SACRAMENTO – Senator John Laird completed a successful 2025-26 legislative session with a clean sweep, as Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law all 17 bills Laird sent to his desk this year, bringing Laird’s total to 31 bills signed during the two-year session. The new laws tackle issues ranging from health care access and flood protection to coastal conservation, consumer protections, support for older adults, and practical fixes for Central Coast communities.

“Getting 17 bills across the finish line takes a lot of work and a lot of people working together,” said Laird. “I’m grateful to Governor Newsom, my colleagues, our staff and the many people who came to the table to help us find solutions to real problems facing Californians. From health care and flood protection to coastal conservation and support for our local communities, these new laws will make a difference across the Central Coast and California.”

The clean sweep caps a productive two-year legislative session for Laird and continues a strong legislative record, with Governor Newsom signing nearly 99% of the bills Laird has sent to his desk since taking office in the State Senate.

“I’m grateful for the partnership we’ve had over the last six years,” said Laird. “We haven’t agreed on everything, but we’ve always been able to have an honest conversation and work toward solutions. I appreciate his willingness to work with me and the Legislature, and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together for the Central Coast and California.”

FULL 2026 LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE

SB 575 – Restores the California Sea Otter Voluntary Contribution Fund, allowing Californians to once again support sea otter conservation through voluntary contributions on their state income tax returns. Since it was first established in 2006, the program has raised more than $5 million for sea otter research, rescue and rehabilitation, public education, and conservation.

SB 577 – Addresses the growing financial impact of childhood sexual abuse claims on public institutions while preserving survivors’ ability to seek justice without placing a cap on damages. The bill includes new fraud prevention, accountability, and abuse prevention measures aimed at protecting children in the future.

SB 917 – Expands opportunities for California wineries to sell wine and offer tastings at certified farmers markets. The new law allows wineries that do not grow all of their grapes on-site to participate and increases the number of wineries that can offer tastings at a single market.

SB 922 – Clarifies that local governments can continue charging fees to help cover road damage caused by heavy hauling vehicles providing public services, including garbage and waste trucks. The law protects an important source of funding used by cities and counties to maintain and repair local streets and roads.

SB 939 – Updates the process for public employees purchasing retirement service credit through CalPERS by requiring payments to be made upfront rather than over time. The change reduces financial risk for both the retirement system and members, while improving long-term fiscal stability.

SB 931 – Laird joined Senator Shannon Grove in authoring legislation recognizing the life and legacy of Dolly Parton by establishing September 25 as Dolly Parton Day in California. The bipartisan measure recognizes Parton not only for her music and cultural impact, but also for her philanthropy, including the Imagination Library, which has provided free books to millions of children.

SB 952 – Helps the State Water Project meet California’s clean energy goals by providing greater flexibility in how it purchases and manages renewable energy. The bill is intended to reduce costs, improve long-term planning, and support cleaner energy use in operating the state’s water system.

SB 963 – Establishes clearer timelines for the California Coastal Commission to act on appeals of coastal development permits. The law brings greater predictability to the appeals process while maintaining California’s existing coastal protections.

SB 1023 – Expands access to long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a highly effective medication used to prevent HIV infection. The bill helps clinics and health care providers receive reliable insurance reimbursement for administering the medication, removing a financial barrier that can limit patient access.

SB 1038 – Improves transparency during CalPERS audits by requiring public employers to notify employee organizations throughout the audit process. The bill helps ensure workers are informed early about potential retirement or financial issues that could affect their planned benefits.

SB 1055 – Helps accelerate critical flood protection work along the Pajaro River by giving the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency more flexibility in how it contracts for and builds projects. The bill builds on Laird’s longstanding work to secure state support for Pajaro River flood protection.

SB 1078 – Allows the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and other businesses to continue using gift cards printed before California’s cash-redemption threshold increased from less than $10 to less than $15. The bill preserves the new consumer protection while giving businesses until the end of 2028 to use existing inventory, as long as customers are clearly informed that gift card balances under $15 can be redeemed for cash.

SB 1139 – Ensures the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District can enforce restrictions on using potable water to irrigate decorative, nonfunctional grass. The law helps protect the region’s limited water supplies while maintaining exemptions for functional uses.

SB 1207 – Recognizes California Conservation Corps service by allowing Corpsmembers who later enter state service to purchase up to three years of CalPERS retirement service credit for their time in the Corps. The bill also helps improve coordination with tribal conservation corps and supports the CCC’s long-term stability as it prepares for potential federal funding challenges.

SB 1253 – Expands recreational access at Santa Margarita Lake in San Luis Obispo County to allow activities including swimming while maintaining protections for drinking water and public health. Advances in water treatment now make it possible to safely expand recreation while continuing to protect the City of San Luis Obispo’s water supply.

SB 1261 – Protects continued access to services for older adults and people with disabilities during transitions affecting aging and disability services. The bill ensures the Aging and Disability Resource Connections (ADRCs) serving San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties will not shutter due to current transitions in these Planning and Service Agencies.

SB 1288 – Helps ensure securities gifted to beneficiaries, including nonprofits, reach the people and organizations they were intended for. The bill requires financial institutions to notify beneficiaries within 60 days after learning of a person’s death and remove barriers to accessing assets, reducing unnecessary delays in transferring nonprobate assets.

The Legislature also adopted two coastal measures authored by Laird this year. SJR 12 expresses bipartisan opposition to new federal offshore oil and gas leasing off California’s coast, while SCR 136 commemorates the 50^th anniversary of the California Coastal Act and Coastal Conservancy Act and five decades of work to protect California’s coastline and public access.

ADDITIONAL 2026 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The legislative package capped a broader year of accomplishments for Laird, who serves as Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. Laird helped negotiate a state budget that kept roughly $35 billion in reserves, cut the state’s ongoing budget shortfall nearly in half, and protected important services during a difficult budget year.

The final budget also delivered a significant win for Senate climate priorities, adding $300 million for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund investments in transit, affordable housing, clean air, wildfire resilience, and safe drinking water. The Senate also secured a key priority to keep interest earned by the fund in the fund, allowing those dollars to continue supporting climate investments.

Laird authored SB 106, providing $90 million in emergency funding for reproductive health care providers facing immediate federal funding cuts. He also helped secure $10.6 million in emergency funding for Watsonville Community Hospital through early budget action supporting financially distressed hospitals.

As Budget Chair, Laird helped advance the Fair Share from Big Corporations Act, a Senate-led effort included in the state budget signed by Governor Newsom that lays the groundwork for a proposal to hold California’s largest corporations accountable for the taxpayer cost of providing Medi-Cal to their employees.

Laird also helped negotiate the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026, which will help build tens of thousands of affordable homes and invest in housing for University of California and California State University students, farmworkers and veterans. During negotiations, Laird successfully pushed to include funding for water, sewer, and other infrastructure needed to support housing in disadvantaged communities, including communities in the Salinas Valley.

The budget also brought significant investments directly to the Central Coast. Laird secured state funding for community projects across Senate District 17, including affordable housing and Meals on Wheels in Santa Cruz County; new soccer fields, Bixby Bridge enforcement and improved public access at Point Lobos in Monterey County; youth services and locally grown food programs in San Benito County; and trails, recreation and services for people experiencing homelessness in San Luis Obispo County.

Laird also helped advance the permanent protection of Wild Cherry Canyon in San Luis Obispo County, marking a major milestone in a more than 25-year conservation effort. Laird helped ensure $40 million was available to the State Coastal Conservancy for approval of The Wildlands Conservancy to acquire long-term leasehold interests covering approximately 2,200 acres, protecting important wildlife habitat and laying the groundwork for sustainable public access. Laird also secured an additional $2 million in the state budget to purchase PG&E’s underlying ownership of Wild Cherry Canyon and adjacent small parcels, helping ensure the land can be protected for the long term.

Additional investments he secured include $3.3 million to expand PRIME Central Coast, building on $1 million secured last year. The funding will help create a pathway for future physicians to train and practice in the region and serves as a first step toward a medical school on the Central Coast. Laird also secured additional funding for the Santa Cruz Downtown Library Mixed-Use Project.

Outside of the state budget, Laird secured a $16.6 million agreement with PG&E for San Luis Obispo County and local communities affected by the continued operation of Diablo Canyon Power Plant. Laird originally introduced SB 931 to address a five-year gap in community funding, and after months of work, PG&E voluntarily agreed to provide two payments of $8.3 million for local governments, schools and essential services. The agreement addresses the first two years of the five-year funding gap, with Laird continuing to work to secure support for the remaining three years.

“This was a productive year, but there is plenty more work ahead,” said Laird. “I’m proud of what we accomplished together, and I look forward to building on this progress and continuing to deliver for the Central Coast and California.”