Budget, Legislative Updates | September 24, 2021

Newsom Signs Measures on Health, Climate Change, Immigrant Protections

Governor Gavin Newsom this week continued acting on measures sent to his desk by the California Legislature prior to their adjournment for the year on September 10. Recall, Governor Newsom has until October 10 to sign or veto measures, and measures without affirmative action (sign or veto) will automatically become law.

Below are some of the notable measures signed into law by Governor Newsom this week:

  • Budget Trailer Bill on Health: Governor Newsom on Thursday signed into law SB 171 which serves as the second health-related budget trailer bill passed by the Legislature this year. The measure sets forth various provisions on home- and community-based services, a housing analysis, and network adequacy standards. A brief overview document of SB 171 produced by CHEAC is available here.
  • Climate Change: Governor Newsom, visiting the site of the KNP Complex Fires in Sequoia National Park, signed a set of 24 measures focused on climate and clean energy and drought and wildfire preparedness. Governor Newsom additionally highlighted the California Comeback Plan’s investment of over $15 billion to address climate impacts facing California. Measures signed by Newsom include supporting immediate drought response and long-term water resilience, extreme heat preparedness, and sea level rise mitigation activities. Additional information here.
  • Immigrant Community Protections: Governor Newsom today signed into law a series of bills to protect the safety of immigrant Californians and improve protections against discrimination. Among the bills signed into law include AB 1096, removing the term “alien” to refer to foreign-born individuals from state statutes, and AB 263, clarifying the requirement for private detention facilities, including those used to house and detain immigrants, to comply with local and state public health orders. Additional information here.
  • Warehouse Employer Practices: Governor Newsom signed AB 701 requiring specified companies to disclose production quotas descriptions to their workers and prohibiting the use of algorithms that disrupt worker rights such as rest periods, bathroom breaks, and health and safety laws. The measure also specifies that workers cannot be fired or retaliated against for failing to meet unsafe quotas and allows workers to pursue injunctive relief. Additional information here.
  • Reproductive Health Services: Governor Newsom signed two measures, AB 1356 and AB 1184, protecting the privacy of patients seeking sensitive health care services, including reproductive health services, and establishing new safeguards to protect patients and providers from harassment. Additional information here.

Few CHEAC-tracked measures were acted upon within the past week. As a reminder, CHEAC will issue a final bill chart after the Governor’s October 10 deadline detailing all actions on measures of interest to CHEAC Members and local health departments.