federal administration continues to target the immigrant community, these protections become more necessary. This bill ensures students have equal access to safe, inclusive, and supportive classrooms where they can learn and thrive.
“With this new law that took effect immediately upon signing, we now have stronger safeguards to stand up for our communities amid cruel federal immigration raids,” said Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “I am thankful to Governor Newsom for signing Assembly Bill 49, the Safe Haven Schools Act, to keep our schools safe and protect every child’s right to an education in California. Our schools should be places of learning, not fear.”
Status: 9/20/2025—Signed into law by Gov. Newsom
AB 91 (Harabedian): AB-91 State and local agencies: demographic data
Starting January 1, 2027, this bill would require the appropriate state and local agencies to collect, categorize, and tabulate demographic data for Californians of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent, also known as Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA), as specified, and, with certain exceptions, to include that data in every demographic report published on or after January 1, 2028, and to make the aggregated data available to the public.
Historically, this group is categorized as White, even though they largely experience the world as people of color. The nuanced experiences of these communities are invisible without proper data collection. MENA communities can better access and advocate for resources to address their specific needs when they are accounted for in state data.
“California is home to a thriving Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community that has too often been undercounted and under-represented,” said Asm. John Harabedian (D-Pasadena), who introduced the bill. “As an Armenian American and Chair of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus Foundation, I know that when our community is overlooked, they lose resources, voice, and influence. We cannot wait any longer to be recognized. California must lead on MENA recognition, fight for accurate data, and set the standard for inclusion.”
Status: 10/6/2025—Signed into law by Gov. Newsom
AB 247 (Bryan): Fair pay for incarcerated firefighters
This bill increases hourly pay for incarcerated firefighters to $7.25 while assigned to an active fire incident and requires annual rate updates. During emergencies, incarcerated firefighters currently earn $5 to $10 daily while often working grueling 24-hour shifts.
Non-incarcerated firefighters doing the same or similar work with CalFIRE receive a monthly base pay of $3,672 to $4,643 (or $121 to $152 daily). AB 247 is a modest step toward ensuring that incarcerated people saving lives on the front line of emergencies are valued.
“This is what justice looks like,” said Asm. Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles). “Incarcerated firefighters are heroes, and they deserve more than just our gratitude. With the signing of AB 247, wages for these frontline heroes have immediately increased over 700% when they are actively fighting a wildfire. This is long overdue.”
Status: 10/12/2025—Signed into law by Gov. Newsom
AB 495 (Rodriguez): Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025
This bill protects children in immigrant and mixed-status families if their parents/caregivers are deported. It ensures updated emergency contact information and family safety plans that can lessen the stress on children when families suffer such a traumatic separation. It also ensures the legal recognition of caregiving arrangements (i.e. Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavits, Guardianship Nominations, and Short-Term Guardianships) to provide a supportive and stable environment.
Legally recognized options ensure children have continuity of support in these situations, including access to health care and supportive schools and child care settings.
Status: 10/12/2025—Signed into law by Gov. Newsom
AB 1036 (Shultz): Ensuring greater access to evidence for incarcerated people
This bill modernizes California’s post-conviction discovery laws by improving incarcerated people’s access to evidence. Currently, a person convicted of a serious or violent felony resulting in a sentence of 15 years or more, may petition the court for access to evidence to support their post-conviction motion for release (i.e., habeas corpus).
However, the person must demonstrate that they already tried to obtain the evidence from trial counsel and were unsuccessful. This process is often so burdensome and inequitable that many incarcerated people are unable to obtain evidence to prove their innocence. AB 1036 will help reduce those barriers and prevent innocent people from remaining imprisoned.
Status: 10/7/2025—Signed into law by Gov. Newsom
Bills not signed by Gov. Newsom
AB 865 (Gonzalez): Dual language immersion programs: instructional materials and grants
This bill establishes the Dual Language Immersion Education Instructional Materials Grant Program and appropriates $5 million to provide Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with one-time grants of $100,000 so they can provide instructional materials in a diversity of languages for quality dual language immersion programs.
The bill enables more schools to respond to parent demand for multilingual programs that foster biliteracy and overall academic achievement, as well as affirm children’s home languages and cultures. AB 865 is critical to state efforts to foster welcoming and safe spaces that support California’s diverse student population to thrive.
Status: 5/23/2025 — Failed to pass deadline in Assembly Appropriations. No further action can be taken until Jan. 2026
AB 868 (Carillo) Primary elections: county officers: top two candidates
This bill requires that all county elections proceed to the general election, even if one of the candidates receives a majority of the votes in the primary. Primary elections typically have significantly lower and less diverse voter turnouts compared to general elections. The primary electorate traditionally includes fewer young people and communities of color, so candidates work to appeal to a smaller electorate of older, predominantly white voters.
Mandatory general elections for all candidates will ensure that the highest and most representative turnout of California's full electorate elects every candidate for public office.
Status: 5/1/2025—Failed to pass deadline in Assembly Elections. No further action can be taken until Jan. 2026
AB 1157 (Kalra) Tenancy: just cause termination: rent increases
This bill aims to address California's escalating housing crisis by further limiting allowable annual rent increases, providing some relief to millions of renters struggling with exorbitant rent hikes and the looming threat of homelessness. Many low-income Californians of color spend a significant portion of their income on rent. By increasing limits on rent increases, this bill will make it easier for these renters to afford their rent and cover their other basic needs.
Status: 5/1/2025—Failed to pass deadline in Assembly Judiciary Committee. No further action can be taken until Jan. 2026
AB 1186 (Patel): Data collection: race and ethnicity: minimum categories
This bill enables state agencies such as the Department of Finance’s Demographic Research Unit to disaggregate data in alignment with new federal standards for collecting race and ethnicity data. It provides California with an important benchmark for the 2030 Census to help verify critical data so communities can receive fair representation and resources. Disaggregation across state agencies is key to gathering truly representative data that leads to understanding inequities and creating solutions for greater equity.
Status: 5/23/2025—Failed to pass deadline in Assembly Appropriations Committee. No further action can be taken until Jan. 2026
AB 1231 (Elhawary): Expanding access to pretrial diversion to improve community safety and end mass incarceration
This bill, the Safer Communities Through Opportunities Act, gives judges discretion to divert people charged with non-violent, low-level felonies to programs that advance community safety. People who participate in diversion programs instead of incarceration cut their rate of reoffending in half and improve their rates of employment. Diversion addresses needs through behavioral and healthcare services, substance use treatment, and vocational training.
Status: 9/13/2025— No further action can be taken until Jan. 2026