Senator Pérez’s legislation to increase oversight of private immigration detention facilities passes Senate…

SACRAMENTO – The California State Senate has passed SB 995, the Masuma Khan Justice Act with unanimous, bipartisan support. The legislation authored by Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena), would increase accountability and oversight of private, immigration detention facilities where ongoing inhumane treatment has been documented.

The Masuma Khan Justice Act passed the Senate on a 39-0 vote to send the legislation to the Assembly for consideration. This bill would establish a statewide inspection and compliance framework for large involuntary residential facilities including privately-operated detention facilities. People held in privately-operated facilities are being served moldy or undercooked food, given limited access to clean water, and provided inadequate and delayed medical care.

“I am so grateful that SB 995 received unanimous, bipartisan support on the Senate Floor today. With a strong and unified voice, the California State Senate has declared that this is not a partisan issue, but an urgent human rights concern. This bill is rooted in the simple principle that if detention centers operate in California, they must meet California’s standards,” said Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena). “On the Senate Floor I spoke about the hunger strikes that are underway at the Adelanto Detention Center in San Bernardino County and at facilities across the country. These inhumane conditions must end. My legislation is named after Masuma Khan, a longtime Altadena resident and Eaton Fire survivor who represents one of the many people with no criminal history who have been targeted during mass immigration enforcement actions and deprived of basic human rights. Khan was detained and denied warm clothing, proper food, or access to her medication.”

This bill is sponsored by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Public Counsel, and the South Asian Network.

Additional Legislation Passes:

The Senate also passed the following eight bills by Senator Pérez which now move to the State Assembly for consideration:

SB 877, The Fair Claims Practices and Transparency Act, passed with bipartisan support. This legislation responds to the insurance industry's impact on our community following the Eaton Fire by requiring insurance companies to disclose all loss estimate materials and any revisions to policyholders to ensure homeowners can understand how their policy payout was calculated. This bill is sponsored by Consumer Watchdog and Every Fire Survivor's Network.

SB 878, The Insurance Payment Accountability Act, would strengthen existing prompt-payment insurance laws by attaching financial penalties for missed claim decisions and payment deadlines, require insurers to identify disputed items in writing, and mandate timely payment on all undisputed amounts, even when other portions of a claim remain unresolved. This bill is sponsored by Consumer Watchdog, Every Fire Survivor's Network, and the State Insurance Commissioner.

SB 957, The SHIELD Act, would strengthen user data protections by requiring social media companies to notify users when the federal government seeks their personal information through an administrative subpoena. This bill ensures users have time to respond or challenge the subpoena, requires companies to disclose what information was shared, and establishes reporting requirements to the California Attorney General's office.

SB 1083, passed with bipartisan support. This legislation builds on Senator Pérez’s Safe Learning Environments Act (SB 848) which was enacted into law last year and established a statewide data system to track egregious misconduct by school employees. This legislation strengthens investigation and reporting requirements, creates appropriate vetting standards for independent contractors who work with students, and establishes a review process for classified employees who are added to the statewide data system for investigations involving egregious misconduct. This bill is sponsored by the California School Employees Association (CSEA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) California, and the California Federation of Teachers (CFT).

SB 1090, The Keep Altadena Land in Altadena Hands Act, would impose a five-year prohibition on an individual or entity that owns 75 or more single-family properties from making unsolicited offers to purchase property in an area affected by a fire where an emergency was declared.

SB 1098, The Protect Ratepayers from Utility Overspending Act, establishes safeguards for rate payers by setting guidelines for the use of memorandum and balancing accounts by investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and requires that any costs approved for recovery through rates be set below the IOU's current authorized rate of return. This bill is sponsored by The Utility Reform Network (TURN).

SB 1103, The Responsible Enterprise and Public Accounting of Immigration Raids (REPAIR) Act, would require large home improvement retailers to publicly report immigration enforcement activity occurring on their premises and to disclose their policies on surveillance data-sharing practices and employee interactions with federal immigration authorities. The bill also requires companies provide the State Attorney General with documentation related to such activity upon receipt of an administrative subpoena. This bill is sponsored by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON).

SB 1105, The Protect California Rights Act, responds to actions by the current federal administration that have resulted in discriminatory and retaliatory measures targeting communities of color and immigrant communities. This bill prohibits state and local law enforcement from participating in federal operations that violate state laws, including state protections against racial/identity profiling, and the criminalization of protected speech. This bill sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) California Action and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).

“My legislative package aims to protect millions of Californians. Collectively, these bills address different issues and threats facing wildfire survivors, students, immigrant communities, and individuals whose online activity is misused or surveilled,” said Senator Pérez. “I am proud to advance this diverse legislative package which puts forward a range of solutions to strengthen transparency and accountability for utility actions impacting rate payers, protect vulnerable communities, and confront the federal government’s ever-expanding overreach that infringes on our constitutional rights.”

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Senator Sasha Renée Pérez is Chair of the Senate Education Committee and represents the 25th Senate District that includes the communities of Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Claremont, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, and San Antonio Heights.