SB394 unanimously passes the Senate!
Last week, SB 394 (Gonzalez) passed out of the California State Senate in a bipartisan, unanimous 39-0 vote and is now headed to the Assembly for consideration. This is incredible news for our collective efforts to get the state to establish goals and plans for climate-resilient schools. Help spread the news by sharing this Twitter post!
The next hurdle is to advocate that the Governor and legislature put funding in the budget for the planning process. We're partnering with NextGen California to mobilize letters to state leaders asking them to fund the master plan for climate-resilient schools called for in SB 394.
First introduced in February by Senator Lena Gonzalez, SB 394 requires the California Energy Commission to engage other state agencies and education stakeholders to create a statewide Master Plan for Healthy, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Schools. It is co-sponsored by UndauntedK12, California Federation of Teachers, Generation Up, and California Labor for Climate Jobs. Over the past month, the bill has passed unanimously out of the Senate Standing Committee on Education, Senate Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications, and the Senate Appropriations Committee. Thanks to the hard work of Senator Gonzalez and the support of our coalition, SB 394 is on the move.
As Governor Newsom outlined a growing deficit for California this year in his May Budget Revise, it is more important than ever that the state have a plan to help schools leverage billions of dollars in federal Inflation Reduction Act dollars to create healthy, safe, resilient schools for all children. We’re encouraged to see the legislature take action.
Be in touch if you have ideas or input on our approach.
