August 1, 2022

The California Legislature returned from Summer Recess today and we are now in the final hectic weeks of the 2021-2022 legislative session.  So, by August 31st, the Legislature must amend and pass bills as well as process any remaining budget issues. Then, the Governor has until the end of September to sign or veto bills. The NGP team has been readying our plan to ensure that our priority bills and budget issues move forward, are fully funded, and signed into law by the September deadline!

Please keep scrolling to get updated on our legislative priorities, get a preview of our upcoming California Student Debt Challenge, see the NGP statement on California’s recent climate actions, and read about other initiatives happening during these crucial final weeks! 

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★ NEW – California Student Debt Challenge: The California Student Debt Challenge (CA Challenge) will focus on helping public service workers access and apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) – the federal program designed to cancel federal student loan debt for public service employees after ten years of work in the public sector. We’re excited to kick-off the first ever CA Challenge in tandem with our state’s first Student Loan Debt Awareness Month. As part of the CA Challenge, we’re outreaching to public service workers and inviting them to learn more about the requirements of the federal PSLF program as well as helping them apply for student loan forgiveness by the October 31, 2022 deadline!

★ NGP Responds to CA’s Climate Action:  In July, Governor Newsom announced several bold actions to address the climate crisis in California and directed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to update its Scoping Plan accordingly. We applaud this progressive leadership by Governor Newsom and thank him for responding to our call to help make sure the Scoping Plan provides a clear path towards achieving California’s 2030 climate target. Check out our full statement on Governor Newsom’s call for increased climate action in California!

★ Priority Bills – Here’s the Latest: Expect several updates through the September deadline – here’s a quick status report on two of our priority bills and what to expect in the final weeks of the 2021-2022 legislative cycle:

• ⭐ SB 17 – On June 29th, SB 17 was placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s suspense file and will need another vote from the Appropriations Committee to move forward. We’re also continuing to work with the coalition to push for full funding for the Office of Racial Equity, but the final decision is up to Governor Newsom and his Administration.
• ⭐ SB 907 – SB 907, the LEAF program, has passed every single committee with unanimous bipartisan support, including its final policy committee!  Next steps for the bill include a vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and a final vote on the Assembly Floor before moving to the Governor’s desk.  The LEAF program also needs funding – approximately $60 million to fully implement the program – and we are working to get Speaker Anthony Rendon, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, and Governor Newsom to provide this budget allocation.

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Heads up – this week SB 1338 (Umberg) – the CARE Court Program – will be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Although well-intentioned, this bill is not the right solution to address CA’s unhoused population – it perpetuates a system of coerced mental health treatment that worsens existing health care disparities, disproportionately harms low-income persons as well as people of color populations, infringes on individual’s civil liberties, and does not provide the necessary levels of housing. We urge you to use the link below and join us in supporting a NO vote for the CARE Court Program!

TAKE ACTION: Say NO to CARE Courts!

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★ Member Spotlight: We’d like to give a very special shout-out to Senator Dr. Richard Pan, the author of both SB 907 & SB 17, two of our NGP priority bills! Senator Pan is a physician, educator, and State Senator, whose legislative agenda focuses on providing equitable policy and budget solutions over a range of issues that impact a vast majority of Californians, most notably, food insecurity and racial justice. Give Senator Pan a follow on Twitter to stay up to date on the amazing work he is doing for our state, particularly SB 907 & SB 17!

★ What’s Next: Buckle up, we’ve got a busy couple of weeks ahead! State Legislators will be hard at work amending and passing bills as well as closing out any remaining budget items for this legislative cycle. Here’s a quick snapshot of important, upcoming dates and deadlines for the State Legislature:

• Aug. 1 – Legislature reconvenes from Summer Recess
• Aug. 12 – Last day for fiscal committees to meet and report bills
• Aug. 25 – Last day to amend bills on the floor of each house
• Aug. 31 – Last day for each house to pass bills
• Sept. 30 – Last day for Governor Newsom to sign or veto bills that were passed by the Legislature on or before Sept. 1 and given to the Governor on or after Sept. 1

Click here for a full list of our Legislative package. 

NextGen Policy fights for progressive policy change to address environmental, social, racial, and economic inequities through justice-centered legislative advocacy, grassroots partnerships, and democratic civic engagement. Join Us!

Thank you,
NextGen Policy

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