The 2021–22 session is the most recent former session of the California State Legislature. The session first convened on December 7, 2020 and ended November 30, 2022.
Major events
Vacancies and special elections
December 6, 2020: Democratic senator Holly Mitchell (30th–Los Angeles) resigns one day before the session begins to take her seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors January 29, 2021: Democratic assemblymember Shirley Weber (79th–San Diego) resigns to become Secretary of State March 11, 2021: Democratic assemblymember Sydney Kamlager (54th–Los Angeles) resigns and is sworn into office after winning the March 2 special election for the 30th State Senate district to replace Mitchell April 19, 2021: Democratic councilmember Akilah Weber (La Mesa) is sworn into office after winning the April 6 special election for the 79th State Assembly district to replace her mother April 23, 2021: Democratic assemblymember Rob Bonta (18th–Alameda) resigns to become Attorney General May 28, 2021: Democratic policy advisor Isaac Bryan (Los Angeles) is sworn into office after winning the May 18th special election for the 54th State Assembly district to replace Kamlager September 7, 2021: Democratic school board member Mia Bonta (Alameda) is sworn into office after winning the August 31 special election for the 18th State Assembly district to replace her husband October 31, 2021: Democratic assemblymember David Chiu (17th-San Francisco) resigns to become the City Attorney of San Francisco December 10, 2021: Democratic assemblymember Ed Chau (49th-Arcadia) resigns to become a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court December 31, 2021: Democratic assemblymember Jim Frazier (11th-Discovery Bay) resigns to work in the transportation sector January 5, 2022: Democratic assemblymember Lorena Gonzales (80th-San Diego) resigns to become leader of the California Federation of Labor of the AFL–CIO January 31, 2022: Democratic assemblymember Autumn Burke (62nd-Marina Del Ray) resigns due to family challenges from the COVID-19 Pandemic February 22, 2022: Democratic county administrator Mike Fong (Alhambra) is sworn into office after winning the February 15 special election for the 49th State Assembly district to replace Chau April 6, 2022: Democratic mayor Lori Wilson (Suisun City) is sworn into office after winning the April 5 special election for the 11th State Assembly district to replace Frazier May 3, 2022: Democratic county supervisor Matt Haney (San Francisco) is sworn into office after winning the April 19 special election for the 17th State Assembly district to replace Chiu June 15, 2022: Democratic former city councilmen David Alvarez (Barrio Logan) is sworn into office after winning the June 7 special election for the 80th State Assembly district to replace Gonzales June 20, 2022: Democratic activist and former legislative staffer Tina McKinnor (Hawthorne) is sworn into office after winning the June 7 special election for the 62nd State Assembly district to replace Burke
Leadership changes January 20, 2021: Republican senator Scott Wilk (21st–Santa Clarita) replaces senator Shannon Grove (16th–Bakersfield) as Senate minority leader, as Grove was ousted after she incorrectly blamed the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol on antifa. January 19, 2022: Democratic senator Mike McGuire (2nd-Healdsburg) replaces senator Robert Hertzberg (18th-Van Nuys) as Senate majority leader February 8, 2022: Republican assemblymember James Gallagher (3rd–Yuba City) replaces assemblymember Marie Waldron (75th–Valley Center) as Assembly minority leader.
Legislation In 2022, notable laws passed included:
A new court system for people with mental illness and addiction called the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court (CARE Court) AB257 for unionization of fast-food workers AB2011 and its companion SB6 for changing permitting processes to streamline affordable housing AB 2097, a ban on parking minimums for buildings within of public transit. For climate change, a variety of climate-related bills which were part of an agenda by Governor Newsom, including: a bill which would keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant open until 2035 a law named the California Climate Crisis Act, AB1279, which was similar to a proposed law of the same name in 2021 which did not pass For reproductive rights, expanded access to abortion For gun reform, laws which allowed victims of gun violence to sue gun manufacturers A law allowing the California Medical Board to discipline doctors who promote misinformation about COVID-19 vaccination On plastic pollution and plastic recycling, SB54 was passed which requires 65 percent of single-use plastic to be recycled by 2032; this law had been originally introduced in 2018 and had been the subject of lengthy negotiation over 4 years In 2021, notable laws passed included:
Several police reform laws, including SB2 which outlines a process for officers to be removed for misconduct, including facing potential civil liability A law to prevent wildfires through preventive measures, including through hiring more state employees A climate change law (AB1395) named the California Climate Crisis Act failed to pass, but a similar bill (AB1279) with the same name passed in 2022 California HOME Act (SB9), which creates a legal process by which owners of certain single-family homes can create additional units on their property, and prohibits cities and counties from interference
State Senate
319 Democratic Republican
Officers Position Name Party District Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis Democratic President pro tempore Toni Atkins Democratic 39th–San Diego Majority leader Mike McGuire Democratic 2nd-Healdsburg Assistant majority leader Susan Eggman Democratic 5th-Stockton Majority whip Nancy Skinner Democratic 9th–Berkeley Assistant majority whips Maria Elena Durazo Democratic 24th–Los Angeles Scott Wiener Democratic 11th–San Francisco Democratic caucus chair Connie Leyva Democratic 20th–Chino Minority leader Scott Wilk Republican 21st–Santa Clarita Secretary Erika Contreras Sergeant-at-Arms Jodie O. Barnett III Chaplain Sister Michelle Gorman, RSM
The Secretary, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the chaplain are not members of the Legislature.
Members District Name Party Residence Term-limited? Notes 1 Brian Dahle Republican Bieber2Mike McGuireDemocraticHealdsburgMajority Leader since January 19, 2022 3 Bill Dodd Democratic Napa 4 Jim Nielsen Republican Red BluffYes 5 Susan Eggman Democratic Stockton 6 Richard Pan Democratic SacramentoYes 7 Steve Glazer Democratic Orinda 8 Andreas Borgeas Republican Fresno 9 Nancy Skinner Democratic Berkeley 10 Bob Wieckowski Democratic FremontYes 11 Scott Wiener Democratic San Francisco 12 Anna Caballero Democratic Salinas 13 Josh Becker Democratic Menlo Park 14 Melissa Hurtado Democratic Sanger 15 Dave Cortese Democratic San Jose 16 Shannon Grove Republican Bakersfield Minority Leader March 1, 2019 to January 20, 2021 17 John Laird Democratic Carmel 18 Robert Hertzberg Democratic Van NuysYesMajority Leader January 7, 2019 to January 19, 2022 19 Monique Limón Democratic Santa Barbara 20 Connie Leyva Democratic Chino 21 Scott Wilk Republican Santa Clarita Minority Leader since January 20, 2021 22 Susan Rubio Democratic Baldwin Park 23 Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh Republican Yucaipa 24 Maria Elena Durazo Democratic Los Angeles 25 Anthony Portantino Democratic La Cañada Flintridge 26 Ben Allen Democratic Santa Monica 27 Henry Stern Democratic Malibu 28 Melissa Melendez RepublicanLake Yes 29 Josh Newman Democratic Fullerton30Vacant from December 7, 2020 to March 11, 2021Sydney KamlagerDemocraticLos Angeles 31 Richard Roth Democratic Riverside 32 Bob Archuleta Democratic Pico Rivera 33 Lena Gonzalez Democratic Long Beach 34 Tom Umberg Democratic Santa Ana 35 Steven Bradford Democratic Gardena 36 Patricia Bates Republican Laguna NiguelYes Minority Leader until March 1, 2019 37 Dave Min Democratic Irvine 38 Brian Jones Republican Santee 39 Toni Atkins Democratic San Diego President pro tempore 40 Ben Hueso Democratic San DiegoYes
State Assembly
59 1 19 Democratic I Republican
Officers Position Name Party District Speaker Anthony Rendon Democratic 63rd–Lakewood Speaker pro tempore Kevin Mullin Democratic 22nd–South San Francisco Assistant speaker pro tempore Mia Bonta Democratic 18th–Alameda Majority leader Eloise Reyes Democratic 47th–Grand Terrace Assistant majority leader Chris Ward Democratic 78th–San Diego Assistant majority leader for policy and research Tasha Boerner Horvath Democratic 76th–Encinitas Democratic caucus chair Mike Gipson Democratic 64th–Carson Republican leader James Gallagher Republican 3rd–Yuba City Acting Chief Clerk Sue Parker Acting Chief Sergeant-at-Arms Alisa Buckley Chaplain Imam Mohammad "Yasir" Khan
The Chief Clerk, the acting Chief Sergeant-at-Arms, and the chaplain are not members of the Legislature.
Members