With the state Legislature reconvening in the first full week of August, here is an update on some of the bills authored by North County’s lawmakers in the Assembly and Senate. Both chambers have until the end of this month to pass bills, then the governor has until the end of September to sign or veto them.
SB 949
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to mandate breaks for breastfeeding or pumping breast milk in the state’s superior court system. That rule already applied to employees, but SB 949 will extend to nonemployees, such as attorneys and witnesses, as of July 1, 2026. The bill was approved by the Assembly and Senate within about a week at the end of June and beginning of July.
State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, the author of the bill, said in a statement that the bill is important for the thousands of people not employed by the courts who are required to attend court each day, many of whom are women who may need to pump breast milk.”
SB 1098
After passing the Senate in May, SB 1098 was approved by the Assembly’s Transportation Committee 15-0. The bill, authored by Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, would mobilize multiple state agencies in creating a list of projects to upgrade the rail line and improve and maintain the rail line, which has faced challenges such as erosion in Del Mar and mudslides in Orange County.
“First and foremost, we need a long-term coordinated plan to ensure our rail line is getting the investment and support it needs to reach its potential,” Blakespear said in a statement earlier this year. “SB 1098 sets the foundation to address critical resiliency challenges facing the LOSSAN Rail Corridor and improve its operations so rail service can become more reliable and effective at transporting Californians where they need to go.”
AB 1955
On July 15, the governor signed a bill that prevents school districts from reporting information about a student’s gender identity to their families, in contrast to multiple other states that have implemented mandatory reporting policies in recent years.
“While some school districts have adopted policies to forcibly out students, the SAFETY Act ensures that discussions about gender identity remain a private matter within the family,” Assemblymember Chris Ward, D-San Diego, the author of the bill, said in a statement. “As a parent, I urge all parents to talk to their children, listen to them, and love them unconditionally for who they are.”
The bill also prompted an announcement by Elon Musk that he will be moving SpaceX headquarters from California to Texas.
AB 1979
Following its approval on the Assembly floor in May, the Doxing Victims Recourse Act was approved by the Senate’s Judiciary and Appropriations committees in June and July, respectively.
The bill allows victims of doxing, which involves leaking personal information about someone for harassment and related purposes, to pursue civil legal action and restitution.
AB 2234
A bill that would allow cities in San Diego County to ban children under 12 from riding Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes passed the Assembly in May and was approved by the Senate’s Transportation Committee in June.
“As a mother, I believe that we must act to prevent our youth from injuries and educate parents on the benefits and responsibility of e-bikes,” Tasha Boerner, the bill’s author, said in a statement in May, “and AB 2234 takes a step to increase their safety while sharing the road. Given the increase of e-bike incidents that have taken place in our communities, it becomes the responsibility of the community and the state to ensure not another one of our children is seriously injured.”
AB 2666
A bill by Boerner on utility rate adjustments was approved by the Senate’s Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee on July 2, following its passage on the Assembly floor months prior. If approved, the California Public Utilities Commission would face additional standards for tracking the fairness of rate increases. The bill followed large San Diego Gas & Electric rate increases and a state audit that concluded the CPUC needed to improve transparency and oversight of utility companies.
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