2021 Legislative Achievements - Bills Signed into Law
Assembly Bill 263 – The Health Oversight and Leadership in Detention Act
Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, the HOLD Act ensures private detention centers abide by state and local health orders to protect detainees and workers.
Assembly Bill 347 – Access to Medication Act
Strikes a balance between allowing health care payers to continue to use step therapy and prior authorization but establishes guardrails to protect patients.
Assembly Bill 451 – Emergency Mental Health Access
Removes barriers in the law to ensure that an individual seeking emergency psychiatric services has timely access to additional care and services.
Assembly Bill 559 – San Joaquin River Conservancy Board
Brings more diverse community representation to the San Joaquin River Conservancy governing board by broadening the nomination process.
Assembly Bill 600 – Hates Crimes Victims Protection Act
Protects constitutional civil rights by ensuring that crimes targeting people because of their immigration status are considered hate crimes.
Assembly Bill 625 – Indigent Defense Study
Improves legal representation for indigent defendants in criminal cases by ensuring their constitutional rights, regardless of income or social status.
Assembly Bill 690 – Family Mental Health Act
Addresses the shortage of mental health providers by clarifying settings that unlicensed behavioral health clinicians trainees will be allowed to practice.
Assembly Bill 1094 – LGBTQ Violent Death Data Collection Pilot Program
Provides California with much-needed data necessary to track violent deaths in the LGBTQ+ community, including youth, to assist in developing prevention programs.
Assembly Bill 1326 – County Liaisons for Higher Education
These liaisons will connect in-need college students with county programs for food security, housing, health care, and other services to support academic performance.
Assembly Bill 1344 – Needle and Syringe Exchange Services
Protects vital syringe services – which help reduce cases of HIV, hepatitis C, and other infectious diseases – by granting them an exemption from CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) requirements.