Here is a brief summary of bills by Sen. Skinner that are moving forward in the 2024 Legislation Session (Updated 05-16-24):

SB 56 (UC Berkeley Student Housing): SB 56 would allow the University of California to transfer ownership of the Rochdale Apartments in the city of Berkeley to the Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC), so that BSC can continue to provide low-cost student housing at Rochdale. For more info, email Rebecca.Sheff@sen.ca.gov and Amelia.Monsour@sen.ca.gov

SB 59 (Bidirectional Charging): SB 59 would accelerate the ability of electric vehicle (EV) owners to use their EV's battery to provide backup power to their homes. For more info, email Jessica.Uzarski@sen.ca.gov

SB 233 (Standing Strong for Arizonans and Their Doctors): SB 233 would allow Arizona reproductive care providers to immediately perform abortion services in California under an expedited medical licensing process. See the bill's press release. For more info, email Jessica.Uzarski@sen.ca.gov

SB 242 (HOPE Accounts): SB 242 would prohibit funds deposited and investment returns accrued in a HOPE trust fund account from being considered as income or assets when determining eligibility and benefit amount for any means-tested program until an eligible youth withdraws or transfers the funds from the HOPE trust fund account. For more info, email George.Harris@sen.ca.gov

SB 254 (Restoring Media Access to Prisons): SB 254 would restore news media access to California prisons. For more info, email Robert.Gammon@sen.ca.gov

SB 440 (Enabling Regional Housing Finance Agencies): SB 440 would enable local governments to join together to establish regional housing finance agencies to address affordable housing needs in their communities. For more info, email Rebecca.Sheff@sen.ca.gov

SB 516 (Patient-Centered Care): SB 516 would help ensure that patients receive the medical treatment they need without unnecessary delays and give healthcare providers more time to spend on their patients rather than on paperwork. For more info, email Jessica.Uzarski@sen.ca.gov

SB 898 (Protections Against Staff Sexual Assaults on Incarcerated Individuals): SB 898 would help protect incarcerated people from sexual abuse by guards and staff and provide safeguards for whistleblowers. See the bill's press release. For more info, email George.Harris@sen.ca.gov

SB 899 (Improving Effectiveness of CA’s Gun Violence Prevention Laws) (Joint Author with Sen. Blakespear): SB 899 would bolster California’s “Red Flag” law and other state statutes that prevent gun violence. See the bill's press release. For more info, email Rebecca.Sheff@sen.ca.gov

SB 906 (Helping Achieve Equity in College Sports NIL): SB 906 would bring transparency to name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals in California college sports and raise awareness about gender equity in NIL deals. See the bill's press release. For more info, email Robert.Gammon@sen.ca.gov

SB 941 (Industrial Decarbonization): SB 941 would advance the process of decarbonizing California’s industrial sector, which currently accounts for about 25% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. For more info, email Jessica.Uzarski@sen.ca.gov

SB 950 (Healthy Recovery and Reentry): SB 950 is aimed at breaking the cycle of drug addiction and recidivism by helping to ensure that health care, supportive services, and the substance use treatment that many formerly incarcerated people rely on are continued after the person’s release and as they re-enter the community. For more info, email George.Harris@sen.ca.gov

SB 976 (Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction): SB 976 would bar online platforms from sending an addictive social media feed or notifications to a minor without the consent of the youth’s parent or guardian. See the bill's press release. For more info, email Rebecca.Sheff@sen.ca.gov

SB 1001 (Death Penalty: Intellectual Disabilities): SB 1001 would provide necessary and important safeguards to ensure that California is not engaging in cruel and unusual punishment by executing people who are intellectually disabled. For more info, email George.Harris@sen.ca.gov

SB 1022 (Defending Housing, Employment & Other Civil Rights Violations): SB 1022 would strengthen the authority of the Civil Rights Department (CRD) to effectively investigate and prosecute violations of Californians’ civil rights. For more info, email Jessica.Uzarski@sen.ca.gov and Amelia.Monsour@sen.ca.gov

SB 1073 (Green Cement and Concrete): SB 1073 would accelerate the transition to low-carbon cement and concrete by allowing state agencies to enter into contracts to purchase low-carbon cement or concrete products up to 10 years in advance. For more info, email Jessica.Uzarski@sen.ca.gov

SB 1144 (Shutting Down the Market for Stolen Goods): SB 1144 would strengthen California law regulating online marketplaces in order to reduce retail theft. For more info, email George.Harris@sen.ca.gov

SB 1210 Transparency of Utility Hook-Up Fees on New Housing): SB 1210 will bring much-needed transparency to costly utility hook-up fees, such as for water, sewer, electrical, and gas service, on all new housing units. See the bill's press release. For more info, email Jessica.Uzarski@sen.ca.gov

SB 1211 (Flexibility for ADUs on Multifamily Housing): SB 1211 would open the door for more accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as second units or backyard cottages, on properties with multifamily housing. See the bill's press release. For more info, email Rebecca.Sheff@sen.ca.gov