Governor Newsom has Signed 15 of Assemblymember Bauer- Kahan’s Ambitious Bills into Law

Sacramento, CA – Upon the conclusion of the 2021-2022 legislative session, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) has successfully achieved signature of 15 bills into law.

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan’s historic AB 988 has been signed by the Governor after two years of tireless work. The bill implements 988, the Mental Health Crisis Hotline, which went live on July 16th, 2022. The new system will provide a critically-needed alternative to 911 and help deploy mental health professionals, rather than police officers, in situations of mental health crises. This bill transforms mental health emergency response and delivers appropriate care that addresses systemic inequalities.

“This is groundbreaking. I’m thrilled that Governor Newsom has signed AB 988, strengthening California’s leadership on mental health support,” said Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan.“When people call for help they will get care and not criminalization. This will save lives.”

As the Chair of the Assembly’s Select Committee on Reproductive Health, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan has championed abortion rights with AB 1242 and AB 1666. AB 1666, signed by the Governor in June, protects those who aid, receive, or provide abortions from civil penalties they face from other state’s extremist anti-abortion laws. AB 1242, which was signed in September, is a groundbreaking measure crafted with Attorney General Bonta to protect abortion providers and their patients from criminalization and create a path for California companies to keep personal data and messages private when served with warrants from extremist states. These pieces of legislation are part of a suite of bills from California’s legislators to make California a sanctuary state for abortion in the face of the Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

“California has no obligation to be complicit in the criminalization of the right to abortion” said Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. “AB 1666 and AB 1242 ensure safe essential care stays legal, putting up a legal shield to protect from arrest, information sharing, and civil penalties.”

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan partnered with Governor Newsom on AB 2571, which the Governor signed into law in June. This law bans dangerous advertisements and marketing of guns to children. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and youth in the United States. AB 2571 is now law, protecting children and saving young lives.

District 16 is a high fire risk zone, and with AB 2083, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan has increased safety and accountability for utility-caused wildfires. AB 2083 will make utility companies pay for the fires they cause, by preventing them from passing legal settlement costs on to their ratepayers.

As the Chair of the Water Parks and Wildlife Committee and a lifelong environmental advocate, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan continues to champion environmental protections. AB 2805 enhances and refines California’s Regional Conservation Investment Strategies Program ensuring enhanced planning for land conservation and clean energy siting. AB 2146, which would have banned pesticides that kill bees, monarchs, and other pollinators for non-agricultural uses, was vetoed by the Governor with a mandate directed to the CA Department of Pesticide Regulation to take up the issue.

“I support Governor Newsom’s direction to regulators to take on this issue, but I fear that we are taking a path that has already failed for over a decade,” said Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. “I hope that our state moves quickly to create smart, proven policies to protect our bees, butterflies, and biodiversity.”

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan continued to vigorously champion mental health legislation, including two bills that were signed in addition to AB 988. AB 2089 strengthens privacy protections for data collected by apps that provide mental healthcare so that this sensitive, private information can’t be sold. AB 2754 allows for digital training of future psychiatric professionals to modernize the system and increase a pipeline for a desperately needed workforce.

Women’s economic freedom continues to be a priority for the Assemblymember, which culminated in the signature of AB 1287, which finally prohibits and eliminates gendered pricing known as the “pink tax” for all goods sold in California.

Symbols of terror all cause fear, but our penalties treat each symbol differently. AB 2282 equalizes penalties across Nazi swastikas, burning crosses, and nooses to make it clear that all Californians deserve to live free of terror.

In addition, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan’s AB 2436, AB 2658, AB 1907, AB 2374, AB 2627, and AB 1287 have all been signed into law by the Governor. These bills will expand accuracy for LGBTQ+ couples on official documents, increase justice for youth on electronic monitors, improve inspections of nursing homes, increase penalties for illegal dumping, and assist community colleges’ outreach to underserved communities.

“I’m so proud of what we achieved this year, creating fifteen laws on the issues that matter most to my District. Fire, community safety, reproductive rights, and mental healthcare are critical to my diverse and thoughtful constituency,” said Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. “I’m honored to have carried this legislation to signature to build a California that is safer and more inclusive for everyone.”

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