The 2025 California legislative session officially came to a close earlier this month, after hundreds of bills landed on Governor Newsom’s desk. With the state still facing a significant budget deficit, legislators were cautious about advancing measures that could further strain public finances. Key priorities this year included protecting Californians from potential federal actions—particularly around immigration enforcement and the loss of federal funding.
During this session, CAMEO Network sponsored two bills and supported 34 others aimed at strengthening small business funding, consumer protections, and community development. We also backed legislative initiatives related to nonprofits, privacy, banking, and disaster recovery. In total, 13 of the bills we supported were signed into law. Below is a summary of the highlights.
CAMEO Network–Sponsored Bills
SB 362 (Grayson) – Signed into Law
Continuing our years-long effort to increase transparency in small business lending, CAMEO introduced SB 362 in partnership with Small Business Majority and the Responsible Business Lending Coalition. This new law enhances small business protections by requiring clear APR disclosures throughout the financing process, banning misleading pricing, and strengthening enforcement by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI).
SB 728 (Padilla) – Died in Senate Appropriations
Also co-sponsored with Small Business Majority and the Responsible Business Lending Coalition, SB 728 would have required financing companies and brokers covered under the California Consumer Financial Protection Law to register with the DFPI—further improving accountability and oversight in small business lending.
Major Supported Legislation
Financial Protection
- SB 825 (Limon/Grayson) – Signed into Law
Clarifies that the DFPI maintains the authority to enforce protections against deceptive or abusive financial practices. - AB 325 (Aguiar-Curry) – Signed into Law
Closes loopholes that allow companies to use algorithms to fix prices. - AB 380 (Gonzalez/Gipson) – Died in Senate Appropriations
Would have extended anti–price gouging protections for the duration of an emergency and applied protections to commercial leases. - AB 1248 (Haney) – Pulled by Author
Aimed to prohibit unfair and deceptive fees in rental housing.
Small Business Funding
- AB 265 (Caloza) – Vetoed by Governor
Proposed creating a $100 million state-funded program through the Office of the Small Business Advocate to support small businesses and nonprofits affected by declared emergencies, with targeted recovery funds for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Small Business – Other
- AB 671 (Wicks) – Signed into Law
Streamlines restaurant permitting by allowing qualified architects and engineers to certify building plans, speeding up retrofits while maintaining safety standards. - SB 635 (Durazo) – Signed into Law
Limits the sensitive data that can be collected about street vendors and micro-entrepreneurs, strengthening privacy protections.
Community Development
- AB 592 (Gabriel/Wicks) – Signed into Law
Expands opportunities for California restaurants by maximizing their ability to offer outdoor dining. - AB 801 (Bonta) – Pulled by Author
Would have created a California Community Reinvestment Act to ensure equitable access to financial services and community investment across state-chartered financial institutions and fintechs. - AB 613 (Gonzalez) – Died in Assembly Appropriations
Sought to help mission-driven organizations acquire and own commercial properties to lease to small businesses and nonprofits at affordable rates. - SB 534 (Padilla) – Died in Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact
Proposed the creation of a Green Empowerment Zone to promote economic, workforce, and community development in the Salton Sea region. - AB 752 (Avila Farias) – Signed into Law
Makes daycare centers a use by right when co-located with multifamily housing or other community-serving amenities such as parks and religious institutions.
Nonprofit Sector
- AB 880 (Bennett) – Died in Senate Appropriations
Aimed to ensure timely payments and fair reimbursement for nonprofits providing services under state contracts, aligning practices with federal standards. - AB 1039 (Hart) – Died in Senate Appropriations
Would have required new state grants and contracts with nonprofits to include advance payment options beginning in 2026 and clear disclosure of those terms.
Other Supported Bills
- AB 656 (Schiavo) – Signed into Law
- AB 747 (Kalra) – Signed into Law
- SB 82 (Umberg) – Signed into Law
- SB 222 (Wiener) – Died in Senate Judiciary
- SB 590 (Durazo) – Signed into Law
- SB 709 (Menjivar) – Signed into Law
- SB 766 (Allen) – Signed into Law
The Work Continues
CAMEO Network is proud to have helped advance policies that strengthen small business protections, promote equitable access to capital, and support community and nonprofit resilience across California. We thank our advocacy partners, legislative champions, and members for their continued collaboration. We look forward to building on this year’s progress in 2026.
At the top of our list for next year – more work to ensure responsible small business lending, funds for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, a state Community Reinvestment Act, and supporting the nonprofit sector. We hope that you’ll join us in our efforts. If you have bills or issues that you want to work on, let us know!