Senator Cortese’s 2026 Legislative Accomplishments

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As the 2026 legislative session concludes, I want to share the laws, resolutions, and budget investments our office advanced to serve Senate District 15 and communities across California. Governor Gavin Newsom signed nine bills that I authored, and I worked with colleagues to advance additional priorities.

This work reflects the contributions of residents, local leaders, advocates, workers, businesses, and community organizations. Your experiences helped shape our legislative priorities, and I am grateful to the many partners who helped move these efforts forward.

Below are the Senate bills I championed this legislative session

SB 33: Resolving Payment Disputes on Public Projects
Makes permanent the process contractors use to resolve payment disputes on public construction projects. Helps reduce costly disputes and project delays.

SB 685: Expanding School Options for Students with Disabilities
Allows qualified faith-based schools to serve students with disabilities, so more of these students can find a school that fits their needs.

SB 750: Finding Ways to Finance Affordable Housing
Requires the state to study ways to lower borrowing costs so affordable housing projects that have been put on hold because of high financing costs can move forward and more homes can be built.

SB 1246: Safety Rules for Driverless Vehicles
Sets rules for remotely operating driverless vehicles. Requires operators to coordinate with first responders so they can handle incidents safely.

SB 1250: Helping Wildlife Cross Roads Safely
Makes safe wildlife crossings a higher priority in state transportation planning. Helps reduce collisions and reconnect wildlife habitats.

SB 1306: Updating Rules for Semiconductor Manufacturing Chemicals
Aligns state rules for chemicals used in semiconductor manufacturing with federal standards. Supports semiconductor chip production while maintaining safeguards.

SB 1375: Speeding Up Diridon Station Improvements
Helps speed up improvements to San José’s Diridon Station. Allows the project to skip some state environmental review steps, since it has already been studied closely.

SB 1392: Jay Leno’s Law – Smog Check Exemptions for Classic Cars
Cars built from 1976 to 1980 will not need smog checks starting in 2028. Cars built from 1981 to 1985 will be added one year at a time, finishing in 2033.

SB 1425: Permitting Infrastructure Along High-Speed Rail Routes
Lets the state’s high-speed rail agency allow other projects, like utility lines and emergency services, to use land along its train routes.

Other Legislative Wins

I also carried resolutions honoring people and communities across our state. They name part of Highway 152 for former Assemblymember Rusty Areias, support Jim Plunkett’s place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, recognize school bus drivers, and celebrate the vital services of California’s 58 counties- work I came to value as a county supervisor. I marked April as Black April Memorial Month, a remembrance of the fall of Saigon with special meaning for San José’s Vietnamese American community. Finally, I urged federal leaders to keep investing in California’s infrastructure, research, clean energy, and climate readiness.

I was also proud to coauthor bills, now signed into law, that support working people, protect Californians, and celebrate our communities. They strengthen protections around workplace surveillance, preserve construction workers’ wages and safety standards on large housing projects, and honor farm workers and Dolores Huerta with days of recognition. Others strengthen oversight in juvenile detention, set safeguards for artificial intelligence chatbots, and promote motorcycle safety. I also supported California’s push for federal investment and jobs, and a specialty license plate celebrating our lowrider culture.

2026 State Budget: Protecting Critical Investments
Working with my Senate colleagues, I helped secure $1.12 billion in the 2026 state budget to protect affordable housing, transportation, clean air, and clean water investments at risk from changes to the Cap-and-Invest program. These funds support projects and services that communities depend on.

$6.5 Million for Silicon Valley Projects
As part of the budget, I was also able to secure funding for four community projects here in San José:

Together, these measures reflect priorities throughout our district: affordable housing, reliable transportation, public safety, educational opportunity, economic vitality, and healthy communities.

Thank you for telling me what matters most to you and your family. Your ideas, concerns, and feedback shaped this work, and I look forward to continuing this work with you and our partners across the district in 2027.

Have a Senate bill proposal you’d like to share with me? If so, please submit it through my online Legislative Ideas Portal here.

Sincerely,

Dave Cortese
California State Senator
Senate District 15