Legislative Package & Scholarship Opportunities
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am proud to share my legislative package, a bold set of bills focused on promoting health, social justice, and economic empowerment in Senate District 39. As your State Senator, I am committed to protecting our communities from harmful toxins, improving maternal health, strengthening reproductive freedom, and advancing equity.
From addressing the dangers of toxic hair relaxers to expanding family planning access, these bills tackle the issues that matter most.
Below you will find a list of my bills with a brief summary. Click on the bill number to view the full text of the bill. Further below, you will find two opportunities for student scholarships from the California Legislative Black Caucus Policy Institute and the Women in California Leadership.
Bill List:
SB 32 – Requires DHCS, DMHC, and CDI to collaborate with stakeholders to develop and adopt time and distance standards for perinatal units by July 1, 2027. Plans will be mandated to provide or arrange for the provision of labor and delivery services within the newly established standards, including adequate network capacity and availability of perinatal units.
SB 39 – Allows boric acid to continue to be used in vaginal and vulvar products in the State of California.
SB 93 - Prohibits a person from operating a robotic device that is equipped or mounted with a weapon.
SB 236 – Prohibits any person from manufacturing, distributing, selling, or offering for sale in the state any hair relaxer that contains certain chemicals.
SB 277 – Authorizes a peace officer to request consent to search an individual, their property, or their effects only if the officer is investigating a crime and has reasonable suspicion that the individual to be searched has an item in their possession that is evidence of criminal activity.
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 452 – Requires the State Department of Social Services to establish and implement the Family Advocacy Pilot Program for 3 years to provide grants to qualified organizations.
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 503 – Requires collaboration between developers and healthcare facilities to identify artificial intelligence (AI) technology used as patient care decision support tools. This bill ensures that proactive steps are taken to detect and reduce bias, protecting patients against avoidable harm. To maintain safety and high quality performance post-deployment, these tools must be tested at least every three years.
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 528 - Provides the state with options to expand existing or create new state-funded programs to respond to federal actions that will eliminate or reduce federal matching dollars for sexual and reproductive health care, to ensure that Californians can continue to access high-quality, affordable, safe sexual and reproductive health care services.
SB 646 - Helps safeguard maternal and fetal health from toxic heavy metals in prenatal vitamins.
SB 679 - Aims to gather non-definable demographic data on physicians, surgeons, and medical residents whose hospital privileges have been granted, reduced, limited, or revoked, with the goal of mitigating the loss or removal of competent, qualified physicians from the workforce.
SB 764 - This bill would require a chain restaurant that sells a children’s meal to offer at least one children’s meal that meets specified minimum nutrition standards.
Scholarships:
As someone who deeply values education and opportunity, I want to share two excellent scholarship programs that are now accepting applications. If you are a student or know a student in Senate District 39 these scholarships could make a real difference in covering college costs and opening doors to new opportunities.
California Legislative Black Caucus Policy Institute (CLBCPI) Scholarship
The Frederick M. Roberts Scholarship honors the legacy of California’s first African American legislator and supports Black students pursuing higher education. This scholarship is about more than financial support, it is about helping young leaders take the next step in their academic and professional journeys.
Apply here: https://cablackcaucus.org/scholarships/
Women in California Leadership (WiCL) Minerva Scholarship
The Minerva Scholarship Program, offered by Women in California Leadership, is designed to uplift and empower women pursuing their college education in California. It includes the $10,000 Golden Minerva Scholarship and multiple $3,000 awards
Apply here: https://wicl.us/scholarship-program/