2024/2025 Legislative Accomplishments

The Michelson Center for Public Policy (MCPP) secured key policy victories in California’s 2024/2025 legislative session, advancing equity in education, justice reform, and animal welfare. Through strategic sponsorship, support, and advocacy, MCPP played a pivotal role in passing legislation that addresses systemic inequities and strengthens communities. The following bills were signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.

2025 LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

SMART JUSTICE

• AB 248 (Bryan) — Supported by MCPP
  Removes the existing $2 per 8-hour shift cap on county jail work and allows each county board of supervisors to establish compensation rates locally, aligning county policies with broader state wage frameworks. 

“Firefighting to Freedom Bill Package”

• AB 247 (Bryan) — Co-Sponsored by MCPP, Requires that incarcerated individuals and youth hand crew members assigned to active wildfire incidents be paid $7.25 per hour, in addition to receiving existing sentence-reduction credits. The bill also applies the same wage requirement to youth at the Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp and mandates annual wage updates

• SB 245 (Reyes) — Supported by MCPP, Streamlines expungement for people who served on incarcerated hand crews or institutional firehouses by requiring proactive identification and filing support from Depart of Justice (DOJ)  and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)

• AB 812 (Lowenthal) — Supported by MCPP, Directs California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation  to set up a clear referral process for recall and resentencing for incarcerated firefighters and institutional firehouse workers, with regulations due by July 1, 2026. 

• AB 952 (Elhawary) — Supported by MCPP, Makes the Youth Offender Program (YOP) Camp permanent and authorizes California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation  to expand it to some or all California Conservation Camps, opening wildfire-response training to 18–25-year-olds. 

• AB799 (Rodriguez) — Supported by MCPP , This would provide state-covered death benefits or life insurance to a designated beneficiary if a crewmember passes away during deployment, ensuring financial security and support in their absence.

Mayra Lombera advocates for AB 1380 at August 22, 2025 Firefighting to Freedom Press Conference.

EQUITY IN EDUCATION

• AB 79 (Arambula) — Co-Sponsored by MCPP
  Enhances coordination between county human services agencies and public institutions of higher education to improve student access to programs such as CalFresh and other social services. It establishes standardized engagement protocols, mandates training for campus and county staff, and creates a statewide workgroup to share best practices and monitor outcomes. 

• SB 271 (Reyes) — Supported by MCPP
  Expands child-care access for student parents at public colleges by tackling affordability and availability barriers. 

PEOPLE AND PETS

• AB 516 (Kalra) — Supported by MCPP
  Modernizes veterinary practice by expanding what registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants can do under supervision, helping clinics and shelters increase capacity. 

• SB 602 (Cortese) — Supported by MCPP
  Updates the veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) so RVTs can, as a vet’s agent, establish VCPR and administer vaccines and parasite control in shelters when the supervising vet is readily available by phone. 

• AB 867 (Lee) — Supported by MCPP
  Prohibits cat declawing statewide except when medically necessary, it codifies humane veterinary care norms while preserving vets’ clinical judgment.

• AB 478 (Zbur) — Supported by MCPP
  The FOUND Act (Friends of Oreo Uniting During Disasters) requires cities and counties to add pet-rescue procedures to emergency plans and to provide online reunification resources. It also extends the hold period to 90 days for animals rescued from evacuation zones to maximize reunification. 

• AB 506 (Bennett) — Supported by MCPP
  Updates pet-sales rules to strengthen disclosures, refund rights, and enforcement under the Lockyer-Polanco-Farr framework. The consumer-protection focus is meant to curb bad actors and reduce returns/surrenders.

• AB 519 (Berman) — Supported by MCPP
  Bans pet brokers from selling, offering for sale, or arranging the sale or adoption of dogs under one year, cats, or rabbits bred by others for profit, including online intermediaries involved in third-party breeding pipelines. Exemptions apply to animal shelters, rescue groups, service dog transfers, government agencies, bona fide owners selling up to three animals per year, and nonprofit youth education programs.

• SB 312 (Umberg) — Supported by MCPP
  Requires dog import health certificates to be transmitted electronically to California Department of Food and Agriculture and posted (with privacy safeguards) on a searchable public site, improving traceability and enforcement. 

These legislative accomplishments reflect MCPP’s sustained advocacy and measurable impact. We will continue working closely with state agencies, educational institutions, and community partners to ensure these laws achieve their intended outcomes. Guided by our founder’s mission to make life less unfair, MCPP will deepen efforts to challenge inequities, advance innovative policies, and strengthen communities across California and beyond.

The progress achieved this session represents a significant step forward, yet it is part of a larger vision. With determination and focus, MCPP will continue driving transformative change that brings fairness closer to reality for all Californians.

Stay up to date on MCPP’s activities by following @michelson.policy on Instagram.

If you have any questions about these laws, please contact us at info@michelsonpolicy.org.