The legislative year ended Friday, and while there's still work to do to make California a better place to live, I'm proud of our accomplishments. Through the state budget, I was able to secure nearly $40 million more dollars for San Francisco to help address its homeless crisis. Funds from the prior year were used for this week's expansion of the Navigation Center at Division Circle and will be used to open the Navigation Center at 1925 Evans, as announced this summer. The latest infusion of state money will lead to even more openings.

We were also able to fund education at record levels of $12,000 per pupil, create 15,000 new slots at UC and CSU, and increase subsidies to help over 900,000 low-and-middle-income families purchase affordable health care coverage.

A dozen of my bills were sent to the Governor for his approval or veto. The highlights include:

AB 54: Allocates $5 million to start five mobile recycling programs in areas impacted by the recent closure of CRV recycling centers

AB 61:  Expands the state's red flag gun law to allow school personnel and employers to obtain a Gun Violence Restraining Order, which could result in the temporary removal of someone's firearms if they pose a danger to themselves or others

AB 68:  Makes it faster and easier for homeowners to add an Accessory Dwelling Unit, or in-law unit, on their property to increase housing supply

AB 512: Ensures mental health programs are culturally competent

AB 697: Promotes fair admissions practices by requiring colleges to disclose whether they provide preferential treatment to students related to donors or alumni

AB 792: Mandates first-in-the-nation standard that plastic bottle manufacturers use recycled materials when making CRV beverage containers; creates the highest standard in the world, surpassing that in the European Union

AB 1076: Creates a process to automatically expunge the records of certain offenders already eligible for relief, beginning in 2021, so they can find jobs and housing

AB 1215: Protects civil liberties by putting a three-year moratorium on using mistake-prone facial recognition software in police body cameras

AB 1486: Gives affordable housing projects priority to build on surplus government land

AB 1605: Authorizes San Francisco to pilot a Reservation and Pricing System to control traffic on the crooked segment of Lombard Street

The Governor has already signed one of my bills, AB 1208, which extends the ban on taxing solar power for another seven years. It's a great incentive to encourage more Californians to use clean energy.

If you have any questions on my legislation, or have ideas for next year, please call my district office at 415-557-2312.  As always, thank you for the honor of representing you in the California State Assembly.

Sincerely,

Phil Ting
Assemblymember, 19th District