The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandate—Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

May 5, 2025 - In 2023, CSM determined that the specific requirements listed in Figure 1 were state mandates. It further determined that between June 1, 2009 and December 31, 2017, these mandates were reimbursable by the state because during that period, local governments did not have fee authority sufficient to cover the cost due to the applicability of the Proposition 218 voter approval requirements.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5039

Overview of Diversity Efforts in the Film Tax Credit Program

May 1, 2025 - Comparing Figure  1 with the 2023 data in Figure  3, white, Black, and Multiple/Other individuals are overrepresented among credit recipients relative to their California population share, while Hispanic/Latino and Asian individuals are  underrepresented.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5036

The 2025-26 Budget: Scholarshare Investment Board

Apr 30, 2025 - SIB undertook three media campaigns across 2023 and 2024. Two of the campaigns focused on broad advertising and included activities such as video advertisements, display banners, and audio streaming with messaging about the program to reach a wide audience.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5035

The 2025-26 Budget: SB 678 County Probation Grant Program

Apr 11, 2025 - The maintenance payment ($103.7  million) reflects a roughly $20.1  million reduction (16  percent) from the amount counties received in 2023-24 when the formula was placed on hold. In 2023-24, each county received their highest SB  678 grant award from the prior three fiscal years (2018-19, 2019-20, or 2020-21) due to concerns that grant awards would fluctuate for reasons unrelated to performance.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5031

Improving Legislative Oversight of Emergency Authorities

Apr 10, 2025 - For example, in March  2023, Governor Newsom issued an executive order waiving statute to ease access to unemployment benefits for people unemployed as a result of severe winter storms that struck the state in February 2023.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5029

Rethinking California's Reserve Policy

Apr 10, 2025 - Further, since 2023‑24, the Legislature has addressed $82 billion in budget problems (with more in deficits likely to emerge in the coming years), but at its largest, the BSA balance reached only $23 billion.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Financial Protection and Innovation

Apr 3, 2025 - Chapter  792 of 2023 (AB  39, Grayson) requires DFPI to regulate crypto assets (which are sometimes referred to as cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies, or digital financial assets). Chapter  781 of 2023 (SB  401, Lim ón) requires DFPI to regulate digital financial asset transaction kiosks.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5025

The 2025-26 Budget: Medi-Cal Pharmacy Spending

Apr 3, 2025 - In 2023 ‑24, we estimate these rebates comprised 3  percent of gross spending, up from as low as 1  percent in some years. This increase was expected following the switch to the Medi ‑Cal Rx system in 2022.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5026

Child Care Budget [EdBudget]

Apr 1, 2025 - Child Care Budget [EdBudget] a Reflects 2024-25 May Revision estimates with LAO adjustments. b Reflects 2025-26 Governor's Budget. c Does not include $11.2 million provided to community colleges for certain child care services. d Includes funding for family child care home education networks. e Includes cost estimates for quality programs, child care infrastructure, Child and Adult Care Food
https://lao.ca.gov/Education/EdBudget/Details/945

The 2025-26 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 28, 2025 - As part of the 2023 collectively bargained early education and parity agreement, the state did not apply the COLAs for 2023 ‑24 and 2024 ‑25. Instead, the amount that would have been required to fund the 2023 ‑24 COLA over the next two years was used to fund the agreement.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5024