October 21, 2020

Dear Community Members and Friends, 

This was a challenging legislative cycle. The COVID-19 Pandemic hit after much of our work had begun and caused both our elected officials and staff to refocus and reprioritize our legislative and advocacy efforts.  This unfortunately means that a number of items we were hoping to make progress on this year were delayed and left pending. 

Still, as the deadline for the Governor to sign legislation presented to him passed on September 30, we celebrated several victories. Most notably, were: 

PUBLIC SAFETY: AB 2425 – THE RACIAL JUSTICE ACT 

(Authors: Kalra) 

UPDATE:  Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 30, 2020 

This bill would prohibit the state from seeking a criminal conviction or sentence on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin. 

JUDICIARY: AB 3228 – PRIVATE DETENTION FACILITIES & REGULATIONS 

(Author: Bonta) 

UPDATE: Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 27, 2020  

This bill would require private detention facilities to comply with the detention standards of care and confinement as agreed upon in the facility’s contract for operations.  The bill would additionally establish a civil cause of action against a private destination facility when they violate these requirements to comply. 

We were disappointed that due to COVID-19 realignment, one of the primary priorities was put on hold this year:  

PUBLIC SAFETY: AB 2598 – JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE 

(Author: Bonta) 

UPDATE: No Hearing. 

This bill would require any governing body participating in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) to submit information on their website regarding their memorandum of understanding, schedule an opportunity for public comment to review and consider the MOU, and facilitate community forums on the implementation JTTF. 

Still, we are committed to working with the legislature to revisit issues surrounding JTTF and surveillance in the coming legislative cycle. 

More concerning was the Governor’s veto message regarding the Ethnic Studies K-12 Mandate.  While the bill had a series of concerning last-minute amendments, the veto message instead chose to focus on talking points from organized, pro-Zionist lobbying which extends our fight to secure ethnic studies in the California curriculum: 

EDUCATION: AB 331 – K-12 ETHNIC STUDIES MANDATE 

(Author: Medina) 

UPDATE: Vetoed by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 30, 2020 

This bill would mandate ethnic studies as a graduation requirement for high school.  Unfortunately, the final amendments of this bill produced guardrails meant to target education around Palestinians and any mentioning of BDS.   

Please note: the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum being drafted within the California Department of Education is separate from this bill and still moving. 

Updates on our additional legislative priorities are included below.  These include a series of our priorities which were unfortunately not heard due to the COVID-19 Pandemic’s impact on the legislative calendar and hearing schedule; however, we look forward to continuing to advocate for the community on these issues in the coming legislative session. 

Wins, losses, and delays are all progress in our broader efforts to build power in our community and laws that protect all Californians. Each of you who attended our virtual Muslim Day at the Capitol or in-district meetings, signed and shared our petitions and letters, or contacted your local representativeswere all crucial parts of our growing efforts.  

Thank you for engaging with our work and helping to amplify Muslim voices as part of California’s legislative process.  It is with your help that we can advocate and work towards a better California. 

As we begin planning for 2021, we know the election will impact our work at the local and state level. If you haven’t already registered to vote or have questions about how to vote, please be sure to visit our website and make use of the resources our team has put together.  

Sincerely, 

Amer W. Rashid 

CAIR-CA Legislative & Government Affairs Manager 

 

 

CAIR-CA 2020 PRIORITY LEGISLATION OUTCOMES 

 

SUPPORT: 

ELECTIONS: AB 646 – ELECTIONS & VOTER ELIGIBILITY 

(Authors: McCarty) 

UPDATE: Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Set. 30, 2020 

Upon the passage of Prop. 17, AB 646 will update any election code to indicate that people on parole are able to vote and increase the state’s goal of supporting successful reintegration of people coming home from prison. 

 

 

3PUBLIC SAFETY: AB 1196 – POLICE OFFICERS & USE OF FORCE 

(Author: Gipson) 

UPDATE: Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 30, 2020 

This bill would mandate ethnic studies as a graduation requirement for high school.  Unfortunately, the final amendments of this bill produced guardrails meant to target education around Palestinians and any mentioning of BDS.  Please note: the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum being drafted within the California Department of Education is separate from this bill and still moving. 

 

ELECTIONS: AB 1276 – LOCAL REDISTRICTING 

(Authors: Bonta) 

UPDATE: Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Set. 18, 2020 

This bill cleans up a number of critically important reforms to local redistricting processes to ensure a more transparent process considering delays in census data as a result of COVID-19. 

 

HIGHER EDUCATION: AB 1460 – CSU ETHNIC STUDIES MANDATE 

(Author: Weber) 

UPDATE: Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Aug. 18, 2020 

This bill would mandate ethnic studies as a graduation requirement from a CSU bachelors degree. 

 

GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION: AB 2054 – THE C.R.I.S.E.S. ACT 

(Authors: McCarty) 

UPDATE:  Vetoed by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 10, 2020 

Establishes the Community Response Initiative to Strengthen Emergency Systems pilot grant program to expand the participation of community organizations in emergency response for vulnerable populations. 

 

PUBLIC SAFETY: AB 2200 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE & DISCRIMINATION 

(Author: Kalra) 

UPDATE: No hearing.  

This bill would prohibit the state from seeking a criminal conviction or sentence on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin. 

 

PRIVACY & CONSUMER PROTECTIONS: AB 2261 – FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY 

(Authors: Chau) 

UPDATE: Held in Assembly Appropriations 

This bill would create a legal framework governing the use of facial recognition technology by pubic and private entities; supporting and legitimizing the use of these technologies.  

 

 

PUBLIC SAFETY: AB 2342 – PAROLE REINTEGRATION & EDUCATION 

(Author: McCarty) 

UPDATE: Vetoed by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 30, 2020 

Establishes a program which allows certain parolees to earn “reintegration credits” through specified educational opportunities to reduce the term of parole.  

 

PUBLIC SAFETY: AB 2425 – JUVENILE POLICE RECORDS 

(Authors: McCarty) 

UPDATE:  Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 30, 2020 

Prohibits the release of information by a law enforcement, social worker, or probation agency when a juvenile has participated in or completed a diversion program. 

 

ACCOUNTABILITY & ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW: AB 2487 – THE CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS 

(Author: Reyes) 

UPDATE: No hearing.  

This bill would create the California Commission on Human Rights to oversee and document human rights concerns across the state and provide policy recommendations to the state to mitigate human rights issues. 

 

EDUCATION: AB 2516 – DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNING GRANT PROGRAM 

(Author: Reyes) 

UPDATE: No hearing. 

This bill would establish a grant program for schools to expand their dual-language learner programs. 

 

PUBLIC SAFETY: AB 2596 – THE VISION ACT 

(Author: Bonta) 

UPDATE: No hearing.  

This bill would protect individuals who were convicted for offenses committed as youth and have earned release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) from being transferred to immigration authorities for deportation purposes. This bill also would prevent immigrants who are eligible for release from jail custody from being transferred to immigration authorities for deportation purposes. 

 

ACCOUNTABILITY & ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW: AB 2597 – SANCTUARY STATE CONTRACTING ACT 

(Authors: Bonta) 

UPDATE: No hearing. 

AB 2597 would prohibit any state agency from entering into, or renewing a contract, with a private business entity that supplies “data broker” or “extreme vetting” (analytics) services to federal immigration agencies on or after Jan. 1, 2021. This bill would require the Department of General Services to identify and update a list of vendors that provide data or extreme vetting services to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), California Border Patrol (CBP), and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). 

 

 

PUBLIC SAFETY: AB 2917 – LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICIES ON THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE 

(Authors: McCarty) 

UPDATE:  No hearing. 

This bill would require that the attorney general create a program with the Department of Justice to review policies on the use of deadly force of any law enforcement agency, that requests a review and to make recommendations. Building on last year’s work regarding use of force through AB 392, AB 2917 is another tool for law enforcement to continue restoring public trust and to further implement best practices. 

 

JUDICIARY: AB 3070 – JURIES & PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES 

(Author: Weber) 

UPDATE: Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 30, 2020  

This bill prohibits a party from using a peremptory challenge to remove a prospective juror on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, and other specified characteristics, and outlines a court procedure for objecting to and evaluating any improper bias in peremptory challenges. 

 

JUDICIARY: AB 3133 – REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT & DISCRIMINATION 

(Author: Aguiar-Curry) 

UPDATE: Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 27, 2020 

This bill prohibits local governments from withholding consent to refugee resettlement within their jurisdictions if that withholding is on the basis of race, country of origin, religion, or other protected classes. 

 

HUMAN SERVICES: AB 3134 – THE REFUGEE SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACT 

(Authors: Reyes) 

UPDATE:  No hearing. 

This bill would expand the Refugee Cash Assistance Program (RCA) from 8 months to 16 months by establishing a state match to the program. 

 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: ACA 5 – PROP. 16 // EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL  

(Author: Aguiar-Curry) 

UPDATE: Passed by Legislature June 25, 2020.  Sent to voters for November election. 

This bill creates a constitutional amendment (Prop. 16) to be voted on the November ballot, which repeals Prop. 209 that was passed in 1996.  By doing this California will reinstate affirmative action within the State of California’s education and public contracting systems. 

 

HUMAN SERVICES: AB 3134 – THE REFUGEE SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACT 

(Authors: Reyes) 

UPDATE:  No hearing. 

This bill would expand the Refugee Cash Assistance Program (RCA) from 8 months to 16 months by establishing a state match to the program. 

 

JUDICIARY: AB 3228 – PRIVATE DETENTION FACILITIES & REGULATIONS 

(Author: Bonta) 

UPDATE: Signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 27, 2020  

This bill would require private detention facilities to comply with the detention standards of care and confinement as agreed upon in the facility’s contract for operations.  The bill would additionally establish a civil cause of action against a private destination facility when they violate these requirements to comply. 

 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: ACA 5 – PROP 16 // EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL 

(Authors: Weber) 

UPDATE: Passed by Legislature June 25, 2020.  Sent to voters for November election. 

This bill creates a constitutional amendment (Prop. 16) to be voted on the November ballot, which repeals Prop. 209 that was passed in 1996.  By doing this California will reinstate affirmative action in California’s higher education and public contracting systems. 

 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: ACA 6 – PROP. 17 VOTER RIGHTS ACT 

(Author: McCarty) 

UPDATE: Passed by Legislature June 25, 2020.  Sent to voters for the November election. 

This bill creates a constitutional amendment (Prop. 17) to be voted on the November ballot, which will allow people on parole to vote in state and local elections. 

 

PRIVACY & CONSUMER PROTECTIONSS1010 – THE S.A.F.E. OPPORTUNITY ACT 

(Authors: Jackson) 

UPDATE:  No hearing. 

This bill would implement a five year moratorium on law enforcement use of biometric surveillance and permanently prohibit law enforcement use of systems like Clearview which sells its services to both California police and ICE.  Additionally, SB 1010 prohibits the DMV and other government entities from sharing consumer photos for face surveillance. 

 

OPPOSE: 

 

PRIVACY & CONSUMER PROTECTIONS: AB 2261 – FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY 

(Author: Chau) 

UPDATE: Held in Appropriations Committee.   

This bill would erase important laws adopted by local public officials for the protection of basic rights and public safety, and it would give companies and governments a blank check to use facial recognition to track, deny economic opportunities, and discriminate against marginalized communities. 

 

PUBLIC SAFETY: AB 1298 – TERRORIST & CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION INVESTIGATION TEAMS 

(Author: Stern) 

UPDATE: No hearing. 

This bill would require the attorney general to create Terrorist and Criminal Organization Investigation Teams, to be located throughout the state, to proactively coordinate efforts to thwart terrorism activity and criminal opportunities before they occur. The bill would also require the Department of Justice personnel to be trained on state and federal guidelines, as specified. This raises concerns that there will be an increase in the surveillance of marginalized communities of color for the sake of following terrorist and criminal investigation protocol, which further erodes community trust and public safety.