2024/2025 Legislative Accomplishments

The Michelson Center for Public Policy (MCPP) advanced a series of notable policy achievements during California’s 2024/2025 legislative session, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to evidence-based, equity-driven reform that strengthens communities and builds a fairer future for all Californians. None of this would have been possible without a broad coalition of dedicated partners championing legislative solutions to address structural inequities in education, justice, and animal welfare. MCPP is grateful to the authors and their staff who led this crucial work, and to Governor Gavin Newsom for his continued leadership in signing these measures into law. 

These victories represent more than policy milestones; they reflect a shared vision grounded in equity and compassion to drive lasting change. As MCPP looks ahead, the organization remains steadfast in its mission to advance forward-thinking public policies that expand opportunity for all and improve lives statewide.  

2025 LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

SMART JUSTICE

• AB 248 (Bryan) — Supported
  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

  Ensures that incarcerated individuals in fire camps are fairly compensated for their labor by boosting their wages to $7.25 per hour while assigned to active wildfire incidents. This increase also applies to youth at Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp. Participants will continue to earn sentence-reduction credits for their service, and the state will be required to update wages annually to align with federal minimum wage standards.

• SB 245 (Reyes) — Supported

  Streamlines expungement for people who served on incarcerated hand crews or institutional firehouses by requiring proactive identification and filing support from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

• AB 812 (Lowenthal) — Supported

  Directs the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) 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

  Makes the Youth Offender Program (YOP) Camp permanent and authorizes the 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

  Provides 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 speaking alongside legislators, partners, and co-sponsors at August 22, 2025 Firefighting to Freedom Press Conference.

EQUITY IN EDUCATION

• AB 79 (Arambula) — Co-Sponsored
  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. 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
  Strengthens support for student parents in California’s public colleges by expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care and addressing the shortage of on-campus child care barriers.

Student parent graduation celebrating the momentous family achievement.

PEOPLE AND PETS

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

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

• AB 867 (Lee) — Supported
  Prohibits cat declawing statewide unless medically necessary, codifying humane veterinary care norms while preserving veterinary clinical judgment.

• AB 478 (Zbur) — Supported
  Requires cities and counties to add pet-rescue procedures to emergency plans and provide online reunification resources. Called The FOUND Act (Friends of Oreo Uniting During Disasters), this also extends the hold period to 90 days for animals rescued from evacuation zones during natural disaster emergencies to prioritize reunification. 

• AB 506 (Bennett) — Supported
  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
  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
  Requires dog import health certificates to be transmitted electronically to the California Department of Food and Agriculture and posted (with privacy safeguards) on a searchable public site, improving traceability and enforcement.

A happy pet family at an apartment complex free of breed and weight restrictions. Photo provided by the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative.

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