It is an honor and privilege to represent you in the California State Assembly. As your Assemblymember, I am working to protect our environment, create good jobs, and keep our communities safe.
This is a summary of the bills that I have introduced this legislative session:
ENERGY AFFORDABILITY
AB 825 Alternative Transmission Financing: Creates a Public Transmission Program that will utilize the $325 million of Proposition 4 funds authorized by voters to be used to fund efforts to lower the cost of future transmission projects. By making lower cost debt and equity available to transmission developers, this bill will make possible the use of novel public-private collaborations with the potential to save ratepayers billions of dollars per year over the next two decades.
AB 1301 Utility Bill Responsibility: Ensures that increasingly expensive utility bills only include payments for programs that deliver results that are cost-effective and responsible.
PUBLIC SAFETY
AB 366 Ignition Interlock Devices: To combat drunk driving, this bill requires that all first-time DUI offenders install an Ignition Interlock Device on their vehicle, which requires them to be sober in order to start their car.
AB 451 Court Ordered Firearm Restrictions: Requires all California law enforcement agencies to adopt standardized policies for serving and enforcing restraining orders with firearm restrictions. These policies must ensure that firearms are relinquished immediately upon service or transferred to law enforcement or a licensed dealer within 24 hours, with proof of compliance submitted within 48 hours.
WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS
AB 270 Autonomous Firefighting Aircraft: Establishes a pilot project to develop and deploy an autonomous firefighting helicopter in California. The goal of this pilot is to significantly enhance wildfire response times and explore aerial firefighting in high-wind and otherwise unsafe conditions.
AB 275 Quick Reaction Force: Makes the SoCal Edison-funded Quick Reaction Force firefighting helitanker program permanent under the Office of Emergency Services, ensuring its ongoing operation and integration into California's comprehensive wildfire mitigation strategy.
AB 307 ALERT California: Ensures that the ALERTCalifornia Wildfire Mapping System receives the necessary funding from the 2024 Climate Bond. This investment will enhance the system's ability to protect Californians by improving wildfire detection, response coordination, and disaster resilience.
CLEAN ENERGY PERMIT REFORM
AB 420 Streamlining Utility Easement Transfers for Critical Projects: Identifies and streamlines a subset of minor land transactions that are delaying projects like new housing and interconnections to renewables because the transactions can only be granted after the IOU submits an advice letter, and the Commission passes a resolution. These delays can add 6-12 months to projects for transactions that are rarely questioned are controversial.
AB 550 California Endangered Species Act Reforms for Renewables: Allows the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to accept and process Incidental Take Permit applications at the time a petition is filed to consider listing a new species. Currently a species must be listed before an application can be filed, causing extensive cost increases and project delays.
AB 854 Clean Energy Project Acceleration: Contains is a targeted set of commonsense reforms that prioritize positive outcomes over process. It accelerates the development of critical energy and infrastructure projects while maintaining the species and environmental protections Californians have enjoyed for decades.
AB 881 Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Safety: Builds off the carbon dioxide safety standards released by the Biden Administration to establish safety standards for carbon dioxide pipelines in California, ensuring that California can cost effectively meet its climate goals while creating high-road jobs and growing the state’s green economy.
AB 915 Local Clean Energy Incentives: Streamlines local permitting and siting of renewable energy by providing local permitting authorities with financial incentives and technical assistance.
AB 1385 Housing Covenants Near Disaster Areas: Ensures that new housing near disaster areas can be built more quickly by removing outdated covenants and restrictions that are no longer relevant.
GOOD GOVERNANCE
AB 334 Electronic Toll Interoperability: Ensures that drivers can use a single account or transponder across all toll facilities while preserving privacy and data security. By addressing technological and administrative barriers, the bill will simplify toll payments, increase efficiency, and enhance user satisfaction.
AB 514 Emergency Water Supply Planning: Encourages the development of emergency water supplies by local water suppliers to be used during times of drought or unplanned service or supply interruption.
AB 963 Prevailing Wage Transparency: Ensures that corporations, limited liability companies (LLC), partnerships, joint ventures, and other legal entities developing or undertaking projects funded in part or in whole by public dollars, and the contractors and subcontractors performing work on those projects, are in compliance with existing Public Contract and Labor Codes.