Eight Connolly Bills Become California Law

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB (Assembly Bill) 1778, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael)’s final bill up for consideration to be signed into California law. This is Assemblymember Connolly’s eighth bill to be signed into law for the 2024 legislative session, and completes this year’s legislative package.

“I am incredibly proud to see this bill package cross the finish line, covering a range of issue areas including pesticide regulations, student wellbeing, and environmental stewardship,” said Assemblymember Connolly. “I greatly appreciate the engagement and advocacy of the constituents of the North Bay. The ideas and feedback from the Assembly District 12 community have played a key role in this legislative package, and it is an honor to represent such a passionate community.”

The following bills by Assemblymember Connolly have been signed into law: 

1. AB 1778: Authorizes a pilot program in Marin County prohibiting kids under sixteen years of age from riding a class 2 e-bike and requiring helmet use.
2. AB 1790: Requires the California State University system to strengthen protections against sexual harassment and update their policies on sexual harassment complaints and allegations. This bill was part of the “A Call to Action” bill package, which  aims to address and prevent sex discrimination and sexual harassment at California’s public higher education institutions.
3. AB 1864: Children attending public schools and daycares in California are supposed to be protected by a regulation that restricts the most drift-prone agricultural pesticide applications during the school day, but this regulation is often unenforceable. AB 1864 improves the regulation and extends these protections to students, teachers, and staff in private schools. 
4. AB 2143: Cleans up and consolidates code sections related to the state fairgrounds to make California law easier to access for the public and fairground operators.
5. AB 2196: Makes the beaver restoration program permanent in California statute, ensuring non-lethal relocations and coexistence efforts with the North American beaver continue. This bill is sponsored by the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. 
6. AB 2251: Authorizes school districts to exempt high school students with absences related to their mental or physical health from additional graduation requirements to prevent penalization of struggling students. 
7. AB 2897: Expands the definition of a community land trust in state law to include non-residential purposes, so that a community land trust can effectively adapt to the needs of its community and serve as a garden, nonprofit office space, small business retail, or provide other vital community services. AB 2897 is sponsored by the California Community Land Trust Network.
8. AB 2968: Ensures that schools in “high” or “very high” fire hazard severity zones have wildfire evacuation plans in their comprehensive school safety plans. This bill was the winner of our “There Ought to be a Law” contest!

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Assemblymember Connolly represents the entirety of Marin County and Southern Sonoma County