By: @Lilia Hernandez
September 30 is the final day for Governor Gavin Newsom to act on the remaining bills passed by the State Legislature in the 2025-2026 biennial session.
Following the end of the legislative session, CSDA continued to advocate for special districts by requesting signatures or vetoes by the Governor on the most significant legislation that reached his desk.
During the past week, Governor Newsom acted on numerous measures of importance to special districts, including:
AB 883 [Lowenthal] Data brokers: accessible deletion mechanism: deletion of personal information of elected officials and judges – SUPPORT
This bill requires the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy) to develop and distribute informational materials on how state and local elected officials and judges can use CalPrivacy’s accessible deletion mechanism. It also reduces compliance timelines in the Delete Act from 45 days to 30 days.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
AB 1198 [Haney] Prevailing Wage – OPPOSE UNLESS AMENDED
This bill applies to public works projects over $35 million. If during any semiannual period the Director of Industrial Relations determines that there has been a change in any prevailing rate of per diem wages in any locality, the director shall make that change available to the awarding body and the director’s determination shall be final, except as specified in this section.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
AB 1578 [Jackson] State agency officials: training on responding to hate: local agency officials: anti-hate speech training – NEUTRAL
Would revise existing statute related to sexual harassment prevention training by requiring, beginning on January 1, 2028, that the harassment prevention training also include anti-hate speech training as a component of the training and education. Anti-hate speech training must provide practical guidance on recognizing, reporting, engaging or participating in, and confronting speech that vilifies, humiliates, or incites hatred against people based on specified protected characteristics. CSDA and other organizations moved to neutral on this measure once amended to ensure the new training would occur as part of an existing two-hour requirement and not an additional mandated time-period.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
AB 1803 [Lowenthal] Employment: sexual harassment training and education: anti-hate speech training – WATCH
Would revise the existing requirement to provide sexual harassment prevention training to include anti-hate speech training as a component of that training and education. This change to the training requirement would take effect on January 1, 2028.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
AB 1811 [Ahrens] Health professionals – SUPPORT
Would preserve health profession shortage areas (HPSAs) for purposes of State programs.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
AB 1954 [Ward] Municipal golf courses: reservations – SUPPORT
Prohibits unauthorized third-party platforms from listing, selling, or reselling tee times at publicly owned golf courses unless they have the golf course operator's written permission, while still allowing golfers to transfer a reservation at cost if the golf course operator does not have a cancellation policy posted on the website where the reservation was made.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
AB 2180 [Ward] Local government: Proposition 218 Omnibus Implementation Act: proportional cost of service – SUPPORT
Creates clear, consistent standards for water agencies statewide, helping them to confidently develop constitutionally-sound rates and continue to deliver safe and reliable water to their communities.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
AB 2282 [Alanis] Health facilities: emergency medical services – SUPPORT
Authorizes a rural emergency stabilization care unit in the community of Patterson, staffed with emergency medical service providers, to serve as a bridge while Del Puerto Health Care District builds the community a permanent hospital.
Result: Vetoed by the Governor on 9/27/26
AB 2568 [Johnson] Water district directors: compensation – SUPPORT
Would, until January 1, 2032, permit certain qualifying water districts to consider granting compensation to board members for up to 15 calendar days a month, up from the 10-day limit established in 1989, while leaving untouched related cost-control provisions. This change would need to be supported by a written policy describing, based on a finding supported by substantial evidence, why providing compensation for more than 10 days per calendar month is necessary for the effective operation of the water district.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
AB 2573 [Sharp-Collins] Voter registration information: confidentiality – SUPPORT
Changes a program that makes the voter registration records of elected officials and candidates for elective office confidential from an opt-out to an opt-in program. Allows immediate family members of an elected official who opts-in to the program to have their registration records made confidential.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
SB 599 [Caballero] Atmospheric rivers: research: forecasting methods: experimental tools – SUPPORT
This bill would add to the research, development, and implementation topics of the existing Atmospheric Rivers Research and Forecast Improvement Program: Enabling Climate Adaptation Through Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations and Hazard Resiliency (AR/FIRO) at the Department of Water Resources.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
SB 828 [Cabaldon] Fireworks licenses and permits: disqualifying conditions: local jurisdictions – SUPPORT
This bill increases oversight of fireworks licensees by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and local government jurisdictions. Fire districts, as well as other fire agencies, would be empowered with additional information and authorities that would enhance their ability to ensure the safe storage and handling of fireworks material held within the State.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
SB 1312 [Richardson] Cemeteries – NEUTRAL
Establishes a process for an endowment care cemetery to be declared abandoned by a county and have its title transferred to the county in which the cemetery is located and permits the county to transfer the care and maintenance of the cemetery to a California nonprofit public benefit corporation.
Result: Signed by the Governor, Chaptered on 9/27/2026
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