By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The California Legislature has sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a package of 15 bills authored by state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, D-San Diego. The measures address health care, education, patient safety and consumer protections.

More specifically, they include legislation focused on early math intervention, health care costs, artificial intelligence, nutrition information and physician accountability. The measures now await Newsom’s signature.

“This package represents the kind of change I came to Sacramento to fight for, change that improves people’s lives in real and tangible ways,” said Weber Pierson. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done, and I’m ready to see these bills become law.”

Among the measures is SB 1067, which would require annual math assessments for students in kindergarten through second grade to identify learning difficulties early and provide evidence-based interventions. The bill passed both chambers unanimously.

SB 869 would require chain restaurants with at least 20 locations to display a clear warning next to beverages with high levels of added sugar, including on drive-through menus. SB 977 would require those restaurants to offer at least one children’s meal that meets expert nutrition standards if they already offer a kids’ menu.

The package also includes SB 503, which would require developers and deployers of clinical decision-support systems to identify and mitigate risks of biased impacts in health care artificial intelligence tools and monitor the systems after deployment.

Other measures would strengthen protections for patients and consumers. SB 849 would restrict physicians from seeking reinstatement of a surrendered medical license in certain sexual misconduct cases involving patients. SB 950 would seek to ensure timely access to FDA-approved treatments for Californians with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

The remaining bills address Medi-Cal behavioral health treatment, CPR and automated external defibrillator education, the consideration of increased building heights under state environmental law, health insurance rate transparency, medical claims, biosimilar drugs and other state policies.