Senate committee advances a slate of health, housing, consumer and energy bills; votes send most measures to appropriations

The Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development met Monday, July 14, in Sacramento and advanced a broad set of bills on public health, consumer protection, professional licensing and energy affordability, sending most to the Senate Appropriations Committee or the Senate floor for further action.

Committee Chair Ashby opened the hearing and the panel took testimony on roughly 16 items. Committee members and outside witnesses debated public-health measures (notably AB 309, which would remove sunset provisions allowing nonprescription syringe sales), animal-safety and shelter reforms (AB 478 and AB 631), construction and licensing reforms affecting developers and professionals (AB 782, AB 1175, AB 759), pharmacy and nursing practice changes (AB 1503, AB 876, AB 968), consumer protections for delivery platforms (AB 578), cannabis-testing oversight (AB 1027), and a multifaceted energy and transmission financing proposal (AB 825).

AB 309 — syringes and public health

Assemblymember Zibur presented AB 309 as a public-health bill that would remove sunset dates on statutes allowing pharmacists to sell sterile syringes without a prescription and clarifying that possession of sterile syringes for personal use is not a crime. Michelle Rivas of the California Pharmacists Association testified the measure “removes a sunset on a vital public health provision allowing pharmacists to continue providing nonprescription access to syringes,” noting pharmacies help patients adhere to prescribed medication regimens. Laura Thomas, senior director of HIV and Harm Reduction Policy at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, testified that “these types of syringe access programs do not increase syringe litter” and that increased syringe access reduces syringe sharing — a key driver of HIV and viral hepatitis transmission. The committee voted to move AB 309 to the Senate Appropriations Committee (motion passed; recorded vote in committee: 5 yes, 1 no).

Why it matters: Testimony cited state and national public-health studies and cost estimates; the bill keeps in place a set of syringe-access tools that sponsors say lower transmission of HIV and viral hepatitis without increasing drug use.

AB 478 — pet rescue procedures in evacuations

Assemblymember Zibur also presented AB 478, which would require cities or counties, at their next update of emergency plans, to include procedures for rescuing pets in mandatory evacuation zones, post online resources on pet evacuation and reunification, and extend reclaim time for rescued animals before transfer or adoption to allow owners time and dignity to reclaim pets. Nicholas Sackett of Social Compassion in Legislation described incidents during recent wildfires when residents entered evacuation zones to rescue animals and urged planning that reduces those risks. The bill passed out of committee to Appropriations (motion passed; committee vote 6–0).

AB 782 —…