Senator Weber Pierson's

Legislation
 

 

2026

 

  • SB 503 – Bias in Healthcare Software
    Will require certain artificial intelligence (AI) technology be identified, mitigated, and monitored for biased impacts when deployed in healthcare facilities.
    Fact Sheet
     
  • SB 849 – Physician Misconduct
    Expands current patient safety protections by requiring the Medical Board to automatically revoke the license of a physician or surgeon who had their license reinstated on or after January 1, 2020, after a finding of sexual misconduct with a patient.
    Fact Sheet
     
  • SB 869 – Sugar Labeling on Menus
    Requires chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to display a clear and conspicuous added sugar icon and accompanying text next to standard menu beverage items that contain high levels of added sugar on the menu. 
     
  • SB 874 Medi-Cal: behavioral health treatment workgroup
    Strengthens oversight and standardization of behavioral health treatment services in Medi-Cal. These services include applied behavior analysis (ABA) and other behavioral interventions most commonly provided to children diagnosed with autism. The bill requires background checks for certain providers, establishes a stakeholder workgroup to review service delivery, and directs the Department of Health Care Services to issue clinical guidance and report to the Legislature on utilization and program integrity.
     
  • SB 898 – Product End-of-Life
    Requires manufacturers to clearly disclose, at the point of sale, how long a consumer can rely on a connected product to receive necessary updates and support, and to provide notice at least six months before and on the date of the product’s “end of life” (EOL), when technical support and updates will no longer be provided. 
    Fact Sheet
     
  • SB 950 – Alzheimer’s Medication Coverage
    Will ensure medically necessary treatments and medications for Alzheimer’s are covered without step therapy requirements. 
    Fact Sheet
     
  • SB 977 - Healthy Kid’s Meals
    Requires a chain restaurant that sells children’s meals to offer at least one healthy meal that meets minimum nutrition standards and would require that chain restaurant to train its employees on how to comply with those healthy meal requirements.
    Fact Sheet
     
  • SB 983 – Job-Oder Contracting 
    Authorizes the Port of San Diego to utilize job-order-contracting (“JOC”) for their repair, remodeling, and repetitive work. Unlike traditional methods that involve separate bidding processes for each project, JOC’s establish long-term contracts with pre-qualified contractors.
     
  • SB 987 - California Health Access Fund
    Creates the California Health Access Fund to capture savings resulting from reduced Medi-Cal enrollment caused by federal eligibility barriers enacted in H.R. 1, such as the new work requirements.  It would use those dollars to support continued access to care for Californians who lose coverage and to reimburse health care providers for services delivered to them.
     
  • SB 999 - Franchise Tax Board: reporting requirements
    Makes changes to a deadline on the Franchise Tax Board to collect data related to a report the Legislature receives on individuals who may be assessed the penalty for not having health insurance. Changing the deadline will allow the Legislature to have a more complete information.
     
  • SB 1037 - Health care coverage: rate review
    Requires health insurance regulators to incorporate in existing premium rate reviews a focus on affordability of those premiums for Californians.
     
  • SB 1049 – Denied Claim Reimbursement
    Establishes a uniform right for healthcare providers to submit a corrected claim within 90 days following a plan’s latest action (such as a denial or overpayment notice).
    Fact Sheet
     
  • SB 1067 - Math Screening
    Addresses the math achievement crisis in California by focusing attention where that crisis takes root—in the early grades. Beginning in the 2028–29 school year, the bill requires school districts to screen all K-2 students annually for early math difficulties and provide struggling students with timely, evidence-based intervention. 
    Fact Sheet
     
  • SB 1094 - Prescription drugs
    Promotes more usage of biosimilars, which are more affordable but equally effective, biologic medications, people with certain chronic conditions like Crohn’s Disease or Cancer take to manage their conditions. In 2024, the use of generics and biosimilars saved $36 billion. Uptake of biosimilars is low and if more are used, savings can be even greater, which is one step toward making health care more affordable.
     
  • SB 1199 – Co-Pay Accumulator
    Would ban health insurers and healthcare service plans from using “co-pay accumulator” programs, in which cost-sharing paid on behalf of a patient is not credited toward the patient’s deductible or maximum out-of-pocket cost-sharing obligation.
     
  • SB 1202 - Medi-Cal: dashboard and outreach 
    Requires the Department of Health Care Services to create a public data dashboard to track how H.R. 1 implementation affects Medi-Cal eligibility and enrollment. It also strengthens and expands outreach requirements for DHCS, counties, and Medi-Cal managed care plans to reduce preventable coverage losses caused by the federal eligibility changes.
     
  • SB 1210 – Gang Databases 
    Requires that all gang databases, regardless of whether they are shared or not, subject to the Legislature’s previously enacted reforms, including Department of Justice oversight and regulation. 
     
  • SCR 122 - A concurrent resolution recognizing February 2026 as the centennial anniversary of Black History Month. The measure encourages Californians to celebrate the accomplishments, talents, and contributions of African Americans and to honor their ongoing impact on education, economic opportunity, and social justice. It underscores the Legislature’s commitment to ensuring that all people are treated with dignity, respect, and equality under the law.
     
  • SR 77 - A Senate resolution condemning the use of racist imagery in public discourse. The resolution responds to a recent social media post by President Donald J. Trump that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama using racist tropes. 
     
  • SB 958 – Midway Rising Development 
    Provides a project-specific pathway to allow the City of San Diego’s Midway Rising redevelopment project to proceed, following years of extensive planning, environmental review, and two voter-approved measures. The legislation establishes a targeted CEQA framework and requires the City of San Diego to certify a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
    Fact Sheet
    • Midway Rising transforms blighted City-owned land into 4,000 market-rate homes, including 2,000 that are affordable, a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, and more than 14 acres of parks and open space. Senate Bill 958 is a project-specific solution to move the Midway Rising project forward after years of rigorous planning and extensive environmental analysis.
    • SB 958 is in the beginning stages of the legislative process, and the current language will be amended throughout the process to reflect committee, community and stakeholder input.
    • SB 958 upholds environmental responsibility and is explicitly contingent on the certification and adoption of the final Environmental Impact Review currently being completed by the City of San Diego.
    • The City of San Diego has completed extensive environmental reviews, including the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report.
    • The Midway Rising project is projected to generate $285M in local economic impact, including thousands of permanent jobs, new businesses and new tax revenues to the City and County of San Diego. SB 958 helps to make this a reality.
       
       

 

 

2025

 

  • SB 39 – Allows boric acid to continue to be used in vaginal and vulvar products in the State of California.
     
  • SB 236 – Prohibits any person from manufacturing, distributing, selling, or offering for sale in the state any hair relaxer that contains certain chemicals.
     
  • SB 437 - Directs the CSU to explore options to determine how to confirm an individual’s status as a descendant and submit to the legislature annually, a report on the status of research projects from the past year related to eligibility standards for reparative claims.
     
  • SB 439 – Extends the operation of the California Health Benefit Review Program and the Health Care Benefits Fund through July 1, 2032.
     
  • SB 482 - Seeks to ensure the timely and accurate publication of the California Roster—a vital resource that provides a comprehensive listing of public officeholders at the federal, state, and local levels—by requiring local governments to submit updated rosters of their elected and appointed officials to the Secretary of State within 90 days of each local general election.
     
  • SB 518 - Establishes the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, a state agency dedicated to implementing policies that address the historical injustices faced by Black Californians who are descendants of enslaved people.
     
  • SB 646 - Helps safeguard maternal and fetal health from toxic heavy metals in prenatal vitamins.
     

 

 

In addition to my own legislation, I co-authored several other key bills that were signed into law this session.

Co-Authored Legislation Signed by the Governor:

  • AB 56 – Social Media Warning Labels
    Mandates that social media platforms display clear, recurring health-risk warnings to users—especially minors—about prolonged or excessive use, giving the state authority to oversee warnings’ content and timing.

  • AB 260 – Sexual and Reproductive Health Care 
    Strengthens protections for California clinicians who provide medication abortion, ensuring they won’t face state discipline for standard, evidence-based reproductive care. (Urgency Measure)

  • AB 489 – AI Chatbots in Healthcare 
    Stops AI chatbots from presenting themselves as licensed doctors or other credentialed clinicians and holds AI operators to the same deceptive-title rules as humans. The law protects patients from being misled by AI in health care settings.

  • AB 1264 – Restricting Ultraprocessed Foods in Schools
    Initiates a phased removal of defined ultraprocessed “foods of concern” from public school meals, subject to state rulemaking and exemptions. It is designed to improve student nutrition and long-term health across the K–12 system.

  • SB 41 – Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Reform    
    Strengthens transparency and consumer protections by requiring passthrough pricing, restricting insurer steering to affiliated pharmacies, and increasing oversight of PBM operations. Its purpose is to reduce hidden costs and improve access to medicines.

  • SB 243 – Regulation of Companion Chatbots
    Regulates AI “companion” chatbots to eliminate manipulative engagement techniques, require periodic user reminders that bots are not human, and mandate reporting of user safety risks. The aim is to protect vulnerable users from emotional or psychological harm.

  • SB 258 – Removal of Spousal Exception for Rape
    Removes the marital exception in rape statutes so that the laws apply equally regardless of marital status, affirming that marriage does not imply automatic consent. The change strengthens legal protections for survivors.

  • SB 627 – No Secret Police Act
    Prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings while performing public duties, except in limited circumstances

The legislation signed by the Governor will officially go into effect on January 1, 2026 (unless it is an urgency measure which goes into effect immediately after being signed), ushering in a new chapter of progress for California.