An Outstanding Year for SD 5

Dear Constituent,

I am proud to report that 2026 was an outstanding year for our Senate district in the state Capitol. Eleven of my bills were signed into law by the governor, including three landmark laws that are the first of their kind in the nation.

In addition, we achieved several major state budget wins totaling more than $150 million for the district, including historic funding secured by the Delta Caucus, of which I am co-chair, to help repair the Delta’s aging levees.

My 2026 legislative and budget packages were designed to help ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) is safe and beneficial; make California and our region more affordable; safeguard our water; accelerate our transition to clean energy; reform our campaign finance system; help local farmers and schools and reduce hunger; and make our tax system fairer.

Below is a summary of my bills that were signed into law this year followed by our budget accomplishments.

First in the Nation Laws

• SB 813 Evaluating AI Safety Risks 
  Establishes a landmark framework for independent third-party assessments of the safety risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
• SB 947 No Robo Bosses Act of 2026
  Requires human oversight of AI systems in the workplace to prevent AI from firing or disciplining workers on its own.
• SB 1350 Expanding Green Hydrogen
  Expands CA's clean energy program by including the use of green hydrogen, a promising form of renewable energy, to generate electricity.

Also signed:

• SB 327 Protecting Ratepayers
  Strengthens oversight of investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and bars IOUs from using ratepayer funds to fight efforts to create municipal utilities. 
• SB 881 Helping Farmers Fight Hunger
  Enables farmers, growers, and food producers to continue to provide fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and more to food-insecure families and receive tax credits for donating surplus food to food banks.
• SB 900 Campaign Finance Disclosure Reform
  Updates CA’s campaign disclosure rules to provide more transparency and clarity regarding who is paying for political advertisements.
• SB 925 California Fusion Energy Roadmap
  Directs the CA Energy Commission to develop a strategic plan to advance fusion energy, which has the potential to provide nearly limitless clean, safe, and reliable power. 
• SB 1058 Local Meals for Kids
  Updates California law to allow school districts to provide more high-quality, locally grown and culturally appropriate foods for students.
• SB 1168 Data Centers Pay Their Fair Share
  Directs the CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to examine data centers’ use of excessive amounts of energy and ensure that Californians don’t face rate hikes as a result.
• SB 1196 Accelerating ADU Utility Hookups
  Directs the CPUC to establish clear timelines for processing utility hookups requests for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and other small energization projects and institute penalties for utilities that violate the new standards.
• SB 1406 Closing the Montana Tax Loophole
  Cracks down on tax scams in which wealthy Californians create phony shell companies to buy luxury vehicles in Montana and other states to avoid paying California sales taxes and vehicle license fees.

In addition, the Legislature approved my Senate Joint Resolution 18, calling for the overturning of the infamous Supreme Court case “Citizens United,” which opened the floodgates to big money spending in politics.

I was also proud to be a joint author of two other bills signed into law:

• SB 420 No Tax Breaks for Detention Centers (with Sens. Padilla and Umberg)
• SB 886 CA Technology Innovation and Ratepayer Protection Act (with Sen. Padilla) 

Budget Wins

• The Delta Caucus secured a total of $158.2 million to protect California’s water, including:
  • $90.2 million for the Delta’s aging levees
  • $68 million to shore up the California Water Project’s canals, which are being impacted by sinking land.
• $5 million to acquire Jersey Island in the Delta and repair its levees. This funding was a Delta Caucus priority in partnership with Sen. Christopher Cabaldon.
• $6 million to address the invasive golden mussel infestation in the Delta. This request was also a Delta Caucus priority in partnership with Asm. Rhodesia Ransom.
• $2 million for the planned University of Pacific Medical School. I secured this funding in partnership with Asm. Ransom.
• $2 million for the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds.
• $1 million for Tracy Animal Shelter.
• $400,000 to East Bay Regional Parks District for livestock pond restoration.
• $85 million in statewide funding for Clean Cars for All, which will also fund Valley Clean Air Now. Valley CAN enables low-income families to trade in their old polluting vehicles for cleaner ones.
• $230 million in statewide transit funding, which will also support local transit funding for the San Joaquin County Council of Governments (SJCOG).
• $24.9 million in statewide funding for the Healthy Soils Program at the CA Department of Agriculture to support sustainable farming practices.
• $10 million in statewide dollars for the Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions (FARMER) Program, which provides funding through local air districts to reduce harmful emissions from agricultural harvesting equipment, heavy-duty trucks, agricultural pump engines, tractors, and other farming equipment.
• $10 million in statewide funding for enhanced geothermal projects.

It was an extremely productive year in the Legislature. It is my honor to serve you in the California Senate.

Sincerely,

Jerry McNerney
State Senator, District 5