Summer Updates & 17 Bills Sent to the Governor
I am excited to let you know that seventeen of my bills passed out of the Legislature this year and are on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature, including efforts to crack down on retail theft, defend our democracy from deceptive deepfakes, support student parents who are trying to get a higher education, and prevent AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
I also had a great summer in the district attending community events, taking meetings with constituents in my district office, and hosting a few events of my own. I can’t wait to spend much more time in the district this fall hearing from my constituents about their priorities for next year. Scroll down for an update on my work for Assembly District 23 this summer.
In this newsletter:
- Cracking down on Bay Area retail theft
- My bills on the Governor’s desk
- Around the district
- Funding for local nonprofits’ security upgrades
- Strengthening higher education in California
- Upcoming events
- Read the full newsletter
Sincerely,
Marc Berman
Assemblymember, 23rd District
| Legislative Update |
Retail Theft Package signed by Governor Newsom in San Jose
I was proud to be present when Governor Newsom signed the Assembly’s comprehensive bipartisan legislative package addressing retail crime and theft in California. A key provision of the package is my bill, AB 3209, which creates the first-of-its-kind Retail Crime Restraining Order. Across my district, from San Jose to Stanford Shopping Center to Pacifica, small businesses and large retailers alike have suffered from retail theft.
These new laws were crafted with our partners in the retail and grocery industries to provide Californians with smart and thoughtful solutions to reduce retail crime.
My bills on the Governor’s desk
From shielding Californians from the most nefarious uses of artificial intelligence (AI), to ensuring our education systems meet the evolving needs of students, I authored a comprehensive package of policies that passed out of the legislature this year. These bills are now on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature. Here are a few highlights:
- Defending democracy from deceptive deepfakes: AB 2655 will ensure that online platforms restrict the spread of election-related deepfakes meant to deceive or disenfranchise voters based on fraudulent content.
- Protecting children from AI-enabled sexual exploitation: AB 1831 will crack down on AI-generated pictures and videos of children being sexually abused—this content can look virtually indistinguishable from real children.
- Free tuition for local students: AB 3158 will waive tuition fees for West Valley-Mission Community College students ensuring they do not have to choose between taking the extra class they need or working an extra shift to afford groceries or rent.
View my full list of 2024 bills here. Many of my bills this year originated from ideas brought to me by members of our community. Have an idea for next year? Tell me about it here.
| Around the District |
Youth Town Hall
I had a blast at my fifth annual Youth Town Hall this summer. I was inspired by the young people who took time out of their weekend to hear from me (and more importantly, from their peers) about why it is so important to be active in their communities and how they can get more involved. A special shout-out to the youth panel for their great insights, and to my summer interns for helping run the event!
Community Coffees in Mountain View and San Jose
This summer I hosted two of my best-attended community coffees ever. Constituents shared the issues that matter most to them, ranging from the environment to transportation, energy generation to higher education. I teamed up with Mountain View Mayor Pat Showalter at Red Rock Coffee for our standing room only community coffee. In San Jose, Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei joined me at the West Valley Branch Community Library. Thank you to everyone who joined us at these terrific events. I’m looking forward to more conversations in the fall!
The First Electric Caltrain
I was excited to speak at the celebration for the first electric Caltrain ride, which will bring faster, cleaner, and quieter Caltrain service to our communities! Zoom in and see if you can spot Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Governor Newsom, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla.
Do you know of a nonprofit or place of worship that needs security upgrades?
Championed by the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, the state has opened grant funding for the California State Nonprofit Security Grant to bolster security for vulnerable communities targeted by hate. Eligible applicants include synagogues, mosques, churches, LGBTQ+ centers, and other nonprofits that are at higher risk of hate-based crimes. The grant program provides nonprofit organizations with funding for security enhancements including reinforced doors, gates, high-intensity lighting, access control systems, and inspection and screening systems.
How to apply:
- The new request for proposals can be found on the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services website, which administers the program.
- Proposals must be received electronically by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23.
| Strengthening Higher Education |
Hearing on the Master Plan for Career Education
In August, I held the eighth convening of my Select Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education in California in my continued effort to ensure that our systems of higher education address the current needs of students. This hearing focused on developing a new Master Plan for Career Education. It was informative to hear from key career education stakeholders about what’s currently working and to hear what solutions are needed in the plan to better prepare students for today’s workforce.
Proud to be a Student Parent Champion
I was awarded the inaugural Student Parent Champion Award in recognition of my continued advocacy, dedication, and commitment to providing more equitable futures for California’s 300,000 undergraduate student parents. Thank you to the Michelson 20MM Foundation, the Michelson Center for Public Policy, and the California Alliance for Student Parent Success for this award and for our successful partnership on behalf of student parents. I have authored two bills to help student parents successfully complete their higher education journey, including granting priority registration to student parents and ensuring their higher education is affordable. Parental education level has been linked to the academic and economic success of their children, so these efforts will have a multiplier effect in the future.
| Upcoming Events |
Family Health and Wellness Fair
Saturday, September 21, from 1 - 4 p.m. at Mistral Elementary School in Mountain View.
Community members can receive health screenings, vaccinations, giveaways, and resources all for FREE. For more information, please call my district office at (650) 324-0224.
Thursday, October 10, from 3 – 5 p.m., on Zoom and via livestream.
Please join me, along with a panel of experts who will provide information about new scams and share time-tested strategies for keeping yourself and your loved ones safe from ever-evolving and persistent scammers.
Panelists will include representatives from the Contractors State License Board, Department of Insurance, and Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.