California lawmakers put hundreds of bills through a major August 13 suspense-file test. Here are the measures affecting housing, health, immigration, education and small businesses that advanced — and the bills that were stopped.
California lawmakers faced one of the Legislature’s most consequential late-summer tests Thursday as Assembly and Senate appropriations committees decided which hundreds of bills would continue moving toward the end of the 2026 legislative session.
For Californians, the important question is simpler: Which bills affecting housing, health, immigration, education and small businesses are still alive?
The answer is a mixed picture.
Some major measures advanced, often with amendments that changed how they would work. Others were “held in committee,” meaning they did not advance through the suspense-file process. The official Assembly and Senate results provide the clearest picture of what survived the August 13 deadline.
California Assembly August 13 suspense results
California Senate August 13 suspense results
First: What does “survived” mean?
August 13 was not the final vote on these bills.
The Assembly and Senate Appropriations committees use suspense hearings to consider bills with significant fiscal implications. A bill receiving a “Do Pass” or “Do Pass as Amended” recommendation advanced. A bill marked “Hold in committee” did not advance through that hearing.
That distinction matters. A bill that survived the suspense file is still a proposal, not a new California law. It must continue through the legislative process before it can reach Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
The August 13 results also show that some bills survived only after significant amendments, meaning the version moving forward may differ from the proposal readers have previously seen.
Housing: Several major measures survived
Housing was one of the strongest areas of activity in the Assembly results.
SB 457 — Housing Element
SURVIVED
Senate Bill 457, by Sen. Josh Becker, received a Do Pass as Amended recommendation. The amendments address definitions and implementation of the state’s Housing Element requirements.
For cities and housing advocates, that means the measure remains in play as lawmakers continue debating how California communities plan for and accommodate housing.
SB 772 — Infill Infrastructure Grant Program
SURVIVED
SB 772 received a Do Pass as Amended recommendation. The changes modify definitions and expand the program’s applicability.
The bill is particularly relevant to the continuing effort to encourage housing development in already-developed areas rather than relying exclusively on outward expansion.
SB 1091 — Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program
SURVIVED
SB 1091 advanced with amendments clarifying timelines and definitions.
The measure is important for Californians concerned about displacement because it focuses on preservation and anti-displacement policy.
SB 1160 — Eviction Data Reporting
SURVIVED
SB 1160 advanced with amendments that include delaying implementation and making other changes.
For renters and housing researchers, the measure could affect how California collects and uses information about evictions.
SB 1388 — Affordable Housing Risk Reduction Program
SURVIVED
SB 1388 also advanced, but its proposed structure changed substantially. The Assembly recommendation would delete the loan-and-grant process and instead require the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop technical assistance upon appropriation.
SB 996 — Manufactured Housing
SURVIVED
SB 996 advanced with amendments that instead require HCD to provide a report to the Legislature and update the definition of “manufactured home” to conform with the federal ROAD to Housing Act.
Senate-side housing survivor: AB 2270
SURVIVED
The Senate Appropriations Committee also advanced AB 2270, which concerns the low-income housing tax credit and farmworker housing. The bill would change the state’s tax-credit scoring system to give farmworker housing treatment tied to large-family and rural-set-aside projects.
Why it matters: Farmworker housing is particularly important in California’s agricultural communities, where housing costs and availability can directly affect workers and families.
Health: Several health-care measures remain alive
Health legislation also produced several notable survivors.
SB 526 — Primary Care Clinics
SURVIVED
SB 526, concerning affiliate licenses for primary care clinics, received a Do Pass recommendation.
SB 1089 — GLP-1s and CalRx
SURVIVED
SB 1089 advanced with a Do Pass recommendation. The bill concerns GLP-1 medications and the state’s CalRx program.
The measure is especially worth watching as California continues wrestling with prescription-drug affordability and access.
SB 903 — AI in Psychotherapy
SURVIVED
SB 903 received a Do Pass recommendation.
Its advancement comes as lawmakers increasingly address how artificial intelligence intersects with health care and behavioral health.
SB 608 — School-Based Health
SURVIVED
SB 608 advanced with amendments changing the state’s approach to monitoring compliance.
That puts the measure at the intersection of education and health — an important combination for families.
SB 1077 — CalFresh During Federal Government Shutdowns
SURVIVED
SB 1077 advanced with amendments concerning the state’s website requirements, implementation of benefit issuance mechanisms and legislative intent language.
For families relying on food assistance, this is a particularly important bill to watch because it concerns continuity of benefits during a potential federal government shutdown.
SB 535 — Obesity Care
HELD
Not every health measure survived.
SB 535, concerning obesity care, was held in committee.
That contrast is one reason the suspense results matter: the August 13 decisions separated health proposals that will continue moving from those that stopped at this stage.
Senate-side health survivor: AB 2160
SURVIVED
The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced AB 2160, concerning Medi-Cal lactation services. The bill would require updated Medi-Cal guidance clarifying coverage for lactation education, support and consultation, including billing and reimbursement procedures.
For Medi-Cal families, that could eventually mean clearer information about what lactation services are covered and how those services are reimbursed.
Immigration: Several important measures remain alive
Immigration is one of the areas where Parriva’s coverage can provide particularly valuable service journalism because many measures involve access to legal assistance, immigration-related protections and interactions with government systems.
SB 1194 — Immigration Legal Fellowship Project
SURVIVED
SB 1194 advanced through the Assembly Appropriations Committee with a Do Pass recommendation.
The bill concerns an immigration legal fellowship project and remains alive for the next stage of the legislative process.
SB 1399 — Civil Immigration Reviews
SURVIVED
SB 1399, by Sen. María Elena Durazo, received a Do Pass recommendation.
The measure concerns civil immigration reviews and will continue moving through the Legislature.
SB 423 — Private Detention Facilities
SURVIVED
SB 423 advanced as amended. The Assembly recommendation narrows the scope of affected agencies and adds privacy protections.
That means the measure that continues forward is not identical to the earlier version.
AB 2624 — Privacy for Immigration Support Services Providers
SURVIVED
On the Senate side, AB 2624 received a Do Pass recommendation.
The bill would create privacy protections for immigration support-services providers, employees, volunteers and clients. It would also create an address-confidentiality mechanism for qualifying people connected to immigration support services and establish protections against certain online disclosure of personal information intended to threaten or harm covered individuals.
For immigrant communities, this is one of the more significant measures to watch because the legislation directly addresses privacy and safety around people who provide or receive immigration services.
Education: Bills affecting colleges, schools and students survived
Education also produced a significant group of survivors.
SB 960 — Baccalaureate Degree Programs
SURVIVED
SB 960 received a Do Pass recommendation.
SB 998 — Educational Equity
SURVIVED
SB 998 advanced with a Do Pass recommendation.
SB 845 — Work-Based Learning
SURVIVED
SB 845 advanced with author amendments described as technical changes.
SB 1083 — School Employee Egregious Misconduct
SURVIVED
SB 1083 advanced as amended. The changes address background-check requirements, requirements specific to private schools and other technical provisions.
SB 1128 — School-Issued Devices
SURVIVED
SB 1128 advanced with amendments modifying state Department of Education resources and guidance and removing the pilot program.
That makes the bill worth watching for parents and students as schools continue dealing with student technology policies.
SB 1255 — California Hispanic-Serving Institutions
SURVIVED
SB 1255 received a Do Pass recommendation.
For California’s Latino communities, this is an especially relevant education measure to continue monitoring.
AB 2694 — Community College Bachelor’s Degrees
SURVIVED
The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced AB 2694.
The measure would change the rules governing community-college baccalaureate programs, including how proposed programs are evaluated against programs offered by the California State University and University of California systems and how documented regional workforce needs are considered.
Small Business: We need to correct an earlier assumption
This is the section where our final verification changed the story.
There were business-related bills in the August 13 suspense hearings. But some of the bills we initially identified as survivors were actually held in committee.
SB 1340 — Small Business Contract Information
SURVIVED
SB 1340 received a Do Pass recommendation from Assembly Appropriations.
This is the clearest direct small-business survivor in the Assembly results and should be prominently featured in Parriva’s business coverage.
SB 700 — Investment and Innovation Program
SURVIVED
SB 700 advanced with a Do Pass recommendation.
The measure concerns the California Investment and Innovation Program and could be relevant to businesses and economic-development efforts.
SB 951 — Technological Displacement Notice
SURVIVED
SB 951 advanced as amended. The recommendation further specifies how technological-cessation notice requirements apply to contractors and larger employers.
This could matter to employers as businesses increasingly adopt automation and artificial intelligence.
SB 909 — Public Works Enforcement
SURVIVED
SB 909 advanced with amendments concerning penalty revenues and the Labor Commissioner’s enforcement fund.
The bill is relevant to contractors and businesses operating in public works.
SB 342 — Contractors: Unlicensed Work
SURVIVED
SB 342 advanced as amended to correct a drafting error.
But these small-business measures did not survive
SB 1044 — Small Business Contracts: HELD
This is important because it was initially identified as a survivor in our preliminary scan. The official August 13 Assembly results show SB 1044 was held in committee.
SB 1032 — Staffing Agency Registration: HELD
SB 1032 was also held in committee.
SB 587 — Manufacturing Tax Credit: HELD
SB 587, which concerns a manufacturing tax credit, was held in committee.
That is a meaningful distinction for business readers: August 13 did not simply advance a broad package of small-business legislation. Some measures moved forward while several potentially significant business proposals stopped.
What should California readers watch next?
Surviving August 13 does not mean these bills are becoming law.
The measures still have to navigate the remaining stages of the legislative process before the session concludes.
California lawmakers are now entering the final stretch of the 2026 session, with the Legislature scheduled to adjourn at the end of August. That means bills that survived the suspense file now face another critical series of votes, negotiations and potential amendments.
The key takeaway is therefore:
August 13 separated the bills that still have a path forward from many that do not — but the surviving bills still have work to do before they can become California law.
The most important thing for Californians to remember is that “survived” does not mean “passed.” It means the bill cleared this particular legislative hurdle.
For Parriva readers, that distinction matters. The next question is not simply which bills survived.
It is:
Which of these bills could actually change your housing costs, health care, immigration options, education opportunities or ability to run a business — and will they make it through the final weeks of the 2026 legislative session?
