When I first ran for office, I said that I would hit the ground running starting on day one. I didn’t make that promise lightly. I knew it would be difficult to start a new job, navigate the legislative process, and ensure our community’s voice was heard and represented in our work.
I ran for office because I also knew the urgency of our work. Coming out of the pandemic, we saw people struggle to pay rent and mortgages, high gas prices, and the economic struggle continues for too many.
So, starting on our first day in office, we got to work on the issues most impacting our community — housing people can afford, solutions to homelessness, access to health care, and keeping our community safe.
The legislative process is a complex one with many steps. Just last week, all of the legislators’ bills went through what is called “House of Origin,” which is when all Assembly bills either make it off the Assembly floor to go to the Senate, or they fail to get enough votes to do so and they die for this legislative cycle.
I am so incredibly proud that, due to the hard work of our team, the advocates fighting for these issues, and our community, all 11 of our bills made it off the Assembly floor and are on to the Senate, more than half with bipartisan support!
These bills are a reflection of the priorities I heard about from thousands in our community and the reasons I ran in the first place.
Below is a summary of our bills. We will work to keep everyone updated on the progress of these bills as they go through the Senate, come back to the Assembly, and then go to the governor for signing.
To everyone who played a part in helping us get elected and fighting for these issues, I am so grateful — it is truly the honor of a lifetime to serve our community as your Assembly member. I look forward to all of the work we have ahead to make our district the best it can be and ensure all people have the opportunity to thrive.
Summary of Legislation
Housing and Homelessness
• IDs for Low Income & Unhoused Californians (Assembly Bill 464): Exempts individuals who meet specified eligibility requirements for specified assistance programs from paying a fee for various vital records.
• Streamline Affordable & Homeless Housing Development (AB 519): Reduces administrative costs to produce affordable housing by establishing a workgroup tasked with developing a unified application and review process for affordable housing grants, loans and tax incentives.
• Remove Red Tape on Affordable Housing (AB 911):
Creates a faster delivery of affordable homes and financing throughout the state by streamlining the covenant removal process and allowing affordable housing developers to remove the restrictive density requirement prior to purchase of the property.
Health Care
• Protecting Medicare for Seniors (Assembly Joint Resolution 4): Urges President Joe Biden to end the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health Model, eliminating corporate profiteering and expanding consumer-directed access to care established through traditional Medicare.
• Postpartum Perinatal & Infant Care (AB 608): Provides nurturing, supportive and culturally competent postpartum care for new moms enrolled in Medi-Cal for a full year after a pregnancy ends.
• Sick Day for Nurses & Healthcare Workers (AB 1359):
Provides health workers, who encounter and treat illness every day, additional sick days to perform the best for their patients.
• Electronic Medical Record Accessibility (AB 1697): Permits the use of electronic signatures to authorize disclosure of medical information and genetic test results, reducing administrative barriers patients face in authorizing medical providers to share their medical records.
Creating Safe Communities
• Elder & Adult Abuse Reporting (AB 751): Ensures older adults and people with disabilities who are victims of major crimes receive the care and support from law enforcement they need.
• Gun Safety Training for Concealed Carry (AB 1133): Centralizes information on proper concealed carry practices and creates statewide testing standards in order to receive a concealed carry permit.
• Banning Hazardous Chemicals in Astroturf (AB 1423): Prohibits the manufacture or sale of artificial turf that contain the toxic forever chemicals beginning in 2025 and creates an installation moratorium starting in 2024 for public entities, public or private schools, or public or private institutions of higher learning.
• Community Water Protection (AB 1631): Allows for a review by the State Water Resources Control Board of applications still pending for 30 years or more, which includes the application for the CEMEX mega-mine.
Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, represents the 40th Assembly District, which includes most of the Santa Clarita Valley in addition to the northwest San Fernando Valley. “Democratic Voices” appears Tuesdays and rotates among local Democrats.
