These priority bills include:

AB 418 (Gabriel, D-Encino) Food Additive Ban. Circumvents existing processes that already assess the safety of food additives, including programs of the federal Food and Drug Administration, California Department of Public Health (which already is analyzing synthetic food dyes), and Proposition 65, arguably the most risk-averse chemical law in the world. The current regulatory environment provides significant scientific oversight where qualified regulators review hazards and risks.

AB 524 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Expansion of Litigation Under FEHA. Exposes employers to costly litigation under the Fair Employment and Housing Act by asserting that any adverse employment action was in relation to the employee’s family caregiver status, which is broadly defined to include any employee who contributes to the care of any person of their choosing, and creates a de facto accommodation requirement that will burden small businesses.

SB 365 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Undermines Arbitration. Discriminates against use of arbitration agreements by allowing trial courts to continue trial proceedings during any appeal regarding the denial of a motion to compel, undermining arbitration and increasing court and party time and resources spent on cases that ultimately are sent to arbitration.

SB 253 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Corporate Climate Accountability Act. Imposes a mandatory climate tracking, and auditing on climate emissions that will fall heavily on all California businesses, impacting competitiveness and increasing costs.

SB 261 (Stern; D-Canoga Park) Climate-Related Financial Risk. Requires any business with revenues over $500 million annually to prepare a climate financial risk assessment on its holdings including any supply chain assets.

SB 616 (Gonzalez; D-Long Beach) Costly Sick Leave Expansion on All Employers. Imposes new costs and leave requirements on employers of all sizes, by increasing existing sick leave mandate, which is in addition to all other enacted leave mandates that small employers throughout the state are already struggling with to implement and comply.