Today, the California Legislature returns to Sacramento to begin the final month of the 2026 Legislative Session. Between the Senate and Assembly, more than 1,200 bills remain to be considered before the Legislature adjourns on August 31, making this one of the busiest and most consequential periods of the year.
Of those measures, nine of my authored bills remain active. They focus on protecting taxpayers and homeowners (SB 288, SB 974), supporting disabled Veterans (SB 888), improving government efficiency (SB 308, SB 1186), streamlining wildfire recovery (SB 904), reducing unnecessary regulations for small businesses (SB 918), and strengthening consumer protections (SB 946, SB 1029).
One of the most important milestones in the weeks ahead is the Senate Appropriations Committee, where I am honored to serve as Vice Chair. The committee serves as the Legislature's primary fiscal checkpoint, reviewing bills with significant financial impacts before they can advance to the Senate Floor.
While many proposals are well-intentioned, too many create new costs, mandates, or regulations that ultimately fall on taxpayers, small businesses, and local communities, while others risk weakening public safety.
At a time when Californians continue to struggle with affordability and the state faces ongoing budget challenges, every proposal that spends taxpayer dollars deserves careful scrutiny. We should be asking whether legislation is truly necessary, fiscally responsible, and delivers meaningful results.
After the Appropriations Committee completes its work, the remaining bills will move to the Senate Floor for debate and final votes before the Legislature adjourns. The measures approved by both houses will then be sent to the Governor for consideration.
As always, I remain committed to advancing policies that make California more affordable, strengthen public safety, support our Veterans and first responders, increase government accountability and transparency, and protect taxpayer dollars through responsible budgeting. I look forward to the work ahead and will continue fighting for practical, commonsense solutions.
I encourage you to stay engaged throughout the remainder of the legislative session. You can watch upcoming committee hearings and Floor Sessions here: senate.ca.gov
You can also track the status of any bill here: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov