Sacramento, CA – Today, eight of Assemblymember Chris Holden’s bills cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The package of social and racial justice bills that passed include police reform, AB 26; The Upward Mobility Act, AB 105; transportation contracts for disadvantaged communities, AB 349; and real estate appraisal reform, AB 948. The other bills authored by Holden that passed include lead free faucets, AB 100; affordable housing in 710 corridor, AB 512; electric investor-owned utilities’ executive compensation oversight AB 1156; and records management at state departments, AB 1429.
“I am pleased to see my social and racial justice bills pass the Assembly Appropriations Committee today. This demonstrates both the commitment of the legislature and the ongoing public support for these important reforms,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “I’m also proud that my bills that would reduce lead in our drinking water and help create affordable housing in the district passed.”
AB 26 would establish clear guidelines for police responsibility and accountability when witnessing excessive force by another member of law enforcement, including providing a selection of techniques to establish that an officer has in fact attempted to intercede.
AB 100 would set a limit on the amount of lead leaching from drinking water faucets and fixtures.
AB 105 would address barriers to upward mobility and inclusion for people of color working in California’s civil services system. Specifically the legislation would require diversity on all state boards and commissions that have volunteers, and reform processes that hinder upward mobility for people of color in the civil service system, giving attention to compliance, the appeals process, and annual parity goals for upward mobility.
AB 349 would require half of one percent of SB 1 dollars be used to conduct outreach efforts to small business and disadvantaged business enterprises. The bill aims to bolster efforts to include minority owned and women owned business in a post COVID-19 economic recovery to meet contract procurement goals established by the California Department of Transportation.
AB 512 would allow Housing Related Entities (HREs), like city housing departments and affordable housing developers, to purchase vacant land owned by Caltrans in the 710 North Corridor, at the original purchase price, for the purpose of building affordable housing.
AB 948 would require the Bureau of California Real Estate Appraisals to gather data on demographic information of buyers and sellers of real estate property and compile data of homeowners from protected classes who file complaints based on low appraisals. The legislation also requires appraisers to take anti-bias training when renewing their license.
AB 1156 would retain CPUC oversight of electric investor-owned utilities’ executive compensation structure, and ensure public transparency is maintained for such review.
AB 1429 would require the record management coordinators for their respective state departments and agencies to train all employees on correct records retention practices within 60 days of their employment and annually.