CALPIRG’s 2018 Legislative Agenda

CALPIRG

California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) is an advocate for the public interest. When consumers are cheated or the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out by special interest lobbyists, CALPIRG speaks up and takes action. We uncover threats to public health and well-being and fight to end them, using the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposés, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation. CALPIRG’s mission is to deliver persistent, result-oriented public interest activism that protects consumers, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democratic government.

For more information about CALPIRG’s 2018 Legislative Agenda, to request our support for a bill, or to ask questions about our position on a specific issue, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to working with you. 

—Emily Rusch, CALPIRG Executive Director

Protect Public Health from Toxic Chemicals

Companies are allowed to put nearly any chemical they want into the products we use every day, despite the fact that the government doesn’t test those chemicals for safety or require any pre-market approval. CALPIRG supports legislative proposals to reduce the use of chemicals linked to harmful health and environmental impacts, including:

• New legislation to help protect consumers from the harmful health effects of exposure to lead and PFCs

• SB 705 (Allen) – Would ban use of expanded polystyrene (e.g. Styrofoam) as a food takeout container, which is linked to cancer and cannot be recycled. We have safer, and compostable, solutions

• SB 602 (Allen) – Would require labeling of seeds and plants that have been treated with a neonicotinoid pesticide, which is linked to the decline of bee populations

Consumer Protection         

Consumers should be able to buy products on the marketplace without concern about hidden fees, scams, safety risks, or privacy violations. CALPIRG is working to protect consumers, including: 

• New legislation to give consumers better tools and protections in the wake of the Equifax security breach, and make sure companies like Equifax can be held accountable for inadequate protection of our personal data

• New legislation to protect net neutrality in California in the wake of the recent FCC decision
• AB 375 (Chau) – Would prohibit broadband internet service providers from using or sharing information about customers’ internet search history

• SB 327 (Jackson) – Would regulate the “Internet of Things” to help prevent unwanted invasions of consumer privacy

• AB 1619 (Berman) – Would establish state gainful employment standards for college and vocational programs to eliminate programs that show no benefit for their students                                                                            

Clean, Efficient Energy Use       

California’s reliance on polluting fossil fuels put our health and safety at risk. The growth of cleaner technologies in California benefits both our environment and our economy. CALPIRG is working to increase clean, efficient energy use, including:

• SB 100 (de León) – Would require California to generate 100% of electricity from clean energy sources by 2045                                                               

High-Quality, Affordable Health Care             

Health care costs continue to rise, and more insurance plans are requiring significant deductibles and cost- sharing plans that burden consumers with high costs. CALPIRG is working to reduce health care costs and increase the quality and efficiency of care, including:

• New legislation to help contain unnecessarily high healthcare costs, particularly high hospital and provider costs                                                

• AB 315 (Wood) – Would increase transparency in the pharmacy benefits marketplace

• AB 487 (Chiu) – Would help California save money on prescription drug costs paid for with taxpayer dollars

• SB 790 (McGuire) – Would ban lavish meals and other gifts that prescription drug companies give to doctors and prescribers in hopes of steering more consumers to their (often more expensive) medicine