SACRAMENTO – At the Opening Ceremony of Climate Week NYC, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his intention to sign Senate Bill 253, the nation’s first comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions disclosure requirement, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). In response, Senator Wiener issued the following statement:
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SACRAMENTO – As the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to demonstrate increasingly astonishing capabilities, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) unveiled SB 294, the Safety in Artificial Intelligence Act. SB 294 presents a framework for California to ensure the safe development of AI models within its borders. Under the framework, AI labs would be required to practice responsible scaling by testing the most advanced models rigorously for safety risks and disclose their planned responses to the State if safety risks are discovered.
SACRAMENTO – The Senate approved Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 253, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act — a first-in-the-nation measure requiring carbon disclosures from large corporations that do business in California. The bill — part of the Climate Accountability Package introduced by Senator Wiener, Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles), and Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) — passed 27-8 and heads next to the Governor for final approval.
SACRAMENTO – The Senate approved Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 58, which removes criminal penalties for the personal possession and use of a limited set of naturally occurring psychedelics, including psilocybin/psilocyn (mushrooms), Dimethyltryptamine (“DMT”), and mescaline (excluding peyote). The bill also triggers an administrative process to craft policy proposals for assisted therapeutic use of psychedelics. The bill passed 21-14 and heads next to Governor Newsom’s desk for his final review.
SACRAMENTO – Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced today that he is pausing Senate Bill 339 in the Assembly after the Assembly Appropriations Committee inserted a harmful amendment to the bill. SB 339 improves access to PrEP and PEP, a powerful preventative HIV medication, by ensuring pharmacists can furnish PrEP without a prescription. The bill deals exclusively with ensuring pharmacists are able to provide PrEP.
SACRAMENTO – The Assembly passed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 423, legislation to extend Senator Wiener’s SB 35 (2017), one of the state’s most successful tools for accelerating development of affordable housing. The bill passed 52-8 with bipartisan support and heads next to the Assembly, where it must pass by September 14.
SACRAMENTO – The Assembly passed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Tina McKinnor’s (D-Inglewood) Senate Bill 4. SB 4 would open over 170,000 acres for affordable housing by allowing faith institutions (such as churches, synagogues, and mosques) along with nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing on their property by-right, even if local zoning prevents this housing. The legislation applies to 100% affordable housing. The bill passed 56-1, and now returns to the Senate for a final sign-off before heading to the Governor for approval.
SACRAMENTO – The Assembly passed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 58, which removes criminal penalties for the personal possession and use of a limited set of naturally occurring psychedelics, including psilocybin/psilocyn (mushrooms), Dimethyltryptamine (“DMT”), and mescaline (excluding peyote). The bill also triggers a regulatory process to craft policy proposals for group therapeutic use of psychedelics. The bill passed 42-13 and returns to the Senate for final sign-off before heading to Governor Newsom’s desk for his final review.
SACRAMENTO – Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) announced a pause on SB 532, Senator Wiener’s legislation to enact a temporary $1.50 increase to the toll on Bay Area bridges to fund public transportation and avoid service cuts.