Three Items of Interest From the 2025 Budget Bill Junior

Three Items of Interest From the 2025 Budget Bill Junior By Chris Micheli

In reviewing some of the provisions of the 2025 Budget Bill Junior, I came across these three items of particular interest:

First, here are the listed trailer bills in the Budget Bill Junior, so these bills are related to the budget and subject to a majority vote under Prop. 25:

SEC. 39.00.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the following bills are other bills providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill within the meaning of subdivision (e) of Section 12 of Article IV of the California Constitution: AB 116, AB 117, AB 118, AB 119, AB 120, AB 121, AB 122, AB 123, AB 124, AB 125, AB 126, AB 127, AB 128, AB 129, AB 130, AB 131, AB 132, AB 133, AB 134, AB 135, AB 136, AB 137, AB 138, AB 139, AB 140, AB 141, AB 142, AB 143, AB 144, AB 145, SB 116, SB 117, SB 118, SB 119, SB 120, SB 121, SB 122, SB 123, SB 124, SB 125, SB 126, SB 127, SB 128, SB 129, SB 130, SB 131, SB 132, SB 133, SB 134, SB 135, SB 136, SB 137, SB 138, SB 139, SB 140, SB 141, SB 142, SB 143, SB 144, and SB 145.

This new section below expresses a legislative “expectation,” rather than intent, and this includes just a finding (rather than the normal finding and declaration):

SEC. 3.90.

It is the expectation of the Legislature that all state employee bargaining units meet and confer in good faith with the Governor or the Governor’s representative on or before July 1, 2025, to achieve savings through (a) the collective bargaining process for represented employees and (b) existing authority for the administration to adjust compensation for nonrepresented employees. The Legislature finds that the savings will likely be needed to maintain the sound fiscal condition of the state.

This is a unique provision that I am not aware has been in a bill before. This control section of the Budget Bill references a bill that is not yet in print (as of Tuesday evening) and supposed to be a housing and HHAP trailer bill. Enactment of the trailer bill (AB/SB 131) is required for SB 101 to remain in effect. In other words, if AB/SB 131 is not signed, then SB 101 (Wiener) and the BBJ (AB/SB 102), as well as all trailer bills, if enacted prior to June 30, will be repealed on June 30. This is a “reverse contingent enactment” provision. Two interesting points in this language: First, it appears to require signature by the Governor on June 30, rather than “by June 30,” or “on or before June 30.” Will GGN actually sign the bill on 6/30? Second, what if any trailer bills and the BBJ are actually signed into law after June 30? Then, this provision would not take effect except as it pertains to SB 101 and any other budget-related measure signed by Monday evening.

SEC. 37.00.

Notwithstanding any other law, if the Governor does not sign one of Assembly Bill 131 or Senate Bill 131 on June 30, 2025, the provisions of the Budget Act of 2025, as enacted in Senate Bill 101 and as amended in this act, and any associated bills providing for appropriations related to the budget identified in Section 39.00 of this act that are enacted on or before June 30, 2025, shall be inoperative and repealed in their entirety on June 30, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.