Legislative Update! SD20 Bills Headed to the Governor's Desk
Dear Burbank & San Fernando Valley Neighbors,
In a year when we faced unprecedented threats from the federal government that put the programs Californians depend on most at risk, I committed to advancing affordability, protecting health care, and strengthening accountability throughout the 2026 legislative session.
I’m proud to have successfully advanced 10 bills through the Legislature, each reflecting our commitment to delivering meaningful results for California families and communities. The deadline for the Governor to sign or veto bills is September 30th!
These are the 10 Bills headed to the Governor's Desk:
SB 331, Let CA Kids Hear Act 2026, requires large group health plans in California to cover hearing aids and services for children under 21, changing a family’s approach to being forced to avoid hearing aids for their deaf or hard of hearing child simply because they can’t afford it
SB 1125, Affordable H20, establishes the foundation for a statewide low-income water rate assistance program that will, once funding is available, provide direct bill credits to eligible customers who get served by a municipality.
SB 1272, CASH Act, VETOED - would have provided relief to homeowners who discover surprise non-immediate, non-life threatening renovations or alterations on their property by the previous owner in which the local government deems it a code violation and is now forcing compliance to cure on the current homeowner. This bill gives the current owner a minimum of six months to address the violation and an opportunity for a no-fee time extension.
SB 1364, Child Custody, prohibits a person from being granted custody of, or visitation with, a child if there is clear and convincing evidence that the person perpetrated sexual assault and that child was conceived from that conduct.
SB 337, Sexual Assault Prevention, works to address the ongoing crisis of sexual abuse by staff within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
SB 991, Elder Abuse Accountability, promotes consumer transparency and accountability in assisted living facilities, by improving how substantiated reports of abuse and neglect are categorized by the Department of Social Services and displayed on its public facing website, so that you can make the best decision on where to place your loved one.
SB 938, Community Trust Act, ensures that agents associated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations cannot apply for any training waivers, such as the Regular Basis Course Waiver when applying to any of our local law enforcement agencies.
SB 1051, Bridge Navigators, adds Bridge Navigators as an eligible referral for subsidized childcare to reduce the long waiting times and get more families back in the workforce once their foster child gets into childcare. Social workers would have greater support to ensure that no child falls through the cracks in accessing this necessary resource.
SB 1024, Fire Fighter Paid Leave, SIGNED - provides firefighters with up to 26 weeks of fully paid postpartum and recovery leave providing them an opportunity to breastfeed their child. Upon returning to work, the firefighter will be restored to their prior position, and the firefighter will not be required to use their sick or vacation time before utilizing this leave.
SB 608, Youth Equity + Access, seeks to address theSTIepidemic among California youth and improve public health outcomes by enforcing the California Healthy Youth Act and removing barriers to accessibility of condoms in schools and communities.
As we come to the official close of the 2026 legislative session with Governor Newsom's decisions still pending, I'm meeting with constituents and organizations across our district while we wait to see which bills will make it into California law. Thank you to my dedicated team, constituents, legislative colleagues, authors and coauthors whose partnership and hard work helped turn these proposals into meaningful action for Californians.
May you and your families be well,
Senator Caroline Menjivar, MSW
