Pedestrians will soon be able to cross the street outside of an intersection without being ticketed, as long as it’s safe to do so. Governor Newsom signed AB 2147, The Freedom To Walk Act by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), which legalizes safe street crossings. The bill defines when an officer can stop and cite a pedestrian for jaywalking - specified as only when a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of a collision.

“It should not be a criminal offense to safely cross the street. When expensive tickets and unnecessary confrontations with police impact only certain communities, it’s time to reconsider how we use our law enforcement resources and whether our jaywalking laws really do protect pedestrians,” said Ting. “Plus, we should be encouraging people to get out of their cars and walk for health and environmental reasons.”

Drivers will soon be seeing changes to the way late fees and penalties are assessed on unpaid tolls. The Governor today signed AB 2594, a bill by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) seeking to reform the way outstanding toll charges are handled. The current system has disproportionately impacted workers who cannot afford the outstanding invoices that keep escalating for nonpayment.

“We shouldn’t be saddling Californians with unrelenting debt just for driving to work. By switching to electronic payments, we’ve shut out an unbanked individual’s ability to pay their tolls simply because they don’t have debit or credit cards,” said Ting. “I thank the Governor for seeing the undue hardship being put on lower income drivers. His signature on my bill brings more fairness and equity to our toll systems.”

The Golden State continues to crack down on the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals that put our health and the environment at risk. Governor Newsom tonight signed AB 1817 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), which bans the use of these harmful substances in fabrics by 2025. They’re commonly added to clothing and household items to make them water or stain resistant.  

Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) announced today that the state will provide an additional $6 million in state funding to help keep a Japantown project on track. Unexpected costs threaten to impact the renovation and redesign of Peace Plaza as envisioned.

“We must see this project through to completion. This isn’t just about modernizing a public space. It’s also about making amends to Japanese Americans who were forced out of Japantown not once, but twice. The state should be a partner in these efforts to make things right, and I was determined to fight for this funding,” said Ting.

Asm. Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and the Stop AAPI Hate Coalition announced today that Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2448 into law, which requires the California Civil Rights Department (formerly the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing) to create and implement a first-of-its-kind pilot program that motivates businesses to create a safer environment for customers.

"Customers have the right to feel safe in businesses, and workers need training on ensuring that. Right now, our state’s civil rights laws do not adequately protect people who are verbally harassed and intimidated while grocery shopping or eating at a restaurant,” said Ting. “My bill allows businesses to lead the fight against hate and create more welcoming and safe spaces for all Californians.”