Catalyst California Announces 2023 Legislative Priorities
Last year, our Government Relations Team was able to secure a number of monumental victories in the fight for racial and economic justice. In September, Governor Newsom signed an executive order establishing a Racial Equity Commission. The following month, the Governor signed into law our sponsored bill, AB 2832 (Rivas, R) - Whole Child Community Equity, which provides a powerful tool for reducing racial and economic disparities for historically underserved communities.
Building off of this momentum, Catalyst California is continuing to advocate for racial justice by building power and transforming public systems in statewide policymaking. Below is a list of our legislative priorities made up of policies that are consistent with our core values and goals where systems are designed for justice and ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities for all Californians.
Educational Equity
AB 247 (Muratsuchi) - Education finance: school facilities: Kindergarten Through Community College Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2024.
Establishes the Kindergarten Through Community College Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2024 as a state general obligation bond act that would provide an unspecified amount to construct and modernize education facilities.
AB 393 (Rivas, L) - Childcare: dual language learners.
Requires the Director of Social Services to develop procedures for general or migrant childcare and development contractors in order to identify and report data on dual language learners who are enrolled in a general childcare and development program or migrant childcare and development program.
AB 596 (Reyes) - Early learning and care: rate reform.
Helps childcare providers and families by transitioning providers to a single reimbursement rate structure for early learning and childcare programs, suspending family fees until an equitable sliding scale for family fees is established, and ensuring providers are paid based on enrollment rather than attendance.
AB 665 (Carrillo, W) - Minors: consent to mental health services.
Creates parity between youth receiving Medi-Cal and their peers receiving private insurance when self-consenting to utilize mental health services.
AB 1106 (Soria) - PK-3 early childhood education specialist credential: grant program.
Establishes a grant program for institutions of higher education (IHEs) seeking to implement the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing’s (CTC) approved PreK-3 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Specialist Credential.
AB 1127 (Reyes) - Teachers: professional development: Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program.
Extends the project performance and reporting period for the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program (BTPDP) from 2024 to 2029, and requires the California Department of Education (CDE), when administering the BTPDP, to meet quarterly with grant recipients to share promising practices and resources.
SB 28 (Glazer) - Education finance: school facilities: Public Preschool, K–12, and College Health and Safety Bond Act of 2024.
Places a $15.5 billion bond on the 2024 ballot for facilities at public preschools, K-12 schools, California Community Colleges (CCC) campuses, University of California (UC) campuses, and California State University (CSU) campuses to construct, reconstruct, and remodel existing or new facilities.
SB 380 (Limón) - Early learning and care: rate reform
Helps childcare providers and families by transitioning providers to a single reimbursement rate structure for early learning and childcare programs, suspending family fees until an equitable sliding scale for family fees is established, and ensuring providers are paid based on enrollment rather than attendance.
Political Voice
AB 421 (Bryan) - Elections: initiatives.
Requires a disclosure notifying the public that the petition circulator is receiving money for soliciting signatures, or that the person is a volunteer or employee of a nonprofit organization.
AB 764 (Bryan) - Local redistricting.
Prohibits the consideration of incumbency protection in the redistricting process, adds clarity regarding the proper prioritization of redistricting criteria, and ensures jurisdictions perform their due diligence to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.
AB 884 (Low) - Elections: language accessibility.
Expands language access support for voter registration and the voting process to more language communities in California and improves the quality of the language access support required by law.
SB 846 (Limón) - Voter registration: California New Motor Voter Program.
Creates a back-end automated voter registration system for registering voters via the California New Motor Voter Program (CNMVP) at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Advancing Equity
ACA 8 (Wilson) - Slavery.
Would prohibit slavery in any form, including forced labor compelled by the use or threat of physical or legal coercion.
The California State Legislature convened its 2023 legislative session on December 5, 2022, and December 5, 2022, and is scheduled to adjourn in September 2023. As these bills move through the legislature, Catalyst California is honored to remain in collaboration with our devoted base of partners and supporters – from community-based organizations and organizers to energized donors, funders, and equity advocates, in the fight for a more equitable and just California.
To learn more about our Government Relations work in Sacramento, click here.