The Association’s sponsored and supported bills are moving forward, but so are several bills of concern. Here’s what to watch - and where to take action.
By Arianna Smith
Managing Editor
Transit California
As always, springtime at the Capitol marks the first movements of major legislation.
Starting in March, bills introduced in January and February arrive at committees in their “House of Origin” for initial consideration of proposed changes to law. Bills introduced by Assemblymembers go to Assembly policy committees; bills introduced by Senators go to Senate committees. The bills that are approved by the state legislators in their respective policy committees then go to one of two places: to the Appropriations Committee, if the bill costs money (or raises revenues) for consideration of how its provisions would impact state and local budgets, or to the Assembly or Senate Floors if it has no fiscal impact. Then, as spring turns to summer, the bills that are approved in their House of Origin start back at the beginning of the process in the second house.
This year, the Association is sponsoring two technical and much-needed bills, both of which, if approved, would improve service delivery to local communities that depend on transit. The Association is also supporting select measures introduced in 2026.
Additionally, the Association is currently opposing several measures introduced in the first year of the 2025-26 session that are still moving forward.
Here’s what you need to know.
Sponsored and supported legislation
Each year, sponsored legislation is developed by and voted upon by the Association’s State Legislative Committee and Executive Committee, with input from Association staff and membership. Association staff then approach members of the Legislature who are interested in pro-transit policy to author the measure. This year, two transit champions in the Assembly stepped forward to author Association-sponsored legislation.
Assemblymember Mark González is authoring AB 1837, a bipartisan bill alongside Assemblymember co-authors Josh Hoover (R-Folsom) and Stephanie Nguyen (D-Elk Grove) and Senator Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley) that would address the ongoing issue of drivers parking their cars in bus lanes. The issue can affect transit reliability by slowing down the process of bus passengers exiting and entering a bus; it also creates a safety issue for bus passengers who must walk or wheel across a roadway lane and may have to step over or wheel around an unsafe curb into traffic. The measure proposes to extend an existing authorization, originally enacted in 2022 through AB 917 (Bloom), for transit agencies to install forward-facing automated cameras on buses. Several Association member agencies currently use this authorization in their jurisdictions, including Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), Sacramento Regional Transit, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), and the City of Santa Monica. All, except for SFMTA, would lose the ability to continue these successful programs without the passage of this measure, as the existing authorization is set to expire on January 1, 2027. (To learn more about how Assemblymember González sees transit as an essential service, read his January 2026 transit leader profile).
“The only way to keep Californians moving is by ensuring public transportation is on time and uninterrupted,” said Assemblymember González. “I am proud to author AB 1837, a bill that would ensure those who choose to park in designated bus lanes are cited for their action. Disrupting the flow of these lanes is not only about delaying commuters' schedules, but also about the safety of the passengers and transit workers. By keeping these lanes clear, our neighbors don’t have to cross dangerous gaps in the street, or that buses have access to the sidewalk for disabled riders who require use of ADA ramps.”
Along with the Association, the bill is co-sponsored by Streets For All and LA Metro.
AB 1837 was heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee on March 23. It passed the committee on a bipartisan vote of 14-1. The bill will be heard next in the Assembly Committee on Privacy & Consumer Protection. Because it does not have a fiscal impact on the state budget, AB 1837 does not go to the Assembly Appropriations Committee; rather, if approved by both policy committees, it moves directly to the Assembly Floor for consideration by the whole house.
The Association is also sponsoring AB 1944 by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-Milpitas), a technical but important measure to help transit agencies provide zero-emissions bus trips to the communities they serve while continuing to comply with the California Air Resources Board’s Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulations. Specifically, the bill would postpone the date by which California agencies must purchase lighter buses with lower axle weights than is currently allowed. Heavy vehicles can wear down roadways more quickly than lighter vehicles do, but zero-emissions vehicle technology, which helps California communities meet their climate mitigation and pollution reduction goals, currently results in buses with heavier axle weights than will soon be allowed under the ICT regulations. According to the committee analysis, “The weight of ZE buses is expected to decrease over time as technology matures and lighter materials are used in the manufacturing process,” but over the previous ten years the progress was slower than previously anticipated. The change in law is needed so transit agencies can make procurement decisions and secure buses that are both appropriate for their service areas and ICT-compliant.
"California has set ambitious zero-emission goals, requiring that by 2029 all buses purchased by transit agencies must be zero-emission vehicles. However, because of axle-weight limits set by the Legislature, transit agencies are struggling to procure Zero Emission Busses that keep up with their operational needs while staying within existing weight limits,” said Assemblymember Lee of the measure. “AB 1944 provides a practical and responsible solution by adjusting the timeline for these limits while maintaining the previously negotiated upper weight cap, allowing California Transit Agencies to continue making progress towards our clean transportation goals.”
AB 1944 also passed the Assembly Transportation Committee on March 23 on a bipartisan vote of 15-1. As this measure is also non-fiscal, it next goes to the Assembly Floor.
Finally, the Association is now supporting AB 1941 (Mark González), which would make organized metal theft a misdemeanor or felony, and would authorize the Department of Justice and local law enforcement agencies to share information about organized metal theft crimes. Organized metal theft in the transit sector creates major safety and reliability issues for employees and riders; it also increases repair and maintenance costs. Recently, copper theft resulted in the shutdown of Sacramento’s light rail system, and Association member rail operators worry copper theft could lead to more dangerous incidents, like train derailments. This measure was heard in the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on March 24 and was passed on a bipartisan vote of 8-0 It will next be heard in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations for consideration of its fiscal impacts on the state budget.
Transit agencies wishing to go on record in support of these bills can use the above templates or write their own letters and submit them through the California Legislature’s Position Letter Portal.
Bills of concern and consideration
The Association has gone on record opposing SB 667 (Archuleta), which would require the installation of wayside detectors on rail tracks that serve freight trains at different mileage intervals depending on the railroad class. This measure, which was introduced in 2025 and passed the Senate last year, is a two-year bill, and the Assembly will not refer it to a policy committee for consideration until later this spring. The Association recently joined a coalition of business, shipping, agriculture, and retail organizations that oppose this measure in its current form out of a concern for federal pre-emption and potentially significant costs to transit agencies.
The Association also opposes AB 1198 (Haney), a two-year bill introduced in the Assembly in 2025 that passed to the Senate in January. The measure requires construction workers to receive the current prevailing wage when a public works project begins, rather than the wage set at the project’s original announcement. The Association has joined local governments and special district organizations in opposing the measure out of concern that the measure would make it impossible to predict, and budget for, actual costs of public works projects. This bill is a redesign of 2024’s AB 2812, which was vetoed by Governor Newsom over cost uncertainties and the potential for unexpected pressure on the state budget.
Additionally, the Association has taken an oppose position on AB 1383 (McKinnor), a two-year bill which would authorize rollbacks of some 2013 provisions in the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) pertaining to first responder employee pensions. A coalition of local government entities have raised concerns about unwinding PEPRA’s cost savings that have saved money in the already-burdened budgets of local governments.
The Association is monitoring but has not yet taken a position on AB 1599 (Ahrens), which would require transit agencies to standardize transit stop data, including using a unique identifier for each transit stop established by Caltrans. Association staff has facilitated discussions between transit agencies and AARP, Move LA, Streets For All, the sponsors of the bill, to address areas of concern regarding the mechanics of the proposal’s implementation; ultimately, the Association is working to neutralize any unintended and potentially adverse impacts to transit agencies while following through on the author and sponsor’s intent to create greater visibility and accessibility of transit stops. The measure was heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee on March 23 and passed unanimously on a vote of 16-0, and it now goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
What’s next for bills in the Legislature?
The Association’s bill matrix here provides a complete list of all bills being tracked this year. And for a complete explanation of a bill’s evolution, from introduction to becoming a law, see Transit California’s 2025 article. Finally, interested agencies can stay most up-to-date with all these bills and more with the Association’s weekly Monday Executive Director Report.
For a deeper dive on legislation working its way through the Legislature, attend the Spring Legislative Conference! For more information about the conference, check out this month’s lead article, or just register today. We hope to see you there!