Peace Officers Research Association of California

State Advocacy

August at the Capitol: The Home Stretch

With the Legislature back in Sacramento, the final month of the 2025-26 Legislative Session is officially underway. Over the next several weeks, lawmakers will negotiate amendments, move bills through the Appropriations Committees, and secure final floor votes before the Legislature adjourns on August 31. Bills that clear the Legislature will then head to Governor Newsom, who has until September 30 to sign or veto legislation. As always, these closing weeks will determine the fate of many of the year’s most significant public safety proposals.

PORAC remains actively engaged on nearly 100 bills this legislative session, advocating for measures that strengthen public safety while opposing legislation that would negatively impact California’s peace officers. PORAC’s sponsored and co-sponsored measures continue to successfully advance through the legislative process:

  • AB 1383 (McKinnor): Would modernize California’s public safety pension system to help agencies recruit and retain experienced peace officers.
  • AB 1564 (Ahrens): Would protect confidential communications between peace officers and their employee representatives.
  • AB 2656 (Petrie-Norris): Would require public employers to provide at least 45 days’ notice before implementing artificial intelligence systems that affect represented employees.

PORAC also continues working on a number of high-priority opposition measures, including advocating for amendments to SB 1105 (Pérez) and AB 1537 (Bryan) to preserve vital federal-state task force partnerships while protecting peace officers’ ability to participate in legitimate joint public safety operations.

The weeks ahead will require constant engagement at the Capitol. PORAC’s legislative team will continue meeting with lawmakers, negotiating amendments, advancing sponsored legislation, and advocating on the many other measures that impact California’s peace officers and the communities they serve. As the Legislature approaches its August 31 deadline, every conversation, every amendment, and every vote matters.