By; @Kyle Packham
On April 7, more than 200 special district leaders will join together at the State Capitol to meet with nearly 90 legislative offices as part of Special Districts Legislative Days. The office visits, pre-arranged by CSDA, allow attendees to bridge the gap between state policymakers and local service specialists. Legislative priorities on this year’s agenda include advocating for local flexibility in the use of emerging technology that makes local service delivery more affordable, as well as protecting special districts from the looming threat of local property tax diversions.
Those already registered for this important opportunity to represent their community, connect with lawmakers, and fight for local control can start preparing for their visits using the tools and information below. For those who are not yet registered, it’s not too late to attend; visit LegislativeDays.csda.net to learn more and register today.
2026 Special Districts Legislative Days Priorities for Legislative Office Visits:
SPECIAL DISTRICTS WEEK – SPONSOR
Assembly Concurrent Resolution 161 (Addis)
Status: Assembly Floor (To Consent Calendar on 3.23.26)
Proclaims April 5-11, 2026 to be Special Districts Week and encourages Californians across the state to engage with their local communities and be actively involved with their local government.
Special Districts Week Toolkit
WORKPLACE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS – OPPOSE
Assembly Bill 1898 (Schultz)
Status: Assembly Judiciary Committee (Referred on 3.25.26)
Places restrictions on the use of AI in surveillance, operations, and decision making conducted by an employer by requiring significant, repeated notices.
- The notice must contain, among other things, detailed information on the workplace surveillance tool or automated decision system, justification, , categories of employment-related decisions likely to be affected, and worker data information, as specified.
- The bill could compromise the security and operations of public agencies by putting routine workplace technologies at risk and exposing sensitive information that may compromise security.
- Contains enforcement provisions that expose public employers to significant litigation risk.
AB 1898 CSDA Fact Sheet
WORKER DATA PROHIBITIONS: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – OPPOSE
Assembly Bill 2027 (Ward)
Status: Assembly Labor and Employment Committee (Referred on 3.17.26)
Establishes significant limitations on the use of AI for public and private employers, specific to worker data.
- The bill could effectively ban most AI tools in the workplace. The bill prohibits an employer from using an AI tool trained with worker data to replicate, automate, or replace a worker’s job. This could cover tools trained with data from the employer’s employees or any other employer’s employees. For example, innocuous AI search tools work off of data very likely trained, in part, by workers, while its functionality replicates certain tasks of workers.
- Contains enforcement provisions that expose public employers to significant litigation risk
AB 2027 CSDA Fact Sheet
DIVERSION OF LOCAL PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX REVENUE
CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY DRAFT 2026 BUSINESS PLAN
Status: Issued February 28, 2026 with a 60-Day Comment Period
Proposals under consideration by the California High-Speed Rail Authority include seeking statutory permission for the Authority to form and lead tax-increment financing districts that would capture property tax and sales tax growth within a one-half (½) mile radius of high-speed rail stations.
- Though seemingly similar to other tax-increment financing tools such as enhanced infrastructure financing districts (EIFDs), participation by affected taxing agencies (including special districts) may be compulsory, resulting in the unconstitutional diversion of local property tax revenue to the state.
- CSDA opposes any attempt to redirect tax revenues away from local governments and the communities they serve without their express, meaningful, and freely-given consent. Depriving special districts of property tax revenue will undermine affordable essential service delivery.
- While the exact language of the proposals has not yet been made public, the legislation to implement the Authority’s proposals is widely anticipated to be included in a forthcoming budget trailer bill.
HSRA Business Plan: Property Tax Diversion CSDA Fact Sheet
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