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California Black Power Network - 2026 Legislative Priorities

Together our coalition has been building a long term, comprehensive plan for specific reforms California can implement to ensure that all Black Californians have an opportunity to thrive. We have done research to identify the major structural drivers of disparities in Housing, Criminal Justice, Education, Healthcare, Healthy Built Environment, Democracy and Economic Opportunity and are working to address those drivers through advocacy on key legislation and ballot initiatives.

CO-SPONSORED BILLS

  • AB 2599 (Bryan): Truth in Disclosure Act. This bill will require corporations that contract with and operate in the state to review their records and submit an affidavit to the state disclosing any historical ties to slavery (including insuring slave owners, use of slave labor, purchase or sale of enslaved people).
  • California Democracy & Election Protection (Ashby/Cervantes): This bill will provide greater protections against voter suppression and intimidation by preventing local governments from creating new rules and barriers to voting, providing funding for public education and outreach, expanding language translation, improving the signature curing process, and creating additional protections against electioneering and intimidation at polling places. [Bill number pending.]

SUPPORTING

We envision a world where every Black person who lives in California has a permanent, affordable, and sustainable house to call their own and where Black communities are protected and free from displacement. As such, we prioritize policies that ensure housing as a human right, increase access to affordable housing, and protect renters.

  • Priority Bills
    1. AB 1157 (Kalra): Strengthen Rent Control & Tenants Rights
    2. AB 801 (Bonta): Ensures that certain financial institutions including state-chartered banks, credit unions and mortgage companies actively invest in under-resourced, low and moderate income communities, unlocking more than $13billion in corporate capital annually for housing solutions
    3. SB 436 (Wahab): Protects from avoidable evictions by extending the time renters have to pay back late rent before an eviction case can be filed in court (from 3 to 14 business days)
We envision a government that cares and prioritizes equitable investment in community resources to address the needs of Black people living in poverty and impacted by systemic racism and a justice system that is rooted in restoration, rehabilitation, and opportunity that recognizes the humanity and dignity of Black people, and that holds state actors accountable for their treatment of Black people.  We are also working to protect our communities from over-policing by pushing back on attempts to take us back to “tough on crime” policies that have been proven to increase mass incarceration and disparities. We are pushing back on attempts to increase prison sentences for petty theft and shoplifting, as well as attempts to criminalize poverty and homelessness. As such, we are prioritizing the following policies:
  • Priority Bills
    1. AB 1279 (Sharp-Collins): Prohibit use of three strikes policy on juveniles
      • This bill would amend CA’s very punitive 3 Strikes Law by stopping youth charges from being used as a strike against someone to increase their sentence as an adult.
    2. AB 1645 (Gonzalez): HUGS ACT, this bill would expand the definition of “excessive contact” during prison visits to allow for normal forms of physical contact (hugs, holding hands, etc). [Co-Sponsored by ESSIE Justice Group]
    3. AB 1201 (Jackson): reUNITY Act, this bill removes California’s automatic bypass of reunification services for parents with a violent felony record in dependency court cases. California is currently the only state that mandates this automatic denial, preventing courts from considering a parent’s current circumstances, rehabilitation, or ability to safely reunify. [Co-Sponsored by Starting Over Inc]
    4. AB 1647 (Bryan): Conceived of and drafted by youth who are currently and formerly incarcerated, this bill strengthens fairness and integrity in juvenile transfer hearings by raising the burden of proof required before a young person can be transferred from juvenile court to adult criminal court.
    5. AB 1958 (Kalra): Racial Justice Act, would clarify that folks only have to prove that there was racial disparity in their sentence OR that they faced discrimination in the court room, don’t have to prove both of these.
    6. AB 1922 (Lowenthal): Would prevent inhumane treatment of incarcerated people by prohibiting the placement of shackles on them when they are admitted to hospitals for medical treatment and services

We envision an education system where Black students of all ages and capacities are invested in, respected, cared for, encouraged to learn in safe, nurturing environments and prepared to thrive with strong, robust support systems in place to assist their growth and development. An education system where Black students’ lives are valued, and safe from anti-Blackness from administrators, teachers, counselors and staff.

We envision a world where all Black Californians have access to adequate, holistic, culturally competent healthcare.

  • Priority Bills
    1. AB 1973 (Aguiar-Curry): Expanding and making equitable, access to medication abortion on UC and CSU campuses, by allowing their health centers to bill Medi-Cal. This would remove the cost barrier and ensure timely access to medication abortion care, especially for low-income students
    2. SB 626 (Smallwood-Cuevas/Cervantes): Would begin to address critical gaps in perinatal mental health care by ensuring all perinatal patients receive timely mental health screening during and after pregnancy, improving care coordination, mandating perinatal mental health training for health professionals, and holding insurers accountable for the quality of care provided. [Sponsored by Black Women for Wellness]
    3. AB 1900 (Kalra): California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act aka CalCare would enact a comprehensive framework for a single-payer health care coverage system in California at a time when California voters are ready to champion transformational changes so that healthcare can be recognized as a human right.
We envision a world where Black neighborhoods have adequate resources and funding for the development and upkeep of urban infrastructure, community spaces, green spaces, and recreation, and where Black people can lead healthy, thriving, and dignified lives. As such, we are prioritizing the following policies:
  • Priority Bills
    1. SB 684 (Menjivar) and AB 1243 (Addis): Climate Superfund Act.
      • This package of bills would create a Polluters Pay Climate Superfund program to require major oil companies to pay for the damages caused by their greenhouse gas emissions since 1990. Polluters that have emitted over 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases globally would have to pay for a share of the cost of damages caused by climate related disasters.
    2. AB 1661 (Bryan): Would distribute direct cash assistance from the Equitable Community Repair and Reinvestment Account to families within 2.5 miles of oil wells in Los Angeles County (Baldwin Hills Conservancy and state recreation parks), who have children with respiratory health conditions. Right to Return, Eaton Fire (Perez)
    3. Right to Return, Eaton Fire (Perez): This Right to Return policy ensures that residents displaced by the Eaton Fire can come back to their community safely and affordably. It prevents disasters from becoming opportunities for displacement, speculation, or permanent loss of affordable housing. The right is based on residency, not ownership and requires prioritization for original occupants and historically marginalized families in allocation of funds for remediation and rebuild.

We envision a world where Black people do not experience poverty or conditions of poverty,  have access to safe employment that pays a living wage, and have access to wealth-building opportunities, including equitable access to education and capital for entrepreneurship.

We envision a fully representative, pro-Black democratic system and governance structure where Black people have power and influence and their voices are respected, valued, and protected. As such, we are prioritizing policies focused on re-enfranchisement and countering corporate influence over the democratic process.
  • Priority Bills
    1. SB 1105 (Perez): Protect California Rights Act, this bill would stop local law enforcement from being forced to serve as foot soldiers for the Trump administration, ensure our laws are being upheld, and put Californian’s rights first. It prohibits local and state law enforcement from assisting federal agents in operations that involve racial or identity profiling, and stops federal law enforcement from acting beyond their federal jurisdiction.
    2. AB 1896 (Gonzalez): Get the Feds Out, would disqualify anyone who has engaged in immigration enforcement activity from January 20, 2025- January 20, 2029 from being employed as a state, county, or local public agency employee or peace officer in the State of California.

OPPOSING

  • AB 292 (Patterson and Alanis): Seeks to expand 3 Strikes Law for domestic violence without any measurable improvements to community public safety, while diverting limited state resources that would be better spent on critical victim services. Longer prison terms are both costly and ineffective at reducing future harmful behavior, and the best way to address domestic violence is to prevent it from happening in the first place.

California Reparations

On June 29, 2023,  the California Reparations Task Force submitted its official California Reparations Report to California lawmakers detailing the role the state of California played in chattel slavery and perpetuating racial discrimination against Black residents. Their report included over 100 policy recommendations and ways the state could begin to repair Black communities and address racial disparities. The California Black Power Network is working to ensure these recommendations become law and has launched The Alliance for Reparations Reconciliation and Truth (A.R.R.T). The Alliance’s mission is to educate the public about reparations; amplify the California Reparations Task Force’s report and its recommendations; achieve broad-based, multi-racial public support of reparations; and grow the base of multi-racial and multi-sector allies who support reparations in California.

california reparations

Reparations Strategy

We know it will take a multi-year strategy to win the deep reforms we want to see and to repair our communities. This year we are working to push reparations forward by supporting foundational legislation that will set the stage for even larger reparatory policies next year. We have prioritized bills that are in alignment with the California Task Force on Reparations’ final report and recommendations and the 5 forms of reparations outlined by the UN: Restitution, Compensation, Rehabilitation, Satisfaction, and Guarantee of Non-Repetition of Harm.

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In order to attain systemic change for our communities

We have to engage and build power in all arenas. Through our civic participation, we elect leaders who are responsible for representing our interests and creating legislation that will better our communities. The Black Power Network uses advocacy in the legislature to highlight Black issues and demand policy changes in the issue areas most impacting our communities.

- CBPN

Our current legislative priorities for reparations include the following:

Restitution

Restitution, which should put the victim in a position they would have been in if the harm and violation of human rights had not occurred. This includes restoration of liberty, enjoyment of human rights, identity, family life and citizenship, and return of property.

COMPENSATION

Compensation, which is economic compensation that matches the gravity of the violation and harm. This is meant to account for physical, mental or other material and long term harms like lost opportunities or wages.

REHABILITATION

Rehabilitation which should include medical and psychological care as well as legal and social services that provide for the healing and recovery of those harmed.

SATISFACTION

Satisfaction, which includes acknowledgment, public disclosure and apology for the harm, as well as commemorations and tributes to the victims.

GUARANTEE OF NON-REPETITION

Guarantee of non-repetition, which should include reviewing and reforming laws contributing to or allowing gross and serious violations of international human rights law.

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What we do

We build Black political power through policy development, civic participation, organizing, direct action, and uplifting Black culture, and narrative, we will improve the living conditions of Black Californians.

Legislature and Ballot Victories

Celebrating legislative and ballot victories that have made meaningful impacts in our communities.

2023 Passed: Senate Bill 567 - Homelessness Prevention Act, which reforms an existing law to strengthen protections against eviction from renters.
2023 Passed: ACA 8 End Slavery in California, which prohibits slavery in any form, including “involuntary servitude” and forced labor in prison, in the California State Constitution. This will appear on the November ballot as Proposition 6, ending forced prison labor. 

Defeated: Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act aka the Taxpayer Deception Act. The California Supreme Court moved decisively against the billionaire-backed anti-tax initiative that would have stripped $3 BILLION in funding from affordable housing projects, schools, and emergency services voters already approved. 

Defeated: SB 1381, a proposed ballot measure that sought to roll back parts of Proposition 47 and increase sentencing and penalties for shoplifting.
2024 Passed: Senate Bill 567 - Homelessness Prevention Act, which reforms an existing law to strengthen protections against eviction from renters.
2024 Passed: ACA 8 End Slavery in California, which prohibits slavery in any form, including “involuntary servitude” and forced labor in prison, in the California State Constitution. This will appear on the November ballot as Proposition 6, ending forced prison labor. 

Defeated: Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act aka the Taxpayer Deception Act. The California Supreme Court moved decisively against the billionaire-backed anti-tax initiative that would have stripped $3 BILLION in funding from affordable housing projects, schools, and emergency services voters already approved. 

Defeated: SB 1381, a proposed ballot measure that sought to roll back parts of Proposition 47 and increase sentencing and penalties for shoplifting.
2025 SB 437 (Weber-Pierson) – Lineage Eligibility Research at CSU Directs the California State University system to create a process to verify an individual’s lineage as a descendant of enslaved African Americans.
SB 437 (Weber-Pierson) – Lineage Eligibility Research at CSU Directs the California State University system to create a process to verify an individual’s lineage as a descendant of enslaved African Americans. This foundational research will establish the infrastructure for reparations programs by 2029.

SB 518 (Weber-Pierson) – Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery Creates a first-of-its-kind bureau within the Civil Rights Department to verify lineage, oversee reparations initiatives, and implement the Task Force’s recommendations for meaningful harm repair.

AB 55 (Bonta) – Expands Medi-Cal to Alternative Birth Centers Ensures Medi-Cal covers care at community birth centers, advancing maternal health equity — particularly for Black women and birthing people.

Prop 50 - The Election Rigging Response Act, redrew the state's congressional districts. The new districts will be used for the 2026 United States House of Representatives elections through the 2030 elections. Following the 2030 census, congressional redistricting authority will return to the independent commission.