Governor Newsom signs law to strengthen state unemployment insurance

SACRAMENTO – Building on the state’s ongoing efforts to better serve working Californians, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed a bill that would allow the Employment Development Department (EDD) to strengthen fraud prevention, further protect applicants from identity theft, and better empower the state to respond to future economic downturns.

Today’s action builds on the laws signed earlier this year to continue investing in improving California’s unemployment insurance system, improving language access and strengthening California’s job centers. The governor took a number of steps over the past year to better serve workers who have lost their jobs, including a renewed focus on processing unpaid claims and forming EDD Strike team. This year, the governor established the Cal OES Fraud Task Force to coordinate with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute fraud plans, aided by former U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott. California was one of the first states to introduce a new identity verification system, ID.me, to prevent identity fraud and implemented other new safeguards, including matching requests with law enforcement databases.

A full list of the Governor’s signed bills and additional laws can be found below:

• ST 12 by Congregator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) – Personal details: Social Security Numbers: the Employment Development Department.
• AB 56 from Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) – Advantages: Outgoing mail: Claims processing: Reporting.
• AB 110 by MEP Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach) – Fraudulent Unemployment Benefit Claims: Inmates.
• AB 283 by Assembly Member Phillip Chen (R-Yorba Linda) – Corporate Securities: Exemption from Requirements.
• AB 286 by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) – Food delivery: purchase prices and tips.
• AB 293 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) – Preneed Funeral Arrangements: unclaimed property.
• FROM 313 by Member of Congregation Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) – Community Service: Limited Examination and Appointment Program.
• AB 397 by Assembly Member Chad Mayes (I-Rancho Mirage) – Unemployment Insurance: Benefits: Disqualification: Termination.
• AB 502 by Congregator Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel) – Developments in Common Interest: Electoral Requirements.
• AB 514 by Congregation Member Christopher Ward (D-San Diego) – Injunctions: Obligations: Civil Actions: Dissemination of sexually explicit material.
• AB 546 by Assemblymember Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego) – Dependent children: Documents: Housing.
• AB 579 from Assembly Member Heath Flora (R-Ripon) – Fire Protection: Purchase of Personal Protective Equipment: Forestry and Fire Protection Department.
• AB 614 by assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) – Wildlife habitat: birds.
• AB 654 by Assembly Member Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace) – COVID-19: Exposure: Notification
• AB 663 by assembly member Phillip Chen (R-Yorba Linda) – Company: electronic transmissions: articles of association: emergency powers.
• AB 674 by Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) – Dependent Children: Documents.
• AB 694 of the Committee on Data Protection and Consumer Protection – Data Protection and Consumer Protection: Collective Draft.
• AB 716 from Congregation Member Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) – Access to Court.
• AB 825 by Congregation Member Marc Levine (D-Marin County) – Personal Information: Privacy Breaches: Genetic Data.
• AB 829 by Congregation Member Marc Levine (D-Marin County) – Foster Children: Immigration Advisor and Guardianship.
• AB 939 by Congregation member Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) – Sexual offenses: Evidence.
• AB 1138 by Assembly Member Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) – Illegal Cannabis Activities: Civil Enforcement.
• AB 1173 by Congregator Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) – Horse Racing: Prepayment Bets: Arbitration for Hub Agreements.
• AB 1222 by Assemblymember Phillip Chen (R-Yorba Linda) – Cannabis packaging: drinks.
• AB 1228 by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San Jose) – Supervised persons: release.
• AB 1337 by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San Jose) – Transport: San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District: Police duties
• AB 1477 by assembly member Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) – Mental health of mothers.
• AB 1587 of the Committee on Governmental Organization – California Horse Racing Board: Public Records: Information about the records of criminals.
• SB 73 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Probation: Eligibility: Offenses related to controlled substances.
• SB 242 from Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) – Healthcare Provider Refunds.
• SB 294 from Senator Connie Leyva (D-Chino) – Public retirement: Leave of absence: Service credit.
• SB 303 by Senator Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno) – Wealth Taxation: Transfer of Base Year Value: Disaster Relief.
• SB 310 by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) – Unused Drugs: Recycling Cancer Drugs.
• SB 380 from Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) – End of life.
• SB 390 from Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) – Employment Development Department: Recession Plan.
• SB 465 by Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) – Mental Health.
• SB 484 by Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) – House Inspections: Sewer Side Repairs.
• SB 497 by Senator Monique LimÏŒn (D-Santa Barbara) – Qualified accounts for direct deposit of publicly administered funds.
• SB 544 from Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) – Cannabis Tests.
• SB 584 by Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) – Resource Family Approval Program.
• SB 661 from Senator Josh Newman, D-Fullerton – Veterans farm and home loan program.
• SB 753 by Senator Richard D. Roth (D-Riverside) – Unemployment Information: California Workforce Development Board: Program Results.
• SB 775 by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) – Criminal murder: reassessment.
• SB 802 by Senator Richard D. Roth (D-Riverside) – Private Postsecondary Education: California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009.
• SB 819 of the Committee on Governmental Organization – Gambling Control Act.
• SB 823 of the Committee on Health – Public Health: collective draft.

The governor also announced that he has vetoed the following bills:

• AB 70 by Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) – gene synthesis provider. You can find a veto message here.
• AB 416 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) – California Deforestation-Free Procurement Act: Public Works: Wood and Wood Products. You can find a veto message here.
• AB 1021 by Assemblymember Chad Mayes (I-Rancho Mirage) – Imperial Irrigation District. You can find a veto message here.
• AB 1036 by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) – California Manufacturing Emergency Preparedness Act of 2021. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 1357 by Sabrina Cervantes, member of the Congregation (D-Riverside) – Perinatal services: maternal mental health. You can find a veto message here.
• AB 1403 by Congregation Member Marc Levine (D-Marin County) – Emergency Services. You can find a veto message here.
• AB 1444 by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San Jose) – Platforms for the delivery of food. You can find a veto message here.
• AB 1461 by Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace) – Human Services: Non-Citizen Victims. You can find a veto message here.
• SB 247 by Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) – Rare Disease Advisory Board. You can find a veto message here.
• SB 477 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – General Plan: Annual Report. You can find a veto message here.
• SB 660 by Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) – Initiative, referendum and recall petitions: Compensation for signatures. You can find a veto message here.
• SB 805 by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) – Small Performing Arts Nonprofits: Payroll and Paymaster Services: Grants. You can find a veto message here.

The full text of the bills can be found at: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

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