Senator Wahab’s Monthly Newsletter - April 2, 2024

Dear Neighbors,

Spring is here! We celebrated International Women’s Day & Nowroz (New Year) in the District by honoring local women for their outstanding contributions in law enforcement, medical research, non-profit, and community service.

In the Capital, we've completed our 2024 bill package, focusing on key issues like health, aging, public safety, mental health, workers' rights, infrastructure, housing, and youth. 

I’m proud to lead the effort on the Safer California Plan which aims to address retail theft and the fentanyl crisis. This prioritizes victims first, addresses the problem holistically, and has the support of law enforcement, district attorneys, and medical experts.

Personally, I am authoring:

• SB 982 - Organized Theft Sunset Removal
  • Will ensure “organized theft” gives prosecutors and law enforcement the effective tools they need to combat organized theft.
• SB 1320 - Behavioral Health Integrated Coverage
  • Will ensure health plans and insurers establish a process to reimburse providers for mental health and substance use disorder treatments (especially Fentanyl) that are integrated with primary care.
• SB 1319 – Expansion of Behavioral Health Facilities for Substance Abuse
  • Will streamline the process for converting unused skilled nursing facilities into behavioral health facilities to treat those with addiction. 

I joint authored SB 1031, The Connect Bay Area Act, to evaluate consolidation of the 27 transit agencies in the 9 Bay Area counties to improve service and ensuring sustainable operational funding. I want a transit system that prioritizes safety, speed, technology, affordability, efficiency, and the environment. Bay Area public transit must be better than driving in every way. 

Some additional bills I am excited about are:

• SB 980 – The Smile Act
  • Ensures dental implants are a covered benefit for Medi-Cal recipients

• SB 933 - AI Child Safety
  • Criminalizes the distribution of AI-generated child sexual assault imagery in accordance with existing child pornography laws

• SB 1316 – Pay Equity for School for the Deaf and School for the Blind
  • Ensures equitable salaries for all staff and administrators at the California School for the Deaf and the California School for the Blind located in Fremont. Our deaf and blind community deserve equity.

• SB 984 – Project Labor Agreements
  • Yields investments in labor for major state construction projects of $35 million or more.

• SB 983 - Alternative Fuels
  • Creates the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Task Force with the goal of adding alternative fuel infrastructure like EV and Hydrogen charging stations in existing gas stations.

Rising PG&E costs are a major concern for all of us. I’m tackling this by:

• Joint authoring SB 1148, Master Metering
  • Empowers apartments and government facilities to control their energy future through on-site renewable energy, lower costs, increased grid efficiencies, electrification, improved reliability, and resilience.
• I submitted a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in October regarding their (then) proposed Virtual Net Metering rule, stating I would like them to ensure residential tenants experience a tangible benefit from solar generation, and that multi-metered properties investing in solar are able to see those benefits as well.
•  I also recently signed on to Assemblymember Liz Ortega’s letter to the CPUC requesting a halt to their approval of rate increases for PG&E.

I do not take this issue lightly, and will support my constituents using all avenues available to me as your representative.

Here to serve you,

Aisha Wahab
California State Senate, District 10
Assistant Majority Leader
Chair of Public Safety Committee
Chair of Budget Subcommittee 5