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On Tuesday, California lawmakers held a news conference introducing a bipartisan environmental bill — Assembly Bill 1624 — aimed at strengthening protections for the Golden State's public lands from federally-backed "privatization and irreversible development."

Led by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, D-Hollywood, the conference took place on the southwest lawn of the Capitol, where Zbur criticized the Trump administration's push for land policies that could cause significant environmental harm for California's lands.

SACRAMENTO, Calif — During the COVID-19 pandemic, Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur was helping his mom get medication, but what he thought would be a straightforward call to the pharmacy turned into hours spent on hold.

"I finally ended up just actually taking my cell phone with me. And while I was on hold still, and driving over to the pharmacy and showing them that I had been holding for 4 hours, and of course they weren't doing anything to answer the phones," Zbur said

Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, who represents Santa Monica and parts of Los Angeles, introduced the bill earlier this year. He told LAist January's fires showed that officials hadn't thought about steps to keep pets, and the people who love them, safe when disaster strikes.

"California has stepped up to really recognize how important people's pets are as part of their families," Zbur said. "We actually have learned from some of the gaps we had in our laws and procedures."

This victory was years in the making. Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur and Dawn Addis worked closely with the Jewish, Black , Latino and AAPI caucuses — backed by the largest coalition of Jewish organizations ever assembled for Capitol legislation. After three different bills, countless amendments and feedback from education leaders, civil-rights advocates and legislators of every background, the north star for this two-year effort was protecting students.

While the absence of state funding is a valid concern, supporters of the FOUND Act, including Judie Mancuso and Social Compassion in Legislation, maintain that integrating animal response planning into existing emergency frameworks is both practical and overdue. They emphasize that preparedness should include the entire family, pets included. As Assemblymember Rick Zbur noted, the bill is rooted in compassion and common sense, ensuring that cities and counties develop clear procedures in advance to protect both people and animals when disasters strike.

Thank you to all the advocates who pushed forward this common-sense bill to continue effective HIV prevention. AB 309 made permanent a law that allows people age 18 or older to get clean needles and syringes from pharmacists and physicians without a prescription. Letting people who inject drugs get clean equipment from doctors and pharmacists helps them avoid sharing needles, and in that way prevents the spread of HIV, hepatitis C, and other infectious diseases. The law permitting this practice was set to expire on January 1, 2026, but AB 309 removed that expiration date.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed three bills into law this week authored by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur that address pet rescue during disasters, streamline identity document changes for transgender Californians and maintain access to sterile syringes for disease prevention.

The most prominent measure, AB 478 known as the FOUND Act, requires cities and counties to establish procedures for rescuing pets during mandatory evacuations. The bill was inspired by the story of Oreo, a Pomeranian who survived five days in debris from the Palisades Fire before being reunited with his owner.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 648, a bill to streamline student, staff and faculty housing projects on community college campuses like Santa Monica College, into law on Oct. 7. The bill was introduced by Santa Monica Assemblymember and Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur, and sponsored by Santa Monica College, Abundant Housing LA, Student Homes Coalition, and the Los Angeles Community College District.

California Assemblymember Rick Zbur has introduced new legislation called the FOUND (Friends of Oreo Uniting During Disasters) Act, a proposal designed to make sure no one is ever forced to leave their beloved pet behind when disaster strikes.

"The FOUND Act is something that embraces what we all understand, how important our pets are and that they are parts of our family," Zbur said.

The bill was prompted by a 2024 case in Stanislaus County where a transgender woman was harassed after being outed when her court records became public. The 5th District Court of Appeal ruled that such records could be sealed, but left the decision to judicial discretion. SB 59 codifies stronger and more consistent privacy protections statewide.

The bill is co-authored by Senators Chris Cabaldon, John Laird, Steve Padilla, Sasha Pérez, and Sabrina Cervantes, along with Assemblymembers Alex Lee, Chris Ward, José Luis Solache, Jr., Mark Gonzalez, Rick Zbur, and Corey Jackson.