California Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) closed the 2025-26 legislative session with 20 bills enacted into law, addressing issues ranging from tax relief for military retirees and suicide prevention to public safety, homelessness and Native American inclusion.
Ramos. a member of the Serrano and Cahuilla tribes and a lifelong resident of the San Manuel Indian Reservation (Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, is the first and only California Native American serving in the California Assembly.
Of the 20 measures Ramos authored that received legislative approval and were signed by the governor, 12 were signed into law this year and eight were approved last year.
Ramos said the legislation was the result of collaboration among bill sponsors, supporters, legislative colleagues and the governor.
“I thank the sponsors and supporters, colleagues and the governor for their collaboration and input as we tackled issues ranging from state tax relief for military retirees, suicide prevention, public safety, homelessness and increasing inclusion for Native Americans including strengthening the right to wear tribal regalia at high school graduation ceremonies and a paid holiday for state employees on California Native American Day recognizing the contributions of California’s First People,” Ramos said.
Ramos said he plans to continue working with local and state partners on legislative efforts in the coming year.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to next year’s efforts and working with local and state partners,” he said.
Among the measures highlighted by Ramos are laws strengthening protections for Native American students who choose to wear tribal regalia at high school graduation ceremonies and establishing a paid holiday for California state employees on California Native American Day.
The legislation reflects Ramos’ continued focus on issues affecting Native American communities and recognition of the contributions of California’s first peoples.
The 2026 bills signed included:
AB 31 makes permanent the program granting peace officer status to California tribes to California in a limited capacity in California.
AB 1581 would require the California Department of Education to report statewide outcome data for American Indian or Alaska Native students.
AB 1586 would require School Resource Officers assigned to school campuses to complete training on recognizing and responding to opioid overdoses. It also mandates that by Jan. 1, 2031 a report be submitted to the Legislature detailing information about the distribution of naloxone and number of school incidents.
AB 1592 authorizes the California Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into an agreement with the CIHC Support Organization to help facilitate the Department’s ongoing efforts to build the CIHC facility. The cultural center will be located in the City of West Sacramento at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers and serve as a unit of the state park system.
AB 1769 aims to facilitate the articulation and seamless transfer of courses for students attending Tribal Colleges and Universities to California’s postsecondary institutions.
AB 1824 clarifies and strengthens compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and California ICWA in probate guardianship and conservatorship proceedings by placing clear, enforceable requirements directly in the Probate Code. The changes eliminate confusion, prevent avoidance, and ensure probate courts consistently apply ICWA protections that already exist under state and federal law.
AB 1841 designates California Native American Day as a paid holiday for all state employees contingent upon an appropriation by the legislature. This bill builds on a 2021 Ramos measure, AB 855, that established a paid holiday for judicial employees.
AB 1948 would extend the duration of newly issued Carry Concealed Weapons Licenses to 3 years.
AB 2018 modernizes California’s Missing Persons DNA Program by expanding and updating the state’s approach to missing persons DNA analysis and identification. The bill would strengthen the California Department of Justice’s ability to resolve missing persons cases, deliver answers to families, and remain a national leader in the field.
AB 2115, The Rowena Mae Ramos Act, establishes a formal apology from the California State Legislature and the state courts to California Native Americans for historical policies of violence, displacement and cultural suppression and requires the installation of a commemorative plaque in the State Capitol.
AB 2187 adds California’s federally recognized tribes and their auxiliary tribal enterprises to the list of entities exempt from the state’s bidding requirements for procurement and contracting.
AB 2539 ratifies the tribal-state gaming compact between the State of California and the Yurok Tribe of California that was executed on August 4, 2026.
Ramos’s 2025 signed bills included:
AB 221 streamlines the existing Tribal Nation Grant Fund process to provide annual equal distribution grants, upon application, to all federal recognized tribes that either have no gaming or operate less than 350 Class III gaming devices.
AB 359 would repeal the sunset date authorizing the Fair Political Practices Commission to contract with local agencies to advise on, implement, and enforce local campaign finance or government ethics law.
AB 385 would authorize the County of San Bernardino to exchange or sell County-owned land acquired with State funds at Glen Helen Regional Park, provided that the land is replaced with new parkland of equal or greater size and recreational value.
AB 440 would require the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Department of Public Health to identify best practices for the deployment of suicide prevention measures on state’s bridges and overpasses.
AB 977, would require the California State University (CSU) system, in consultation with Native American tribes, to develop a policy for the purposes of reburial of Native American human remains. Any proposed location for the reburial of repatriated Native American remains would be mutually agreed upon by both the CSU and the California Indian Tribes culturally affiliated with the potential reburial land.
AB 1369 would prohibit schools from barring students from displaying traditional tribal regalia as part of their adornment in any school related event and ceremonies.
Two other measures, AB 31 and AB 53 were included in the 2025-26 budget signed last year. AB 31 created a pilot program granting state peace officer status to tribal law enforcement officers and AB 53 granted a new state tax exemption of up to $20,000 to military retirees. California was the only state without any tax relief for veterans. Retirees were able to take advantage of the exemption on their 2025 tax returns.
