A Committee of The Lake Arrowhead Communities Chamber of Commerce
LakeArrowheadGovernmentAffairs.org
LEGISLATION
"All Legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a
Senate and House of Representatives."
(Article I, Section 1, of the United States Constitution)
How Are Laws Made?
Laws begin as ideas. First, a representative sponsors a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. If released by the committee, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated or amended. If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority (51 of 100) passes the bill. Finally, a conference committee made of House and Senate members works out any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval. The Government Printing Office prints the revised bill in a process called enrolling. The President has 10 days to sign or veto the enrolled bill.
Current Legislation
Below is a summary of current legislation that has in impact on our community
Legislation
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Proposed Amended Rule 1111
Reduction of NOx Emissions from Natural Gas-Fired Furnaces
Proposed Amended Rule 1121
Reduction of NOx Emissions from Residential Type, Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) has scheduled a Public Consultation Meeting to present and solicit information and suggestions from the public regarding the latest changes to Proposed Amended Rule 1111 - Reduction of NOx Emissions from Natural Gas-Fired Furnaces (PAR 1111) and Proposed Amended Rule 1121 - Reduction of NOx Emissions from Residential Type, Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters (PAR 1121), which are scheduled for a Public Hearing before the South Coast AQMD Governing Board on May 2, 2025 (subject to change).
Staff will present the third preliminary draft rule language with updated rule concepts and updates to cost-effectiveness. The updated rule concept establishes manufacturer requirements for the sale of space and water heating appliances that meet low-NOx and zero-NOx emission standards that provide consumers the choice between the types of units.
The Public Consultation is scheduled for:
Thursday, March 6, 2025
1:00 PM (PT)
Join Zoom Webinar Meeting
https://scaqmd.zoom.us/j/97271436016
Zoom Webinar ID: 972 7143 6016
Teleconference Dial In: (669) 900-6833
The following documents are available:
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Third Preliminary Draft Proposed Amended Rule 1111 (space heating)
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Third Preliminary Draft Proposed Amended Rule 1121 (water heating)
The Public Consultation will only be conducted via video conferencing (Zoom), which can be accessed via your computer or smart phone. Alternatively, stakeholders can phone in to participate. We understand that this is not the same as a face-to-face meeting; however, staff will take the time to listen to comments from all stakeholders, as your comments are important. If you have general questions or concerns about these meetings or their format, please contact Heather Farr at hfarr@aqmd.gov or (909) 396-2148.
For more information, please visit the Space and Water Heating Clearinghouse Webpage or contact:
Jen Vinh (PAR 1121)
(909) 396-2148
Congressman Jay Obernolte
Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA)
Background
As our country grapples with the climate crisis, catastrophic wildfires have become an existential threat to the safety of our communities. Over the past two decades, wildfires in California have increasingly grown in size and severity, with five of the six largest fires in the state’s history occurring in 2020 alone. The federal government has a responsibility to treat these wildfires with the same level of seriousness as hurricanes and other natural disasters while empowering communities to implement science-based methods for mitigating wildfire damage and defending life and property. While we cannot stop the threat of wildfires entirely, we can prepare our communities for worst-case scenarios while working to address the structural issues that have caused these fires to burn more quickly and intensely than ever before. This responsibility should not fall on any one individual but should instead be shared among entire communities, with the understanding that a threat to any one home is a threat to every neighbor.
Summary
The bipartisan Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act will invest $1 billion per year to: • Establish guidelines for communities to conceptualize new Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Plans (CPWRP) that are developed in coordination with community members, first responders, and relevant state agencies. CPWRPs will focus on implementing strategies and activities relating to: o Improving early detection technology, public outreach and education, alerts and warnings, evacuation planning, evacuation execution, and access for first responders o Addressing vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those with disabilities o Hardening critical infrastructure and homes o Applying community-scale defensible space across contiguous areas o Building local capacity to implement and oversee the plan o Deploying distributed energy resources like microgrids with battery storage o Implementing strategic land use planning o Educating community members o Coordinating with existing wildfire plans like a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. • Provide grants of up to $250,000 to develop a CPWRP and grants of up to $10 million to implement a CPWRP o Grants will be prioritized for low-income communities that are at high risk for fire or wildfire and communities recently impacted by a major wildfire. • Complete a report on all federal authorities and programs to protect communities from wildfires. • Study how a CPWRP could be used as certification for insurance companies assessing community resilience. • Continuously update wildfire hazard maps. • Assess impediments to emergency radio communications across departments and agencies. • Allow for structure hardening to be covered under existing community wildfire protection programs.
The Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act is endorsed by Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Silvix Resources, Defenders of Wildlife, Trust for Public Land, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Wilderness Society, John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute, Wild Heritage, Unite the Parks, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Feather River Action!, Forests Forever, Climate Communications Coalition, Heartwood, Tahoe Forests Matter, Eco-Integrity Alliance, Conservation Congress, Friends of the Clearwater, and SoCoCAN!.
Assemblyman Tom Lakey
Fentanyl Crisis Killing Minors—Lackey Pushes Bill to Hold Dealers Accountable
SACRAMENTO – California’s fentanyl crisis is reaching catastrophic levels, claiming the lives of minors at an alarming rate. Despite the outcry from families and law enforcement, the state’s laws remain weak when it comes to holding drug dealers accountable—especially those targeting children.
Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) has introduced AB 568, a bill that would make selling fentanyl to minors a strike under California’s Three Strikes Law, ensuring that those responsible for poisoning children face serious prison time instead of lenient sentences.
“Every day, another family is shattered by fentanyl. How many more children have to die before the supermajority takes action?” Lackey said. “Drug dealers who target kids aren’t low-level offenders. They are predators, and they must be treated as such.”
The statistics are staggering. In 2021, more than 1,500 children died from fentanyl overdoses, many after taking counterfeit pills disguised as medications like Percocet and Xanax. Yet, despite this crisis, the Supermajority has repeatedly blocked attempts to strengthen penalties for fentanyl dealers, leaving children unprotected against this deadly drug.
“Right now, California treats selling meth and heroin more seriously than selling fentanyl to minors,” Lackey stated. “That is a complete failure of leadership.”
While other states have taken aggressive action to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, California lags behind, leaving law enforcement and grieving parents to plead for stronger protections—only to be ignored by legislative leadership.
“This is not about politics—it’s about saving lives,” Lackey said. “Parents deserve better. Our children deserve better. California’s leaders need to stop making excuses and start protecting kids.”
Contact:
Izzy Swindler
Izzy Swindler
Chief of Staff
Assemblyman Tom Lackey | 34th District
Swing Space Room 5340
Cell Phone: (916) 622-6292
Office Phone: (916) 319-2034
Senator Ochoa-Bogh
A Look Ahead
Week of March 24, 2025
In an effort to keep my constituents informed of the policies being discussed in Sacramento, the following is a brief description of the bills being heard in Senate Policy Committees next week. This is for informational purposes only and does not represent my position on any of the bills described. Please note that this information is being sent in advance of the Senate Policy Committees scheduled to meet next week. To learn more or monitor the progress of any of these bills, please visit California Legislative Information.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to my office through any of the methods listed here: https://sr19.senate.ca.gov/my-offices
I hope you find this document useful. YOUR VOICE MATTERS.
Thank you,
ROSILICIE OCHOA BOGH
Senator, 19 th District
Education
Wednesday, March 26
SB 389 (Ochoa Bogh) Authorizes a licensed vocational nurse, under the supervision of a credentialed school nurse, to provide specialized physical health care services for individuals with exceptional needs.
SB 437 (Weber Pierson) Requires the Director of Finance to allocate $6 million included in the 2024-25 state budget to the CA State University (CSU) to conduct research to further the recommendations of the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, with a Special Consideration for African Americans Who are Descendants of Persons Enslaved in the United States. CSU must explore options to determine how to confirm an individual’s status as a descendant and create a process to conduct or verify genealogical research to confirm eligibility for reparations.
Energy, Utilities & Communications
Monday, March 24
SCR 25 (Blakespear) Recognizes the contributions of public and private sector fusion organizations in California and supports developing the fusion energy ecosystem, with the goal of siting the first fusion pilot plant in California by the 2030s.
SB 559 (Stern) Requires electrical corporations to make numerous notifications and disclosures during a de-energization event regarding the impacts of the event, status of restoration efforts, and real-time weather conditions.
Governmental Organization
Tuesday, March 25
SB 53 (Wiener) Establishes a consortium of experts in the requisite fields to work under the umbrella of the Government Operations Agency to develop a framework for the creation of a public cloud computing cluster to be known as “CalCompute.” Additionally, enhances whistleblower protections for employees involved with covered artificial intelligence (AI) models and covered model derivatives in order to provide explicit protections for people coming forward when AI models represent a critical risk to the public.
SB 688 (Niello) Establishes the Office of Regulatory Counsel to professionalize the process of drafting, amending and repealing state regulations.
Health
Wednesday, March 26
SB 250 (Ochoa Bogh) Requires the provider directory that lists accepted Medi-Cal managed care plans – and any other applicable mechanisms – to include skilled nursing facilities as one of the available searchable provider types.
SB 278 (Cabaldon) Authorizes specified staff to disclose public health records relating to HIV or AIDS – containing personally identifying information – to CA Department of Health Care Services staff and other specified entities for certain purposes.
SB 329 (Blakespear) Requires the CA Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to assign a complaint regarding an alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facility to an analyst for investigation within 10 days of receiving the complaint. Requires DHCS to complete an investigation into a complaint regarding a facility within 60 days of receiving the complaint.
SB 504 (Laird) Authorizes a health care provider of a patient with an HIV infection that has already been reported to a local health officer (LHO) to communicate with the LHO or the CA Department of Public Health (CDPH) for specified purposes. This includes obtaining public health recommendations on care and treatment or to refer the patient to services provided by CDPH.
Labor, Public Employment & Retirement
Wednesday, March 26
SJR 2 (Cortese) Calls on President Trump to sign, and Congress to pass, legislation that would circumvent state collective bargaining for classified school employees. This resolution requests that the legislation provides the following: a living wage,16 weeks of paid family and medical leave, paid leave for planned and unplanned school closures, access to free or affordable professional development, representation in shared governance, have appropriate staffing levels, be provided with employment contracts that include automatic renewal and termination for just cause, employers of classified workers should engage in good faith negotiations, and prevent "scabs" from replacing classified workers engaged in a strike.
SB 20 (Menjivar) Creates a new regulatory scheme for artificial and natural stone slab fabricators (such as those who shape and install custom countertops in homes) that includes: triennial fees, licensure, inspection, documentation, worker training and certification, penalties for violations, a public database of certifications and enforcement actions, and the use of water-based dust suppression.
SB 21 (Durazo) Creates the Equity, Climate Resilience, and Quality Jobs Fund in the State Treasury and requires that all qualified moneys received from the federal government pursuant to any federal jobs act be transferred into the fund. Requires all state and local agencies administering any moneys received pursuant to any federal jobs act and the CA Workforce Development Board (CWDB) to develop and adopt poverty-reducing labor standards that satisfy the requirements for high road, quality jobs, and economic equity for all investments made by these agencies using the federal money. Requires the CWDB to contract with a research institution to receive the reports and perform analyses on equity, climate resilience, and quality jobs outcomes resulting from the investments made by the reporting entities using moneys received pursuant to any federal jobs act.
SB 230 (Laird) Extends a number of existing workers' compensation rebuttable presumptions to various active firefighters who work at a U.S. Department of Defense installation, serve a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) installation, or provide fire protection to a commercial airport regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The expanded presumptions include: hernia, heart trouble, pneumonia, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, tuberculosis, blood-borne infectious diseases, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), meningitis, and exposure to biochemical substances.
SB 261 (Wahab) Requires the CA Labor Commissioner to post orders, decisions, or awards against employers on the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement’s website within 15 days after the appeal period expires, and to list employers with unsatisfied judgments, removable only upon proof of compliance under penalty of perjury. Imposes a civil penalty up to three times the outstanding judgment amount on employers failing to satisfy wage-related judgments within 180 days, alongside awarding one-sided court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees to prevailing plaintiffs, the Labor Commissioner, or public prosecutors enforcing such judgments.
SB 442 (Smallwood-Cuevas) Restricts self-service checkout in California grocery and retail drug stores, requiring at least one staffed manual checkout, a 15-item limit, and prohibiting its use for ID-required or theft-protected items. Provides that stores must integrate self-checkout into their safety programs and notify workers, unions, and the public 60 days before implementation. Violations incur a $10,000 daily penalty, not to exceed an aggregate penalty of $200,000, enforceable by workers, unions, or state authorities, with one- sided attorney’s fees awarded to prevailing plaintiffs.
SB 447 (Umberg) Raises the age from 21 to 26 for which local employers must continue to provide health benefits to dependents of fallen peace and safety officers.
SB 494 (Cortese) Reduces local control, by stating that any appeal of a school district or community college district action to discipline a permanent classified employee for cause, must be heard by an administrative law judge to determine if cause exist for disciplinary action.
SB 605 (Cortese) Circumvents collective bargaining and sets the minimum salary for entry-level state attorneys based on the regional pay for other public attorneys. Sets minimum salary of state administrative law judges to be no less than the maximum salary of state attorneys classified in the State Attorney IV level in each region. Phases in salary increases between 2026 and 2028, and continues to provide salary increases into the future to maintain salaries.
Natural Resources & Water
Tuesday, March 25
SB 31 (McNerney) Redefines "recycled water" for the purposes of reporting unauthorized discharges, lowering notification thresholds, and exempting storm-related discharges from decorative water bodies when recycled water restores evaporation losses.
SB 55 (Umberg) Provides free day use passes to Gold Star Family members for state parks operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
SB 224 (Hurtado) By January 1, 2027, requires the Department of Water Resources to update its water supply forecasting methods to account for climate change and to establish a formal policy documenting operational plans and their rationale, including water releases.
SB 234 (Niello) Upon an appropriation of the legislature, proposes the creation of a workgroup by CalFire, the Office of Emergency Services, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control, to tackle the risks of toxic heavy metals, such as hexavalent chromium, released during wildfires.
SB 369 (Padilla) Requires that state agencies undertaking Salton Sea restoration projects ensure all bidders, contractors, and subcontractors use a skilled and trained workforce (union labor) for work within apprenticeship occupations in the building and construction trades, unless a project labor agreement already imposes this standard.
SB 567 (Limon) Establishes the Gravity-Based Energy Storage Well Pilot Program, effective until January 1, 2035, authorizing the CalGEM Supervisor to convert up to 1,000 wells into gravity-based energy storage wells to evaluate their ability to safely store and generate energy using weights within sealed well casings.
SB 697 (Laird) Modifies the State Water Resources Control Board's (SWRCB) process for adjudicating water rights within a stream system. Shifts the requirement for a detailed field investigation to a detailed investigation of water use, with field investigations becoming optional. Authorizes the board to issue information orders requiring claimants to submit monthly water use reports within 45 days.
Public Safety
Tuesday, March 25
SB 6 (Ashby) Adds Xylazine to the list of Schedule III controlled substances, meaning it would require a prescription and have criminal penalties for possession and sale.
SB 15 (Blakespear) Increases fees for firearm dealers, federal firearm licensees, and manufacturers. Requires the CA Department of Justice (DOJ) to annually inspect the 10 firearm dealer locations that are the source or origin of the highest gross number of firearms recovered in criminal investigations. Requires firearm dealers to certify their inventory to the DOJ including the make, model, and serial number.
SB 19 (Rubio) Provides that a person who by any means (including an electronic act), makes a threat to commit a crime which will result in death or great bodily injury to any person who may be on the grounds of a school or place of worship – with the specific intent that the statement is to be taken as a threat and where the threat on its face and under the circumstances in which it is made – is so unequivocal, unconditional, immediate, and specific as to convey a gravity of purpose and an immediate prospect of execution of the threat, and which causes a person to reasonably be in sustained fear for their own safety or that of another – is guilty of an offense punishable as a "wobbler" (i.e. by up to one year in county jail or 16 months, 2, or 3 years). However, if a person under 18 years of age commits this crime, they would be guilty of a misdemeanor.
SB 28 (Umberg) Requires drug court programs to be available to every eligible California defendant. Requires that every individual sentenced to a “treatment mandated felony” under Proposition 36 must be placed in a drug court program with specified standards.
SB 281 (Perez) Requires the court to provide the current immigration advisement “verbatim” to a criminal defendant who is not a citizen of the United States.
SB 320 (Limon) Provides that no later than January 1, 2027, the Department of Justice shall develop and launch a system to allow a person who resides in California to voluntarily add their own name to – and subsequently remove their own name from – the California Do Not Sell List. The purpose of the registry is to prevent the sale or transfer of a firearm to a person through a lawful method. Specifies procedures for adding and removing names from the list. Provides that information regarding the registry is confidential and cannot be used for any other purpose.
SB 380 (Jones) Requires the CA Department of State Hospitals to conduct an analysis of the benefits and feasibility of establishing transitional housing facilities for the conditional release program, and submit the findings of the analysis in a report to the legislature by September 1, 2025.
SB 483 (Stern) Allows a court greater leeway to deny mental health diversion – by requiring that the court must be satisfied that the recommended inpatient or outpatient program of mental health treatment is consistent with the underlying purpose of mental health diversion – will meet the specialized mental health treatment needs of the defendant, and the defendant agrees to comply with the recommended treatment program.
SB 498 (Becker) Provides that an indigent incarcerated person or juvenile ward shall be provided basic hygiene products free of charge and shall have guaranteed access to hygiene products, upon their request. Prohibits hygiene as a punishment or reward and eliminates any prior debt from hygiene product purchases. Defines an “indigent incarcerated person” as a person incarcerated in a county jail who has had $25 or less in their inmate trust account over the last seven days.
Revenue & Taxation
Wednesday, March 26
SB 86 (McNerney) Increases the amount of funds available in the tax incentive program, known as the CA Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority Act, and extends the act indefinitely. Expands the program to include nuclear fusion, a cutting-edge technology that has the potential to produce unlimited amounts of clean energy.
SB 296 (Archuleta) Provides a full exemption from property tax for disabled veterans and their spouses if the veteran is 100 percent disabled and the property constitutes the principal place of residence. Applies the full property tax exemption to property tax lien dates occurring on or after January 1, 2026 and before January 1, 2036.
SB 302 (Padilla) Conforms state law to certain provisions of the federal Internal Revenue Code added by the federal Inflation Reduction Act, relating to renewable energy development. Specifically excludes from gross income – for state tax purposes payments received – for the sale or transfer of specified federal clean energy tax credits.
Transportation
Tuesday, March 25
SB 10 (Padilla) Expands the authorized use of tolls collected on the Otay Mesa Port of Entry to assist in the maintenance of the South Bay International Boundary and Water Commission sewage treatment facility.
SB 76 (Seyarto) Bolsters California's hold harmless protections by attaching delinquent fees to the owner of a vehicle, rather than to the vehicle itself. This ensures that the violator pays the fees and fines, rather than the person that purchases the vehicle.
SB 263 (Gonzalez) Appropriates $500,000 for the CA Transportation Agency, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, to conduct a study on the impacts that tariffs and reciprocal tariffs have on international trade and California’s economic output. Requires the agency to convene the freight advisory committee to discuss the scope of the study, and to submit the results of the study to the legislature.
Additional Resources:
For more information about any of the bills on this list click here.
For more information about legislative deadlines and where we are in the legislative process click here.
For more information about how to submit a position letter to committee click here.