Legislative Accomplishments

In September, the California Legislature concluded this year’s legislative session, passing hundreds of bills on housing, health care, energy affordability and much more.

I authored 12 bills to deliver affordable health care, fight Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s secret police tactics in our communities, build more homes near transit, safeguard LGBTQ+ people, shore up our public transportation systems, boost public safety on San Francisco streets, revitalize downtown and more that are now on the governor’s desk.

In this environment of fear and tension, it’s more important than ever to show that democracy can still deliver real outcomes that improve people’s lives. I’m writing to share an exciting update on the work we’re doing to deliver exactly those outcomes. Last week, the Legislature took the final votes to pass 12 of my bills, advancing them to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who will (hopefully!) sign them into law over the next few weeks. I also led the Senate work on the state budget this year as chair of the Budget Committee, helping close a $12 billion deficit while protecting core services.

This has been one of the most productive years in my near decade in the Senate, and we sent the governor an incredibly strong legislative package that, if enacted, will help improve the lives of Californians. I’ll send more information as bills are hopefully signed into law, but here is a sample of the terrific work my office and our coalition partners have done to represent you this year:

Prescription Drug Affordability

• SB-40 caps insulin monthly co-pays at $35.

• SB-41 cracks down on abusive practices by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), mega corporations abusing their power to raise the price of prescription drugs and kill off neighborhood pharmacies; the bill ensures more of the money you spend on health care goes to your health, not corporate middlemen.

Building More Homes Near Transit

• SB-79 allows more homes to be built near major public transportation stops, lowering housing costs by reducing our shortage while cutting traffic congestion and climate emissions and strengthening our transit systems.

The No Secret Police Act

• SB-627 is a first-in-the-nation ban on the face mask abuse we’ve seen from ICE in recent months. We cannot allow law enforcement to become secret police and lose the trust of our communities. A top constitutional law expert has opined that California has the power to enact this law, and I am thrilled that the governor already signed SB-627 and it will go into effect in January of 2026.

Keeping Our Buses and Trains Running

• SB-63 provides stable long-term funding – and avoids massive service cuts – for Bay Area public transit agencies by putting a funding measure on the 2026 ballot. Without this funding, BART will collapse, and Muni will cut service by 50%, thus eliminating a large number of bus lines entirely.

Keeping Stolen Good Sales Off San Francisco Streets

• SB-276 gives SFPD more tools to combat the sale of stolen goods on our streets, which is disrupting our streets and pushing out legitimate street vendors who make our City vibrant and culturally rich. The bill had strong support from the Mission street vendor community and from Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Revitalizing Downtown San Francisco

• SB-395 authorizes San Francisco to create a hospitality zone in which 20 new low-cost liquor licenses will be issued for new restaurants, in order to create economic vibrancy and foot traffic. I partnered with Mayor Daniel Lurie on this bill.

Protecting Transgender People from Targeting

• SB-59 and SB-497 protect trans people’s privacy around their health information and court information when they legally change their names and gender markers, to reduce the risk of doxxing and targeting by bad actors and officials in states – and the federal government – that are targeting trans people for elimination.

Our state budget – which I helped craft as Senate Budget Committee chair – also contained significant good news, despite our large budget deficit. We protected K-12 public schools and the University of California and California State University systems. We protected significant access to health care by our immigrant neighbors – as the federal government slashes health care – and access to child care. We invested in our food banks as the federal government slashes food benefits. We invested in abortion and gender-affirming care access at a time when the federal government is trying to eliminate both. And so much more.

I know our country and our community are strong and, if we work together as a community and have each other’s backs, we will get through the difficult days and years ahead. On Saturday, Oct. 25, I am hosting a pumpkin carving at Noe Valley Courts at noon. Everyone is welcome.

Scott Wiener represents San Francisco and northern San Mateo County in the California State Senate. He chairs the Senate Budget Committee and co-chairs the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. He previously chaired the Senate Housing Committee and the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. He can be reached at 415-557-1300.