SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo announced today that she has made progress on four key priorities, with five bills in her 2026 legislative package advanced through the Senate Appropriations Committee. This marks another major step forward to protect people’s hard-earned money by keeping unfair charges out of utility bills, reducing barriers to affordable healthcare and veteran benefits, and supporting small businesses.
“People throughout our community are struggling just to cover the basics. The least we can do is help ease that burden by passing legislation that keeps money in people’s pockets and makes life easier for families. That’s exactly what these five bills do, so I am thrilled that they continue to make progress through the legislative process,” said Assemblywoman Schiavo. “We are making life more affordable by holding utilities accountable and ensuring we don’t pay the price of unfair charges, making healthcare and veterans benefits easier to access, and protecting small business owners from scams.”
The bills advancing to the Senate Floor include:
Utility Rate Transparency Act (AB 1715)
Holds utility companies accountable by ensuring savings from some grants and loans received by the utilities are passed along to ratepayers.
Timely Care Act (AB 539)
Reduces health care costs and speeds up patient care by keeping insurance companies from requiring additional and frequent approvals for treatment..
Protect Small Business from Predatory Lending Act (AB 2116)
Saves small businesses time and money by preventing surprise contract terms or hidden fees from unregulated financers.
Faster Services for Veterans Act (AB 2219)
Helps to ensure veterans and their families receive comprehensive and timely support by strengthening collaboration between the California Department of Veterans Affairs and County Veteran Service Officers.
Public Hospital Physician Stability Act (AB 2311)
Allows public healthcare district hospitals that serve high numbers of Medicare and Medi-Cal patients or those that received assistance through the Distressed Hospital Loan Program to directly employ physicians and keep services available to the communities they serve.
These bills join three of the Assemblywoman’s bills already on the Senate floor that will be voted on in the coming weeks.
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Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo was elected to the California State Assembly in November of 2022 and re-elected in 2024 to represent the 40th Assembly District, representing the Northwest San Fernando Valley, Val Verde, Castaic and the Santa Clarita Valley. Upon her election, she was appointed as Assistant Majority Whip by the Speaker of the Assembly and now serves as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. During her first term she brought back a record $100 million district investments in school and community safety, seniors meal programs, veteran housing, domestic violence services and creating local jobs. Prior to her election, Assemblywoman Schiavo was a Nurse Advocate and Small Business Owner who worked in the labor movement for more than 20 years. Throughout her career, Assemblywoman Schiavo helped deliver healthcare, including reproductive healthcare, to more than one million people. In the Northwest San Fernando Valley, she co-founded an organization that helped secure housing for Veterans experiencing homelessness, has delivered more than 50,000 meals to people in need, and increased resources to help keep our communities safe. Assemblywoman Schiavo lives in Chatsworth with her creative kid where they love to hike in the Santa Susana Mountains.