Assembly passes scores of bills; child-passenger safety measure AB 435 fails on the floor

The California State Assembly met in Sacramento on May 14 and approved a large package of measures affecting parks, housing conversions, public safety, data protections and agriculture while voting down AB 435, the child passenger safety bill that would have implemented the 5‑step test standard for seat‑belt fit.

The most consequential floor action was the defeat of AB 435 (Wilson), which the Assembly recorded as failing on a roll call after a motion to lift the call produced a 36–12 tally. Assemblymember Wilson had described the bill as aligning California law with research‑based best practices and urged members to adopt the 5‑step test. The Assembly adopted, by contrast, a range of other bills and two concurrent resolutions recognizing July as “Parks Make Life Better Month” (ACR 68) and proclaiming May 22 as California Maritime Day (ACR 83).

Votes at a glance (selected items and recorded outcomes)

- Motion to suspend Assembly Rule 63 (to allow certain bills reported by Appropriations to be set for second reading earlier): mover Assistant Majority Leader Garcia; second Mr. Connolly. Vote: Ayes 41, Noes 16. Motion carried.

- ACR 68 (Avila Farias) — declares July 2025 Parks Make Life Better Month in California; co‑authors added (64). Adopted by voice vote.

- ACR 83 (Wilson) — proclaims May 22 as California Maritime Day; co‑authors added (62). Roll call recorded: Ayes 61, Noes 0. Adopted.

- AB 435 (Wilson) — would have implemented the 5‑step test for child passenger restraints and extended booster requirements and back‑seat guidance. Outcome: failed on the floor after a vote reported as Ayes 36, Noes 12; author noted intent to seek reconsideration.

- AB 587 (Davies) — measure presented as a support/support item. Vote tally reported: Ayes 57, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 1445 (Haney) — Office to Housing Conversion / downtown recovery districts to finance office‑to‑housing conversions: recorded as Ayes 15, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 1197 (Calderon) — modernizes rental car laws to deter organized theft: Ayes 59, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 300 (Lackey) — requires the state fire marshal to review high fire hazard severity zones every five years: recorded as Ayes 61, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 302 (Bauer‑Kahan) — increases medical data protections for modern technologies: recorded as Ayes 46, Noes 10. Passed.

- AB 500 (Quirk‑Silva) — transparency in University of California undergraduate admissions policy decisions: recorded as Ayes 64, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 507 (Haney) — Office to Housing Conversion Act to accelerate adaptive reuse of office buildings: recorded as Ayes 56, Noes 1. Passed.

- AB 630 (Mark Gonzalez) — increases municipal authority on inoperable RVs and owner notification and reporting requirements: recorded as Ayes 61, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 779 (Lackey) — protections for domestic violence survivors in child welfare proceedings: Ayes 67, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 815 (Ortega) — ensures social service workers are not misclassified under personal auto insurance; recorded as Ayes 66, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 839 (Blanca Rubio) — expedited judicial review for certain projects and notes on sustainable aviation fuel in the description: recorded as Ayes 65, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 922 (Hoover) — authorizes UC access to a federal hiring/background system: recorded as Ayes 64, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 956 (Quirk‑Silva) — allows two detached accessory dwelling units on a single property when requirements are met: recorded as Ayes 53, Noes 4. Passed.

- AB 975 (Gallagher) — limited CEQA exemption for small bridges and culverts in Sutter County after severe flooding: recorded as Ayes 64, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 1014 (Rogers) — adjusts Caltrans speed‑assessment flexibility for rural/local jurisdictions; roll call as reported in the record was unclear; the measure was announced as passed on the floor. (Vote tally not specified in the transcript.)

- AB 1016 (Jeff Gonzalez) — increases allowed geothermal project capacity eligible for local permitting until 2030; the bill was recorded as passing (vote tally not clearly reported in the transcript excerpt).

- AB 1139 (Rogers) — adds park agencies to a narrow CEQA exemption for non‑motorized use of newly acquired land: recorded as Ayes 66, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 1412 (Jeff Gonzalez) — standardizes transfer process for students with special needs: recorded as Ayes 67, Noes 0. Passed.

- AB 1430 (Bennett) — increases first‑page recorder fee from $10 to $15 to adjust for inflation: recorded as Ayes 63, Noes 1. Passed.

- AB 525 (Lackey) — extends a farmers' exemption to the BIT (Basic Inspection of Terminals) program for five years: recorded as Ayes 69, Noes 0. Passed.

- Consent calendar (multiple bills listed in the record): adopted by roll call Ayes 67, Noes 0.

Context and immediate implications

Many of the bills passed on May 14 were described on the floor as technical, local, or programmatic fixes: fee adjustments for county recorders, narrowly tailored CEQA changes for specific counties or park operations, and state‑level clarifications for university or local government processes. Supporters framed measures such as AB 507 (office‑to‑housing conversion) and AB 1430 (recorder fee update) as tools to address housing supply and administrative funding gaps. Opponents and those urging caution were visible in the rejection of AB 435, which had drawn debate over timelines, exemptions and the interplay between age, vehicle design, and the proposed 5‑step fit test.

Procedural notes

The Assembly took several unanimous‑consent actions to allow members to introduce guests and to add co‑authors. A motion to suspend Assembly Rule 63 passed on the floor (Ayes 41, Noes 16). Multiple file items were passed and retained on file for subsequent transmittal or further action in the Senate, and the chamber adjourned until the next floor session.

What happened next

After the failed vote on AB 435 the author noted an intention to move for reconsideration. Several measures that passed on May 14 will proceed to the Senate, where final outcomes and any amendments will determine the bills' ultimate legal effect. The Assembly scheduled its next floor session for Tuesday, May 27 at 1 p.m.