Over 75% of Legislative Package Moves Forward — 10 of 13 Bills Advance

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) announced that a significant portion of his 2025 Legislative Package passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will advance to the Assembly floor and the Governor’s Desk in the coming weeks. 

This package includes bills aimed at cracking down on shady voter influence tactics by billionaires, stopping price gouging during wildfires, fixing gaps in the state’s mental health court system, and ending absurd, sweeping arbitration agreements that bar families from going to court after a loved one’s death because they signed up for a streaming service years ago.

“These aren’t abstract policy debates — these are real problems that Californians face every day,” said Senator Umberg. “Families are being priced out of housing during disasters, denied access to justice after devastating losses, and misled by billionaires trying to buy influence in our elections. These bills are about making sure the law protects people, not just powerful interests. I’m proud to see them move forward with strong support.”

Authored Legislation 

SB 42 - California Fair Elections Act: Places a measure on the November 2026 ballot allowing voters to decide whether to remove the current prohibition on public campaign financing in California. It sets clear requirements to ensure transparency, protect taxpayer funds, and maximize voter benefit.

SB 27 - Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program: A cleanup measure to strengthen the CARE Act by improving coordination between CARE partners, broadening eligibility criteria to include Bipolar I Disorder with psychotic features, and affirming ongoing court oversight of CARE plans. It also enables courts to consider CARE referrals for Misdemeanor Incompetent to Stand Trial (MIST) defendants and allows additional licensed medical professionals to participate.

SB 37 - Protecting Consumer Rights and Public Trust in Consumer Advertising: Modernizes rules for attorney advertising, clarifies definitions and prohibited practices and allows citizen lawsuits against deceptive or unethical advertising tactics.

SB 312 - Puppy Importation Transparency Act: Improves oversight of dog importation by requiring health certificates to be submitted electronically to the California Department of Food and Agriculture within 10 days of shipment.

SB 398 - Criminalizing Election Lotteries: Criminalizes the use of lottery-style incentives to encourage voter registration, reinforcing the integrity and fairness of California elections.

SB 447 - Health Benefits for Children of Deceased First Responders: Extends health care benefits eligibility for children of peace officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty from age 21 to 26.

SB 83 – Transparency in Substance Abuse Treatment: Requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to publicly disclose a summary of violations issued to treatment centers, improving public access to critical safety information.

SB 645 - Preemptory Challenges in Civil Trial: Preserves current procedures to evaluate the unlawful use of peremptory challenges based on discrimination and removes the provision that would have extended these procedures to civil cases starting in 2026.

SB 36 – Preventing Price Gouging During State of Emergency: Establishes new reporting standards for rental platforms, increases penalties for rent hikes during declared emergencies and expands consumer protections to counties within 25 miles of the impacted area.

SB 54 - Court Fee Waivers for Veterans: Ensures that veterans receiving disability benefits remain eligible for court fee waivers, removing unnecessary barriers to accessing the justice system.

SB 25 - Pre-Merger Notification Act:  Provides the Attorney General with earlier access to large merger filings, enhancing the state’s ability to challenge anti-competitive mergers while giving businesses earlier notice to address concerns.

For questions about these or any other portion of the Senator’s 2025 Legislative Package, please feel free to contact his Capitol Office at (916) 651-4034. 

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Senator Thomas J. Umberg represents the 34th Senate District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Habra, Long Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, and East and South Whittier. Umberg is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, former federal prosecutor, and small businessman. He and his wife, Brigadier General Robin Umberg, USA (ret.), live in Orange County.