Senator Ashby's Legislation

SB 6 – Use of Xylazine Prevention Act 

Xylazine, commonly referred to as “Tranq” or the “zombie drug,” is known for rendering its users unable to stand up, creating gaping wounds and often necessitating amputation. It is a potent veterinary sedative that is increasingly becoming trafficked in California. It is often coupled with fentanyl, creating the countries deadliest street drug combination. Additionally, its effects cannot be reversed by Narcan, making it far more difficult to treat in emergency situations. SB 6 adds xylazine to the list of Schedule III controlled substances, which will allow California to restrict illicit use of the drug, while also protecting its intended purpose in veterinary medicine. This bill is part of the Senate’s Safer California package.

Referred to Senate Appropriations

SB 8 – Sacramento Park Rangers Protection Act

Sacramento County Park Rangers are not given the same workers’ compensation and disability protections granted to other state park rangers or law enforcement agencies. SB 8 gives county and special district park rangers of Sacramento the same protections afforded to other law enforcement agencies, including park rangers in Los Angeles County, and law enforcement throughout California.

Referred to the Senate Floor 

SB 11 – Artificial Intelligence Abuse Protection Act
Establishes a legal framework for regulating artificial intelligence voice, image, and video cloning technology by providing legal recourse for victims, requiring consumer warnings on AI cloning software, and preventing AI-generated evidence tampering in the courts. SB 11 would be the first bill of its kind in California, creating a civil action and remedy for the unauthorized use of someone’s voice or image – an issue that primarily impacts women when nude images or pornographic videos are created using AI.

Referred to Senate Public Safety 

SB 50 – Victim Digital Safety Act
Adds a layer of protection for victims of domestic violence and harassment by requiring tech companies to swiftly cut off an abuser’s access to internet-connected devices and shared accounts and expands the definition of harassment covered under restraining orders to include digital harassment through apps and connected devices. A doorbell app is very convenient, but imagine the control of such a tool in the hands of an abuser. SB 50 ensures California laws keep pace with technology.

Referred to Senate Appropriations 

 

SB 319 – Public Safety Transparency Act
Delivers on the promise made to voters by creating funding transparency and ensuring the successful and accurate implementation of Proposition 36 statewide. Prop 36 was a ballot measure passed in November 2024 that classified some misdemeanors as felonies and required courts to develop mental health and drug treatment programs for people charged with new “treatment-mandated felony” drug offenses. SB 319 will ensure that funding is being effectively and efficiently used to implement Prop 36 at both the state and local level.

Referred to Senate Public Safety 

SB 370 – California Music Festival Preservation Grant Program
Establishes a grant program to ensure California invests in our creative economy and events, such as multi-day music festivals, which generate millions in revenue to the host region. SB 370 provides resources and state support to independent live music events to help them continue to operate in California, instead of leaving for other states.

Referred to Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development 

SB 414 – Charter School Transparency Act
Increases transparency for charter schools across the state by strengthening auditing, contracting, and enrollment policies. SB 414 will better ensure charter schools are operating efficiently and successfully when educating California’s next generation of leaders.

Referred to Senate Education

SB 456 – Community Beautification Act
Creates a licensing exemption for muralists, which will allow them to continue to accept commissioned work opportunities for public and private art pieces in our communities. Absent the passage of this important bill, the beautiful murals seen all across the Golden State will be at risk.

Referred to Senate Appropriations

SB 478 - Statewide School Library Lead Act
Creates a Statewide School Library Lead to support educators and schools in developing essential school library services and increasing literacy rates. Literacy is a key indicator of a successful academic and professional trajectory. SB 478 is one of a series of bills I have authored in an effort to improve California’s 3rd grade reading levels across the entire state.

Referred to Senate Education
 

SB 516 – California Capital City Downtown Revitalization Act
Allows Sacramento to capture additional state funding and offset lost tax revenue by requiring the state to provide funding to fill the financial gaps caused by the large number of state-owned, tax-exempt properties in its downtown core.

Referred to Senate Local Government
 

SB 562 – Debt Free Justice Act
Under current law, there are no circumstances in which someone can receive their money back from a bail bond company, even if the person ultimately does not have any charges filed against them, or if their charges are dismissed. SB 562 adds a very narrow exception to current law, by allowing someone who has been arrested, but within 21 days of their court hearing has no charges filed or their charges dismissed, they can request a refund of the money paid to a bail bond company, minus administrative fees and state taxes.

Referred to Senate Public Safety 

SB 639 – Sacramento Flood Control Authorization Act
Ensures the City and County of Sacramento achieve their urban level of flood protection designation, which is required to keep our communities safe, by extending the deadline for this level of protection to be reached from 2026 to 2030.

Referred to Senate Local Government 

 

SB 641 – Enhanced Consumer Protections and Business Recovery after Disaster Assistance
Protects consumers and licensed professionals affected by wildfires or natural disasters by allowing certain licensing requirements to be waived or exempt during a state of emergency. SB 641 will ensure professionals can maintain their licensure status, safeguarding their ability to work without facing administrative burdens. SB 641 will also strengthen protections for disaster survivors by addressing predatory real estate practices, and holding unlicensed contractors accountable. This bill is part of the Senate’s Fire Response Package.

Referred to Senate Public Safety 

SB 720 – Safer Streets Act
Protects pedestrians and supports increased street safety by creating an opt-in program for local governments to apply a new red light camera system. SB 720 reduces insurance costs for consumers and moves red light violations from the criminal code to the civil code – removing any requirement to report to an insurance company. SB 720 more accurately holds red light violators accountable and generate revenue for local governments.

Referred to Senate Judiciary

SB 761 – CalFresh for Students Act
Increases Cal Fresh benefits, commonly known as food stamps, to college students by allowing them to opt-in to receive notifications about their potential eligibility for CalFresh. SB 761 also expands the population of students eligible for the CalFresh exemption. Students will be notified of eligibility to ensure they can better pursue assistance with access to food while completing their education.

Referred to Senate Education 

 

SB 802 – Housing Priority for Vulnerable Populations
Ensures a portion of all state funding distributed by the California Department of Housing and Community Development prioritizes foster youth, people experiencing homelessness, and those who may be experiencing street violence, domestic violence and abuse, sexual abuse and assault, and human trafficking. These categories are disproportionately female and LGBTQ+ individuals – two populations often left out of the emergency housing dialogue. SB 802 makes them a priority.

Referred to Senate Human Services 

SB 850 – Women's Prison Reform Act
Ensures the rights and dignity of incarcerated women are upheld, sexual abuse is prevented, and perpetrators are held fully accountable by addressing the systemic issues of sexual violence and power imbalances within California’s correctional facilities. SB 850 improves the safety in our women’s prisons by:
•    Revoking the pension, including any vested amounts, of any correctional staff convicted of sexually assaulting an incarcerated person;
•    Eliminating solo shifts for correctional staff in all women’s prisons;
•    Installing heat-sensitive (thermal) cameras in restrooms;
•    Mandating the completion of fixed cameras ordered by courts or the legislature by 2028;
•    Allowing incarcerated women to request a single cell unit from a Lieutenant on site; and
•    Requiring the construction of 100 new single-cell units at the Central California Women’s Facility for use by incarcerated women who seek respite.

Referred to Senate Public Safety