I hope your holiday season has been joyful and festive. Can you believe it's time to ring in 2022? With January 1 ^st around the corner, I'm excited to tell you about some of my legislation becoming law.

Most transformative is AB 793, which will make your sodas, bottled water and other drinks come in more environmentally friendly packaging. Manufacturers will be required to include recycled materials in plastic CRV bottles - at least 15% at first, then reaching 50% by 2030. Not only is California the first state in the country to do this, but the standard is also the highest in the world, surpassing the 30% mandate in the European Union. If we don't take steps to reduce litter, there will be more plastic waste in our oceans than fish by 2050. Now we need more states to join us. AB 793 was featured in KQED's television special this month, California's Plastic Problem. If you missed it, you can watch it here.

Also set to kick in is AB 33, which will help our public schools and hospitals make the switch to greener power. It makes them eligible for an existing low-interest state loan program to install clean energy storage systems and electric vehicle charging stations. The ability to continue operating during a prolonged power outage is an added benefit.

I'm also eager about a new pilot program starting in San Francisco authorized by my bill, AB 1452. It raises the daily pay of low-income jurors from $15 to $100 to see if higher compensation leads to more diversified juries and fairer verdicts.

Months ago, I told you about my bills to crackdown on harmful PFAS chemicals impacting our health and environment. In order to ensure that manufacturers and our local retail stores can comply with the law, they won't go into effect for another couple of years.

In the meantime, thanks to good feedback from many of you at my virtual town hall last month, I'm honing in on my priorities for the next legislative year. I look forward to telling you all about them in the coming months.

Have a great 2022!

PHIL TING
Assemblymember, 19th District