Press Release

Senator Cervantes Delivers Results for the Inland Empire with 11 Bills Signed by the Governor

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) successfully shepherded 11 bills through the legislative process and secured signatures from Governor Gavin Newsom this year, with most of the legislation being signed into law by the Governor in September. 

 

“Listening to our communities about the needs of our Inland region and working to improve life for all Californians is my purpose every day I serve as senator,” said Senator Cervantes. “These bills help safeguard the right to vote for lawfully registered California voters, make everyday life – including housing – more affordable for working families, protect the rights of historically underserved and disenfranchised communities, and provide safeguards on AI in our institutions of higher education.”

 

Senator Cervantes’ 2026 Legislation Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom:

 

  • SB 73 – Elections Systems Safeguarding: This bill provides elections in the Golden State with improved defenses against interference, including imposing a felony for seizing voted ballots from the custody of a county registrar. Because SB 73 included an urgency clause, its provisions took effect immediately upon the Governor's signature on May 27, ensuring the defenses it provided were in place for the June statewide primary election and beyond. 

     
  • SB 928 – Protecting California State University Employees from AI Encroachment: SB 928 helps prevent California State University faculty from being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) and ensures that human instructors teach our students. Sponsored by the California Faculty Association and the California Federation of Labor Unions, SB 928 requires that a faculty member and an instructor of record for a course be human. The Governor signed this legislation on Aug. 27.

 

  • SB 1117 – Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Fee Reform: SB 1117 cuts red tape that hampers new housing construction in California by reducing impact fees for the building of new accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Specifically, the bill clarifies existing state law on ADUs by limiting impact fees imposed by local governments to only apply to the portion of an ADU that exceeds 750 square feet of interior livable space. Sponsored by California YIMBY.

 

  • SB 1151 – Infant Formula Tax Exemption: This legislation helps address affordability concerns faced by working families by clarifying that the sale of infant formula in California is exempt from sales-and-use taxes. Signed into law by the Governor on Sept. 27.

 

  • The California Voting Rights Act of 2026 – Senate Bills 1164 and 1360: CVRA 2026 codifies in state law prohibitions that once protected California votes through Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 against voter discrimination and provides California voters and the California Attorney General with more direct means of protecting the right to vote. It also enshrines the language assistance requirements in Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act in state law and provides a process to expand language access assistance beyond the language groups covered by Section 203. Sponsored by the California Democracy Partnership and signed by the Governor on Sept. 18.

 

  • SB 1328 – LGBTQ Liaisons at Higher Ed Satellite Campuses: This bill, which the Governor signed on Sept. 26, requests the University of California and requires the California State University and community college systems to designate a confidential LGBTQ+ liaison for students, faculty, and staff at satellite campuses. Sponsored by Equality California. Signed into law by the Governor on Sept. 26.

 

  • SB 1367 – Prohibiting Zoning for Detention Purposes: SB 1367 prohibits local governments from providing new land-use authorizations in a manner that allows the construction of a detention facility operated by a private entity, or a change of use that permits the use of an existing building as a detention center operated by a private entity. Sponsored by Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice and signed into law by the Governor on Sept. 29.

 

  • SB 1379 – Separating Riverside County Sheriff and Coroner: This bill requires the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to separate the offices of county Sheriff and Coroner and create the office of an independent medical examiner by July 1, 2027. The bill also compels Riverside County to publicly post information about in-custody deaths in county jails on its website within certain timeframes.

 

  • SB 1381 – CDE/School for the Deaf Notification: This bill, sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, requires the individualized education program team of the Local Educational Agency (LEA) to provide parents of students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind information regarding the option for the student to attend a state special school. Sponsored by the California Department of Education. Signed into law by the Governor on Sept. 27.

 

  • SB 1418 – Preserving Chain of Custody Over Elections Records: SB 1418 expands on Senate Bill 73, which Governor Newsom signed into law in May, and makes it a felony to remove other forms of elections records, including voting systems, from the custody of a county registrar. Sponsored by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and signed by the Governor on September 18.

 

You can read more about the individual bills here.

 

 

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