Eight Cervantes Bills Approved by Assembly Appropriations Committee

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, eight of Senator Sabrina Cervantes’ (D-Riverside) bills were approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. These bills address safeguarding personal privacy, affordability for working families, and protecting the right to vote for millions of lawfully registered California voters.

“My bills focus on strengthening elections and voting rights, making life more affordable for working families, protecting the privacy and public safety of Californians, bringing justice forward for those in need, and safeguarding teaching from AI encroachment,” said Senator Cervantes. “I will continue to fight for the needs of the people I represent in the Inland Empire, as well as all Californians, with these important bills.”

The bills that were approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee include:

Senate Bill 891—MMIP Justice Program: Establishes the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Justice Program within the California Department of Justice. The program would facilitate collaboration and, where appropriate, serve as a liaison among tribal victims’ families, tribal governments, and federal, state, tribal, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies.
Senate Bill 970 – Facilitating Military & Overseas Voting: The bill would require the Secretary of State to promulgate regulations allowing military and overseas voters to submit their ballots through a secure method.
Senate Bill 1013 – Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) System Reform: This legislation would provide additional guardrails around the use of long-term data storage by ALPR systems. The bill also requires the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct annual, random audits of public entities that use ALPR systems to ensure they comply with existing state laws governing their usage. SB 1013 stipulates that any ALPR data collected be retained for no longer than 30 days unless the information is on an authorized hotlist.
The California Voting Rights Act of 2026 – Senate Bills 1164 and 1360: CVRA 2026 would fight voter suppression and vote dilution, expand access to election materials for limited English proficient voters, and provide California voters with a direct means of protecting their right to vote. It would also enshrine the language assistance requirements of Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 in state law and expand existing services provided by Section.
Senate Bill 1328—LGBTQ Liaisons at Higher Ed Satellite Campuses: This bill would request the University of California and require the California State University and community college systems to designate a confidential LGBTQ+ liaison for students, faculty, and staff at satellite campuses.
Senate Bill 1379—Separating Riverside County Sheriff and Coroner: This bill would require the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to separate the offices of Sheriff and Coroner and create the office of an independent medical examiner by July 1, 2027. The bill would also require Riverside County to post information about in-custody deaths in county jails on its website within certain timeframes.
Senate Bill 1418—Preserving Chain of Custody Over Elections Records: SB 1418 would expand on Senate Bill 73, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law in May, and make it a felony to remove other forms of elections records, including voting systems, from the custody of a county registrar.

Senator Cervantes authored five additional bills that continue to move forward in the legislative process, which are currently on the Assembly Floor: SB 928, Protecting California State University (CSU) Employees from AI Encroachment; SB 1117 – Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Fee Reform; SB 1151 – Infant Formula Tax Exemption; SB 1367 – Prohibiting Zoning for Detention Purposes; and SB 1381 – CDE/School for the Deaf Notification. A sixth bill, Senate Bill 73, was signed by Governor Gavin on May 27, 2026.

In order to be considered for a signature or veto by the Governor, all legislation must be approved by both houses of the Legislature by August 31.

You can read more about the individual bills here.

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