We asked State Senator Ben Allen what his legislative agenda was for the 2022 session, and his staff let us know of his ambitious agenda, which follows. Thanks to Senator Allen’s Chief of Staff, Nicole Winger, for the following report on bills where he serves as the primary author: (SB = Senate Bill; SCA = State Constitutional Amendment)

SB 54            

Sets a statewide goal of reducing the waste generated by single-use disposable packaging and food service ware by 75 percent by 2032 through source reduction, recycling, and composting (including requiring producers to design their packaging to reduce unnecessary waste and be fully recyclable or compostable, as well as meet specified recycling rates)

SB 459         

Improves lobbying transparency in the final 60 days of the legislative session by requiring more frequent reporting of lobbying actions and disclosure of interest group funders for issue advertisements

SB 502         

Updates California’s Green Chemistry program in order to protect consumers from toxic chemicals in their daily lives by granting data collection authority, adopting a seven-year timeline to identify and assess five priority products, and creating a fast-track for regulatory response to protect public health under certain circumstances

SB 611         

Builds on the Film and TV Tax Credit Program to incentivize the hiring of diverse graduates from recognized equity-driven industry career pathways

SB 620         

Provides smaller California and out-of-state craft distillers with the ability to ship their alcohol products directly to consumers, provided the delivery is made by an employee of a common carrier 

SB 1078        

Establishes an innovative financing option for local governments to secure low-interest loans to purchase properties that will become vulnerable to sea-level rise and repay the loans by renting out the properties while still habitable

SB 1122        

Expands the territory of the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy to include the Dominguez Channel watershed, Palos Verdes Peninsula, and Santa Catalina Island

SB 1138         

Requires the Employment Development Department to report to the Legislature on the feasibility and structure of a program to expand Unemployment Insurance access to independent contractors

SB 1167        

Improves the ability of the State Department of Parks and Recreation to acquire and protect more land

SB 1194        

Provides local governments the option of requiring gender-neutral public restroom facilities in new construction within their jurisdictions

SB 1205        

Calls on the State Water Resources Control Board to develop a methodology to account for the effects of climate change on the state’s water resources when issuing and administering water rights permits and licenses

SB 1217        

Reforms the Sustainable Communities Strategies program to improve accountability and transparency at the state, regional, and local levels; to better align the program with other state plans and goals such as increasing housing supply and equity; and to simplify the development of regional strategies that drive GHG reductions from the land-use and transportation sectors

SB 1258        

Allows companies that offer shared light-duty, all-electric autonomous vehicles to apply for grants through the CEC Clean Transportation Program to fund infrastructure and zero-emission refueling projects

SB 1290        

Reduces barriers that make it expensive and complicated for street vendors to get licensed, while providing for effective enforcement against unsafe, illegal vending

SB 1322        

Requires California’s oil refineries to share pricing information to provide transparency about the costs to produce gasoline sold in California

SB 1352        

Requires campaign contributions of $2,500 or more to be disclosed within 10 business days, unless they are made in the 90 days before an election, when they must be reported within 24 hours

SB 1444        

Establishes South Bay Housing Trust to allow cities to pool resources to build affordable housing

SB 1482        

Calls for updated building standards for new multifamily homes to require access to electric vehicle charging when an apartment/condo has a parking spot

SCA 2            

Repeals antiquated provision of the state constitution that creates political barriers and drives up the cost to build affordable housing

• WV: This wording is generous. It would eliminate racist language that allows for exclusionary and racially-based zoning of city neighborhoods. California voters MUST support its passage.

SCA 3            

Streamlines recall election ballots from two questions to one

SJR 14           

Calls on Congress, the President, and Governor Newsom to facilitate the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees in the U.S.

To track and follow the progress of the legislation, go to: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/home.xhtml