The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight

Mar 18, 2026 - Since the Bay ‑Delta Plan ’s original adoption in 1978, SWRCB has updated it several times —in 1991, 1995, 2006, and 2018. The last comprehensive update occurred in 1995 and largely guides management today.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163

Updating the California Necessities Index

Aug 14, 2025 - Historical Similarity Figure  1 shows the average of the difference between each proposed measure and the CNI across each year since 1978. Overall, small changes to the calculation —as reflected in options A, B, and C —are more similar to the CNI than general indices.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5065

California’s Child Welfare System: Addressing Disproportionalities and Disparities

Apr 24, 2024 - This report examines disproportionalities and disparities across California’s child welfare system in terms of income and race/ethnicity. The report provides background on the child welfare system, describes child welfare system disproportionalities and disparities, and lays out potential drivers of these inequities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4897

The 2024-25 Budget: Property Tax Postponement Program [EconTax Blog]

Feb 29, 2024 - Proposition  13 (1978), however, keeps annual growth in homeowners ’ property taxes low and is likely a key reason that it is rare for homeowners to lose their property for failure to pay property taxes.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/800

The 2023-24 Budget: College of the Law, San Francisco

Mar 8, 2023 - Built in 1929 and purchased by the law school in 1978, the McAllister Tower has served as the school ’s main student housing facility. In 2017, the school adopted a seismic safety policy. Under this policy, the McAllister Tower was deemed in need of seismic safety upgrades.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4732

Unit 8 (Firefighters) MOU Analysis

Aug 26, 2022 - Dills Act in 1978, the Legislature created collective bargaining for state employees. Part of that collective bargaining process is that the Legislature plays the key role in determining whether or not to ratify an agreement.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4621

The 2022-23 Budget: Update on K-12 Student Attendance

May 11, 2022 - The  enrollment declines in 2020 ‑21 and 2021 ‑ 22 —2 .6  percent and 2.4  percent, respectively —are the largest since 1978 ‑79 (2.8  percent). Similarly, the ADA decline in 2021 ‑22 would be the largest decline in the last few decades if final numbers are similar to the preliminary estimates.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4595

The 2022-23 Budget: State Appropriations Limit Implications

Mar 30, 2022 - The aim of that measure was to keep government appropriations, at all levels of government, below the adjusted 1978‑79 level. This change would still adhere to that basic principal, but would count some spending within local government limits, instead of the state’s limit.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4583

The 2022-23 Budget: State Water Resources Control Board—Bay-Delta Plan Update

Jan 31, 2022 - As a component of implementing these responsibilities, in 1978 the board adopted a water quality control plan for the Sacramento ‑San Joaquin Bay ‑Delta, known as the Bay ‑Delta Plan. This plan establishes water quality objectives —such as flow requirements —that are intended to protect “beneficial uses ” in the Bay ‑Delta and its source rivers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4506

Affordable housing bonds. [Ballot]

Jan 3, 2022 - Property taxes may only exceed this limit to pay for (1)  any local government debts approved by the voters prior to July 1, 1978, (2)  bonds to buy or improve real property that receive two-thirds voter approval after July 1, 1978, or (3)  school facilities bonds approved by 55  percent of the voters in local elections.
https://lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Initiative/2021-040