Hold California Accountable

Authorizes local agencies to generate additional revenue for freeway service patrols by allowing corporate sponsorship logos on tow trucks. Requires sponsor logos to be displayed separately from and without reducing visibility of the official Freeway Service Patrol identification logos. Mandates that sponsorship agreements must be exclusive, limiting each tow truck to one corporate sponsor.

Exempts certain vaginal and vulvar products from state cosmetic ingredient restrictions. Requires products to pass rigorous third-party safety trials to qualify for exemption. Takes effect immediately to ensure continued access to women's health products. Aligns with medical recommendations from leading healthcare organizations.

Requires youth sports organizations to certify all coaches in CPR and AED operation by 2027. Mandates written emergency response plans detailing procedures for sudden cardiac events. Requires organizations to maintain and regularly test AED equipment according to manufacturer guidelines.

Requires schools to track and report sports-related head injuries and concussions in high school athletics. Mandates a standardized form by January 2025 to document discrimination and injuries at school sporting events. Requires schools to post incident reporting forms on their websites by April 2025. Establishes public hearings every seven years to review athletic safety and discrimination reports.

Establishes the bigberry manzanita as California's official state shrub. Recognizes a native plant species that helps prevent soil erosion in California's chaparral ecosystem. Highlights a historically significant plant used by Native Americans and the extinct California grizzly bear.

Expands peace officer status to deputy sheriffs in Amador and Nevada counties who work in custodial facilities. Limits these officers' statewide authority to custodial duties and local emergency situations. Aligns authority of custodial deputy sheriffs across California counties for consistent enforcement.

Requires Public Utilities commissioners to attend 25% of ratesetting hearings to receive their salaries. Extends funding for deaf and disabled telecommunications programs through 2031 via surcharges. Continues transportation network companies' accessibility programs and fees through 2032. Mandates commissioners to appear at legislative hearings when requested by committee chairs.

Expands the California Wildfire Mitigation Program Board to include the Department of Insurance by July 2026. Requires state agencies to jointly manage programs for fire-resistant building upgrades and vegetation management. Delegates wildfire mitigation program responsibilities to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Expands disaster assistance funding to cover immediate community recovery needs beyond infrastructure repairs. Requires the Office of Emergency Services to create guidelines for disaster recovery programs. Enables private nonprofits to receive state emergency funds if they provide secular assistance. Mandates a model recovery process to coordinate government and nonprofit disaster response.

Expands childcare reimbursement criteria to include absences for medical and educational appointments. Extends fee exemptions from 12 to 24 months for families receiving child protective services. Allows providers to claim reimbursement when holding spaces during care abandonment appeals. Prohibits charging family fees to families receiving CalWORKs cash aid.

Requires local agencies to approve accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs that meet state standards without extra requirements. Strengthens protections for affordable housing by giving qualified entities first right to purchase assisted housing developments. Expands the definition of builder's remedy projects to increase housing development in non-compliant jurisdictions. Mandates identification of excess state sites near migrant labor centers for permanent farmworker housing by 2028.

Authorizes county boards of supervisors to set their own wage rates for prisoner work assignments in county jails, removing the current $2 per 8-hour limit. Grants counties flexibility to determine fair compensation for incarcerated workers based on local conditions and needs. Requires implementation through board approval and oversight of county sheriffs who manage jail operations.

Requires the Gambling Control Commission to post all vote records on its website within two business days. Enhances transparency by making gambling regulation votes publicly accessible online. Maintains existing requirements for physical vote records at the commission's main office.

Requires landlords to return security deposits by check or electronically based on how payment was originally received. Mandates landlords to photograph rental units before tenancy begins and after it ends starting July 2025. Requires security deposit returns for multiple tenants to be payable to all adult tenants unless otherwise agreed. Allows small-scale landlords who own 2 or fewer properties to charge up to 2 months' rent for security deposits.

Updates property tax payment rules to credit mailed payments without postmarks based on receipt date. Authorizes tax collectors to reduce minimum auction prices when special assessments are reduced. Establishes electronic payments as received on the transaction completion date if made through approved channels.

Makes technical changes to update and conform cross-references across multiple state codes.

Limits court videoconferencing fees to only cover the actual cost of providing the service. Requires Judicial Council approval for any court fees not explicitly authorized by law. Mandates annual reporting to the Legislature on all new court fees starting March 2028. Prohibits courts from charging fees that exceed their actual costs for any service or product.

Establishes a new pathway for federal attorneys to obtain California law licenses without taking the bar exam. Requires the State Bar to develop expedited licensing rules by January 1, 2026 for qualifying federal attorneys. Mandates federal attorneys have 5 years of experience and no disciplinary record to qualify. Takes effect immediately to help fill critical vacancies in public defender offices statewide.

Makes technical changes to clarify requirements for horse racing wagering facility agreements.

Expands the legal definition of beer to include fermentation with any grain type, not just barley and malt. Permits brewers to use honey, fruits, herbs, and spices as additional ingredients in beer production. Clarifies that beer aged in used wine or spirit barrels remains classified solely as beer. Requires the use of drinkable water in the beer fermentation process.

Increases the maximum amount for court-ordered mediation from $50,000 to $75,000 in civil cases. Requires courts to provide free mediators when parties cannot agree on selecting one within 15 days. Mandates completion of mediation at least 120 days before trial without delaying the trial date. Allows remote mediation when all parties agree and requires at least one party to express interest.

Exempts close relatives from care plan requirements when serving as conservators for developmentally disabled adults. Maintains the presumption that a conservatee's personal residence is the least restrictive appropriate living option. Requires conservators to reevaluate placement if there are significant changes in the conservatee's needs.

Ratifies new and amended gaming agreements between California and the Big Sandy Rancheria tribe. Exempts tribal gaming agreements from state environmental review requirements. Takes effect immediately to promote tribal economic development and stability.

Renames the Mental Health Services Oversight Commission to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight Commission. Requires health facilities to submit patient safety plans biennially instead of biannually starting January 2026. Mandates nurse assistant training programs include 2 hours on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Requires large group disability insurance to cover infertility treatments starting July 2025.

Extends indefinitely the tax provisions allowing nonresident aliens to file without SSN or ITIN numbers. Maintains the group tax filing option for nonresident aliens receiving California income. Excludes from gross income any payments made by agents for nonresidents in group filings. Requires the highest marginal tax rate plus 1% for nonresident aliens filing group returns.