Initiative Analyses

July 1

A.G. File No. 2025-005

Local taxes.

The measure would limit charter city-only transfer taxes to the current statutory rate for documentary transfer taxes (that is, 27.5 cents per $500). The measure also would require special taxes to receive a two-thirds vote for approval, regardless of whether the tax was put before voters through a citizen initiative or the local government. (Amendment #1, Version 2)

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July 1

A.G. File No. 2025-004

Local taxes.

The measure would prohibit charter cities from having their own transfer taxes (above the statutory 27.5 cents per $500). And would require special taxes to receive a two-thirds vote for approval, regardless of whether the tax was put before voters through a citizen initiative or the local government. (Amendment #1, Version 1)

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May 15

A.G. File No. 2025-003

Ethnic studies course at the California State University.

Creates new undergraduate and graduate ethnic studies requirement at the California State University.

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May 15

A.G. File No. 2025-002

Insurer coverage of medical procedures and medication.

This initiative restricts insurers from denying, delaying, or changing certain medical services or drugs for patients (A.G. File No. 25-0002, Amendment #1).

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March 25

A.G. File No. 2025-001

This measure requires public schools to provide each student with 30 hours of education on environmental sustainability and sustainable best practices every two years.

This measure requires public schools to provide each student with 30 hours of education on environmental sustainability and sustainable best practices every two years. Topics may focus on scientific or skills-based knowledge related to environmental sustainability practices. The training must expand on the level of knowledge students previously had and incorporate hands-on learning.

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January 8

A.G. File No. 2024-001

Statutory initiative that would establish a statewide vote to express the intent of California voters to seek independence from the United States of America.

This measure proposes a statewide vote on California seeking independence from the United States of America (Amendment #2).

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February 6

A.G. File No. 2023-035

Social media platforms.

The measure specifies damages for civil cases brought against social media platforms for violations of their duty of care, as defined in state law, and injury to children under 18 years of age (Amendment #1).

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December 26

A.G. File No. 2023-034

Creating a new online university administered by the University of California (UC).

The measure adds a section to the California Constitution that requires the Board of Regents to create a new online university known as the University of California Online (UCO). The measure specifies that UCO is to have its own president, faculty, academic senate, budget, and endowment. The Board of Regents is to appoint the UCO President, who is to have “full power to create, implement, administer, and lead UCO.”

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December 18

A.G. File No. 2023-032

Cannabis and certain psychedelic drugs.

This measure makes various changes to state law related to “entheogenic substances”, which the measure defines as including cannabis and specific psychedelic drugs. These changes to state law include legalizing entheogenic substances that are currently illegal for use by people 18 years of age and older. In addition, the measure includes various provisions regulating the distribution of entheogenic substances for medicinal and therapeutic use (Amendment #1).

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December 18

A.G. File No. 2023-031

Sports wagering.

This measure amends the State Constitution to authorize the Legislature to enact a bill allowing federally recognized Native American tribes to offer in-person or online sports wagering.

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December 18

A.G. File No. 2023-030

Gaming.

This measure authorizes tribal casinos to offer roulette and games played with dice (such as craps), as well as online and in-person sports wagering (Amendment #1).

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December 12

A.G. File No. 2023-029

California Children’s Services (CCS) program.

The measure would add provisions to California law to (1) recognize existing eligibility rules in CCS, (2) require the Department of Health Care Services to provide financial assistance for the cost of specialty care to families with children who have a qualifying disease but do not meet the income requirements for the CCS program, and (3) increase certain payments to CCS providers (Amendment #1).

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December 6

A.G. File No. 2023-028

High-quality public schools.

Requires the state to provide all public school students with high-quality public schools. The measure defines high-quality public schools as “schools that equip [public school students] with the tools necessary to participate fully in our economy, our democracy, and our society.”

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November 14

A.G. File No. 2023-027

Schools notifying parents of a student’s gender identity; school, college, and university sex-segregated facilities and athletic programs and activities; and certain gender-affirming medical treatments for individuals under the age of 18 years.

This measure defines biological sex; requires schools notify parents and legal guardians if a student requests to be treated as a gender different from official school records; prohibits transgender female students from participating in athletic programs or activities designated for biological female students; requires sex-segregated facilities on school, college, and university campuses be segregated based on biological sex; eliminates requirement to allow gender nonbinary and transgender students to participate in either girls state or boys state conferences; and prohibits providing certain medical treatments that affirm a different gender than biological sex for youth (Amendment #2).

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November 2

A.G. File No. 2023-026

Funding for students attending private schools.

This measure establishes a program that would provide $17,000 in state funding for each K-12 student attending a participating private school. Students could use these funds to pay for private school tuition and purchase educational services from approved vendors. Any funds not used for these purposes could be saved and used for postsecondary education expenses. The program would begin in 2025-26 (Amendment #1).

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