With the highest court of the land undoing the progress of decades and antisemitism and hate on a constant march, we must work harder than ever to bring allies together in defense of our values, our democracy, and even our lives. It will take all of us working in coalition to achieve justice and peace for our communities. Together, we need to work with our leaders in Sacramento to ensure that California acts as a beacon of hope and justice for people in other states and around the world while keeping the people of this state safe from hate and violence.

That is why JCRC’s top legislative priorities include:

AB 1664 – extending and expanding the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to waive the sunset clause and include security training and building in more flexibility.

  • Status: AB 1664 passed the legislature and is awaiting review by the Governor.
  • We are happy that the State budget includes $50 million dollars to fund the grant. JCRC advocated for these important dollars to help keep nonprofits safe across California.

AB 1666 – prohibiting an action from being brought in California courts to enforce any out-of-state law that would impose civil liability on a person seeking, receiving, performing, inducing, or aiding a person in obtaining an abortion. Also, this bill will prohibit the enforcement of a judgment rendered under in a non-California court that authorizes a person to bring a civil action against a person seeking, receiving, performing, inducing, or aiding a person in obtaining an abortion.

  • Status: AB 1666 was signed by the governor on June 24, 2022.

SB 1328 – requiring public pensions systems here in California, including the two largest     in America, STRS and PERS, to divest from Russian and Belarusian assets and companies.

  • Status: SB 1328 did not pass the legislature this session.

In addition, JCRC has a full 2022 Legislative Agenda focused on: Russian sanctions, combating antisemitism and hate/community security, expanding critical services for our communities, immigration, poverty, racial justice and protecting people in need of abortion services.

This year we will DEFEND Our Rights, Our Communities, and Our Values.

ABORTION CIVIL ACTIONS

AB 1666 – This bill advances two policy goals. The first goal is to prohibit an action from being brought in California courts to enforce any out-of-state law that would impose civil liability on a person seeking, receiving, performing, inducing, or aiding a person in obtaining an abortion. The second policy goal of this bill is to prohibit the enforcement of a judgment rendered under an out-of-state “fetal heartbeat” law obtained in a non-California court.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

AB 2244 – Reduces residential parking requirements for newly built religious institutions to allow for the construction of affordable housing.

  • Status: AB 2247 was signed by Governor Newsom.

AB 2547 – Creates the Housing Stabilization to Prevent and End Homelessness Among Older Adults and People with Disabilities Act.   Grants housing vouchers to help low-income older adults and people with disabilities continue to pay rent.

  • Status: AB 2547 was amended by the author to address different issue. JCRC did not take a position on the amended version of this bill.

COMBATING ANTISEMITISM AND HATE/COMMUNITY SECURITY

SB 693 – Holocaust & Genocide Education – Creates large-scale study to assess the state of Holocaust and Genocide Education in the state.

  • Status: SB 693 did not pass the legislature this session.

SB 834 – This bill would authorize the Attorney General to make a finding that a tax-exempt organization has actively engaged in, or incited the active engagement in, acts or conspiracies defined as criminal under specified federal law, and likely to produce imminent violation of that federal law. The bill would require the Attorney General to notify the Franchise Tax Board of such a finding, and would require the Franchise Tax Board to revoke the tax-exempt status of the organization found to be in violation.

  • Status: SB 834 passed the legislature and is awaiting review by the Governor.

AB 587 – Social Media Accountability – Requires social media companies to report their hate content policies as well as how hate continues to proliferate on its platform.

  • Status: AB 587 was signed by Governor Newsom.

AB 1664 – Extends and expands the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to waive the sunset clause and include security training.

AB 2282 – Symbols of Terror – Brings penalties for wielding the noose, the burning cross, and the swastika into parity; expands code to ban these symbols in more places.

  • Status: AB 2282  passed the legislature and is awaiting review by the Governor.

NSGP Budget Request – State funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) – Amount TBD based on conversations with the Jewish Caucus.

  • Status: The NPSG was funded for $50 million through the State budget process.

AB 2549 – Requires the California Department of Public Health to conduct research and a 5-year, statewide, public campaign to raise awareness and understanding of street harassment as a public health problem in the state with the purpose of preventing its occurrence.

  • Status: AB 2549 did not pass the legislature this session.

EXPANDING CRITICAL SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITIES

SB 464 – Provides state-funded nutrition benefits to all Californians ineligible for CalFresh due to immigration status.

  • Status: SB 464 did not pass the legislature this session.

AB 4/SB 56 – Health4All – Provides Medi-Cal benefits for all income-eligible Californians ineligible due to immigration status and age.

  • Status: AB 4/SB 56 did not pass through the bill process. Medi-Cal benefits for all income eligible Californians ineligible due to immigration status and age was passed through the State budget process.

AB 1900 – Lowers the Medi-Cal deductible for older adults and people with disabilities who don’t qualify for free Medi-Cal, to keep up with rising cost of living.

  • Status: AB 1900 did not pass the legislature this session.

AB 1995 – Eliminates Medi-Cal copayments, ensuring pregnant individuals, children, and people with disabilities can access health care services. Governor Newsom made a similar proposal for this year in his January budget. This bill would make the policy permanent.

  • Status: AB 1995 did not pass the legislature this session.

AB 2847 – One-year pilot program to provide unemployment benefits to undocumented Californians.

  • Status: AB 2847 passed the legislature and is awaiting review by the Governor.

IMMIGRATION

AB 937 – VISION Act – Protects immigrants from being subject to double punishment and funneled to ICE for deportation after they are eligible for release from state prison or local jail; prohibits the use of immigration status to deny incarcerated community members access to diversion, rehabilitative, mental health and credit earning programs.

  • Status: AB 937 did not pass the legislature this session.

POVERTY

SB 860 – Modifies the Young Child Tax Credit to allow families with a qualified child but who have earned no income that year to also access the credit. It also indexes the credit for inflation.

  • Status: AB 860 did not pass the legislature this session.

AB 2589 – Provide a one-time payment of $2000 per child dependent to California residents who made less than $30,000 in 2021 and file their taxes, and increase the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) minimum tax credit to about $255 per eligible tax filer. It would benefit approximately 5 million Californians, including 2 million children.

  • Status: AB 2589 did not pass the legislature this session.

RACIAL JUSTICE

SCA 2 – Places an Article 34 repeal measure on the ballot. Article 34, a racist Constitutional Amendment passed in 1950, gives wealthy neighborhoods veto power over affordable housing and worsens racial segregation. Repealing it will require 2/3 vote of the legislature, and a vote of the people.

  • Status: SCA 2 Passed the legislature and will go to the ballot for a vote by the people.

RUSSIAN SANCTIONS

SB 1328 – California currently has close to 2 billion dollars invested in Russia and Belarus. This bill Requires public pensions systems here in California – including the two largest in America, STRS and PERS – to divest from Russian and Belarusian assets and companies.