SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)’s legislation Senate Bill 339, the Gas Tax Alternative Pilot, passed the Senate on concurrence and will now head to the Governor’s desk for final approval. This pilot program, which allows California to study a road user charge based on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) instead of relying on gas taxes, is a critical strategy as the state transitions away from fossil fuels.
Press Releases
SACRAMENTO - 8 of Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) bills, including legislation to strengthen mental health and substance use disorder care, increase the amount of housing affordable to working families, and help small businesses recover from COVID-19 by making outdoor dining permanent, will be taken up for a full Assembly vote over the next two weeks. The bills will then need final sign-off (“concurrence”) by the Senate.
The deadline for the Legislature to approve bills is Friday, September 10.
SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 519, which decriminalizes the possession and personal use of certain psychedelic drugs, will now become a two-year bill. The bill thus remains alive and will be eligible to move forward next year. This groundbreaking legislation moved significantly farther than anticipated — passing the full Senate and passing all of its Assembly policy committees. That said, more time was needed to lay educational groundwork with members and the public to ensure the bill’s success.
SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) legislation, Senate Bill 10, passed the Assembly. SB 10 creates a voluntary, streamlined process for cities to zone for missing middle multi-unit housing. The bill passed with a bipartisan vote of 41-9, and will now be returned to the Senate for final approval before heading to Governor Newsom’s desk.
SAN FRANCISCO - Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced that he obtained $2 million in the State’s budget for Mission Food Hub and Meals on Wheels San Francisco, along with funding and changes in the law to revamp the Calfresh application process to make it easier and more accessible for seniors and those with disabilities. Representatives from both Mission Food Hub and Meals on Wheels San Francisco joined Senator Wiener to reiterate the importance of these investments and the continuing community need for food access.
On Friday, California’s Third District Court of Appeal overturned a key protection of SB 219 — a bill authored by Senator Scott Wiener in 2017 — stating in the decision that the law requiring staff members of long-term care facilities to use a facility resident’s correct name and pronouns is a violation of the staff’s First Amendment rights to free speech, free exercise of religion, and freedoms of thought and belief.
SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bill 357, the Safer Streets for All Act, passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee by a vote of 6-2. It now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SACRAMENTO - Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) legislation, Senate Bill 519, which decriminalizes the possession and personal use of certain psychedelic drugs, passed the Assembly Health Committee by a vote of 8-4. It will now head to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Research from top medical universities shows that these substances can have significant benefits, particularly for treating mental health and substance use disorders.
SACRAMENTO – Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) legislation, Senate Bill 110, passed the Assembly Health Committee with a unanimous, bipartisan vote. It will now head to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. This legislation will address the worsening methamphetamine addiction crisis facing our state. The Recovery Incentives Act legalizes the substance use disorder treatment known as “contingency management,” and authorizes Medi-Cal to cover it.