The California Legislative Session will officially end at midnight on September 13 and bills are moving at a frantic pace in the Capitol Building as lawmakers hurry to get their bills passed before the deadline.

Numerous bills that the CCC has been tracking have made major moves. Some have fast-tracked their way to the floors of the chambers while others have now become two-year bills.

There are several life and dignity bills that the CCC is closely watching including SB 24, the bill that would make chemical abortions available on college campuses is on the Assembly floor; AB 922, the bill that would compensate women for providing their oocytes; and SB 29 would expand Medi-Cal to undocumented individuals who are 65 years or older.

The CCC is also supporting AB 1548 California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which would improve security for nonprofit places of learning and worship that are at high risk for violent attacks or hate crimes due to ideology, beliefs, or mission.

As for environmental legislation, the CCC is supporting AB 209 a grant program aimed to foster good stewardship among underserved and at-risk youth by increasing their ability to engage in outdoor environmental education experiences at state parks and other public lands where these activities take place.  The Conference is also supporting AB 638 to identify water storage facilities vulnerable to threats from climate change and propose strategies to mitigate those threats as well as AB 1628 to protect disadvantaged communities from environmental harms.

The Conference is also supporting SB 1, the California Environmental, Public Health, and Workers Defense Act of 2019 which would ensure that clean air, clean water, protection of endangered species and worker safety standards that have been in place for as long as 50 years will not be rolled back.

SB 360 (Hill, D-San Mateo) which would require clergy to break the seal of the confessional and become mandated reporters might also be reconsidered next year as will SB 456 (Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera) which would prevent faith-based organizations from sharing volunteer information without a court order.

Full story at California Catholic Conference.