Latest News

AB 35 increases program by $100 million and leverage another $200 million in federal funds

(Sacramento, CA) – A bill jointly authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) that would more than double funding for the State’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program passed the Legislature late last night with overwhelming bipartisan support and is now headed to Governor Brown’s desk for consideration. Assembly Bill 35 would increase the program by $100 million and will help to leverage an additional $200 million in federal low income housing tax credits and tax exempt housing bonds.

“Having a roof over your head shouldn’t be a luxury in California,” said Assemblymember Chiu. “The devastating affordable housing shortage is not only hurting low and middle income families in my city of San Francisco; it’s hurting residents up and down the state. There is not a single county in California that has an adequate supply of affordable homes, and we are all paying the price through increased health care, education and environmental costs. We hope to have the Governor’s support in helping long-time Californians who want to live here, stay here.”

(Sacramento, CA) - The California State Legislature today passed legislation to provide better language access to California’s workers’ compensation system. Assembly Bill 438, authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D – San Francisco), will require the Division of Workers’ Compensation within the Department of Industrial Relations to translate critical forms and fact sheets into Chinese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese. This is the first time these documents will be translated into these languages.  

AB 404 Empowers California Community Colleges, Faculty and Students in Accrediting Agency Review Process

SACRAMENTO– The California State Legislature today voted unanimously to strengthen the accountability of community college accrediting agencies in California. Assembly Bill 404, authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D – San Francisco), would require the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to solicit anonymous system-wide feedback from community college stakeholders on the performance of the regional agency that accredits community colleges. That crucial input would then be transmitted to the federal body that oversees and reviews accrediting agencies, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI).

“The Task Force on Accreditation’s recently released report clearly finds that numerous calls for reform with the way the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges conducts business have gone unheard,” said Assemblymember Chiu. “I urge the Governor to help ensure that California’s community colleges have a voice in holding accrediting agencies accountable.”

(Sacramento, CA): Today, the California State Senate passed AB 775, known as the Reproductive Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care and Transparency (FACT) Act, by a 23-14 vote. The bill, authored by Assemblymembers David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Autumn R. Burke (D-Inglewood) requires that unlicensed facilities that provide pregnancy-related services disclose that they are not licensed medical providers. Licensed reproductive health clinics must notify patients that California has programs to help them access affordable family planning, abortion services and prenatal care. The bill is sponsored by Attorney General Kamala Harris, NARAL Pro-Choice California and Black Women for Wellness.

Assemblymember Chiu’s AB 960 Protects All Families Using Assisted Reproduction

Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember David Chiu today joined a coalition of LGBT and family advocates to urge Governor Jerry Brown to sign Assembly Bill 960, the Equal Protection for All Families Act. The bill was approved by the Assembly on Monday with bipartisan support, and it now heads to the Governor’s desk. AB 960 updates California’s assisted reproduction laws to help ensure that all families, including LGBT families, are equally protected by law. The bill is co-sponsored by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Equality California (EQCA) and Our Family Coalition (OFC).

Specifically, AB 960 updates current assisted reproduction laws in three ways to clarify that intended parents are recognized as legal parents—and donors as donors—from the moment of birth. First, unmarried couples using assisted reproduction would be recognized as parents on the same terms as married couples. The bill would also remove the current requirement in Family Law that couples must involve a doctor when using assisted reproduction in order to ensure that the donor is not a parent. Finally, AB 960 provides clear direction for how egg donors should be treated under California law.

Assemblymember Chiu’s AB 960 Protects All Families Using Assisted Reproduction

(Sacramento, CA) – The California State Senate yesterday voted with bipartisan support to pass legislation that updates California’s assisted reproduction laws to help ensure that all families are equally protected by law. Assembly Bill 960, authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D – San Francisco) ensures that all couples using assisted reproduction are fully recognized as parents from the moment their child is born. The bill is co-sponsored by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Equality California (EQCA) and Our Family Coalition (OFC).

Specifically, AB 960 would update current assisted reproduction laws in three ways. First, unmarried couples using assisted reproduction to become parents would be recognized as such on the same terms as married parents from the moment their child is born. Second, the bill would remove the requirement from Family Law that couples must involve a doctor when using assisted reproduction in order to ensure that the donor is not a parent. Finally, AB 960 provides clear direction for how egg donors should be treated under California law.

California Legislature’s Special Session on Transportation and Infrastructure Offers Opportunity to Improve Economy and Environment with Investment in Transit

San Francisco, CA—Assemblymembers David Chiu and Kevin Mullin today joined a coalition of Bay Area transit agency officials and community and labor leaders to call for increased state transit funding to reduce traffic congestion and improve California’s economy and environment. The coalition voiced support for a package of transit funding bills introduced in the ongoing Special Session on Transportation and Infrastructure that would direct an additional $600 million annually toward maintaining and expanding California’s public transportation systems, which account for more than 1.4 billion passenger trips annually.

When Governor Jerry Brown convened the Special Session, he identified a $59 billion funding shortage over the next 10 years for the basic maintenance of state highways and bridges, and local governments have estimated that a $78 billion need exists for local roads over the same time period. The state’s transit funding backlog in the decade ahead is similarly daunting: $72 billion in maintenance and expansion needs, according to a study commissioned by the California Transit Association.