California legislators are slammed trying to get through hundreds of bills before the clock strikes midnight on Saturday.

They still have more than 600 bills to consider after Tuesday’s sessions, according to lobbyist and legislative observer Chris Micheli. 

But they’re not too busy to fete departing colleagues — and they’re quite a few of them. Of the 120 legislators, 34 are either terming out, running for other offices or just stepping aside. (They could also be looking for lobbying jobs.)

As CalMatters’ Sameea Kamal reports, the Assembly wrapped up its floor session early for an intimate reception Tuesday evening in the state Capitol basement to say their goodbyes.

Besides the reception, there have been hours of sometimes tearful tributes — and needling — during floor sessions last week and this week. The exodus is partly due to a historically large class of legislators elected in 2012, who are now hitting the 12-year term limit. There was another “great resignation” in 2022 due to redistricting, as well as term limits and other political opportunities.

Now, back to the bill action:

• Pharmacy fight: A bill to rein in pharmacy benefit managers, who are liaisons between health insurance companies and drug makers, is facing strong opposition from major pharmaceutical retailers, including CVS Caremark, writes CalMatters health reporter Kristen Hwang. The bill, co-sponsored by the California Pharmacists Association, would require these managers to disclose the prices and discounts negotiated with drug companies, and would direct all discounts to be passed onto insurance plans. The author of the bill, Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, says companies such as CVS are “overdue for regulation.” But industry stakeholders warn the new rules could increase health premiums for Californians by $1.7 billion in the first year and $20 billion over ten years. Read more about the issue in Kristen’s story.

• Undocumented students: CalMatters is keeping track of the key bills heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, including one bill to allow undocumented students to work on campus at public colleges. As CalMatters higher education reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn explains, due to their status, these students cannot receive federal aid and loans, shutting them out of funds to pay for tuition, rent and other necessities. A handful of Republicans have voted against the bill, and while the state’s college systems do not officially oppose the measure, they have raised concerns about potentially violating federal law, which could jeopardize billions of dollars tied up in federal contracts.

• Doxxing lawsuits: The Legislature passed a proposal to allow doxxing victims to sue their attackers in civil court for as much as $30,000, reports CalMatters politics intern Jenna Peterson. Co-sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League, the bill is backed by a number of LGBTQ+ and Jewish organizations. Though there’s no recorded opposition, five Republican senators voted against the bill Monday. It now awaits Newsom’s decision. 

• School security: Jenna also reported this week on a proposal to lift state requirements for public school teachers to report to police if a student assaults them. The bill has been amended to keep mandatory police notification if a student assaults or threatens a teacher. But the bill would still allow teachers to decide whether to involve police if a student is using or in possession of drugs, and it would decriminalize willful disturbance by students.

Another bill awaiting Gov. Newsom’s verdict is a proposal that would make it easier for cities and counties to set up tiny homes, which have increasingly been used in response to the state’s homelessness crisis. 

As CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall explains in CalMatters’ bill tracker, tiny homes are less expensive and easier to build than traditional housing. The bill by Sen. Josh Becker, a Menlo Park Democrat, would exempt tiny homes from some environmental regulations. Supporters include the mayors of San Jose and San Francisco, several Yes In My Backyard advocacy groups and the public policy nonprofit SPUR. 

The bill has no formal opposition, but a similar effort by Becker died last year. Groups including the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the Western Center on Law & Poverty opposed the measure, arguing that it characterized tiny homes as permanent housing — not temporary shelter. Becker’s bill this year specifies that tiny homes are temporary housing.

Two other homelessness bills have already been signed into law. On Tuesday, Newsom announced he had signed Assembly Bill 2835, which makes permanent a provision in a 2022 law requiring hotels and motels in shelter programs to protect residents. He also signed AB 3057, which exempts some accessory dwelling units from certain environmental rules, allowing local governments to approve more affordable shelter units faster.

Meanwhile, Sacramento’s experimental, city-sanctioned homeless encampment known as Camp Resolution has shut down, reports The Sacramento Bee. On Monday, police declared the site a crime scene and cleared away residents. The camp was promoted by city officials as a prospective model for providing unhoused residents a “legal” place to stay, but was beleaguered by unsafe conditions and alleged crime. It is unclear what the city will do with the site.

As part of our partnership with PBS SoCal, Marisa and producer Robert Meeks also have a video segment on Marisa’s story about how some cities are cracking down on encampments, following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling and an executive order from Gov. Newsom. Watch it here.

SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.

California Voices

CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: With 28 months left in his second term, Gov. Newsom’s accomplishments are scant so far — especially on health care, housing and the state budget.

Two views on Proposition 35, on a tax on health care plans: 

The measure addresses urgent health care demand by securing Medi-Cal funding for more than 14 million Californians, writes Edgar Chavez, a family medicine physician in Los Angeles.

The proposition will hurt families with complex health needs who rely on home health nurses, writes Analicia Brokloff, a Sacramento mother of two.