Safer Streets and Neighborhoods

The end of May marked one of the most important milestones in our legislative calendar. By this deadline, bills must pass out of the legislative chamber where they were first introduced in order to continue moving forward to the next stage of our legislative process.

I’m proud to share that 20 of my bills passed out of the State Assembly and are now moving to the Senate for consideration. These measures focus on some of the most pressing challenges facing Californians. They span the range of issues I hear about every day from our neighbors, such as public safety, housing and homelessness, protecting seniors from scams, safeguarding healthcare access and improving protections for consumers and workers.

One of my bills advancing this year is AB 1588, the Sideshow Accountability and Community Safety Act. Organized sideshows have become increasingly dangerous in neighborhoods across California, putting residents and first responders at risk. AB 1588 strengthens penalties for repeat offenders and individuals who cause serious injury during a sideshow. It will close loopholes in existing law and give law enforcement additional tools to respond to these illegal and reckless events before more people are harmed and more of our streets are torn apart.

Protecting older Californians from financial abuse is another top priority for me this year. California is home to more than 9 million adults over the age of 60, and financial scams targeting seniors continue to rise. My bill, AB 871, strengthens training and reporting requirements for financial institutions to better identify and prevent elder financial abuse. Far too many seniors lose their life savings to increasingly sophisticated scams. This bill aims to improve coordination and intervention before financial harm occurs.

I’m also advancing legislation to protect Californians from toxic chemicals that many people unknowingly encounter every day. AB 1604 would prohibit dangerous bisphenol chemicals in paper receipts. These chemicals have been linked to reproductive harm, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Beyond the health impacts, receipt waste contaminates recyclable paper products and contributes significantly to our landfills. This bill is a commonsense step to protect the health of workers, consumers and the environment.

Addressing homelessness and improving access to housing remains one of California’s greatest challenges. My bill, AB 2146, the DASH Act (Direct Access to Supportive Housing Act), would streamline the process for people experiencing homelessness to access supportive housing by removing unnecessary documentation barriers and allowing providers to fill units that have sat vacant for more than six months. At a time when every available housing unit matters, we cannot afford unnecessary bureaucratic delays that leave people unhoused while supportive housing units sit empty.

These four bills represent only part of my broader legislative package now advancing to the Senate. Additional measures focus on protecting healthcare access, strengthening California’s social safety net, improving support for vulnerable communities, advancing critical gun violence prevention legislation and delivering more effective government services for all.

While there is still significant work ahead throughout the remainder of this year’s legislative process, reaching this deadline marks an important milestone. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues, local leaders and neighbors across our district to move these bills forward and deliver real results for California.

Assemblymember Catherine Stefani represents California’s 19th Assembly District, which includes the westside of San Francisco and northern San Mateo County.