Restore Roe v. Wade's abortion rights nationwide in federal law
Protect abortion rights and access
Block or repeal abortion bans and restrictions
Protect abortion patients and providers from prosecution and harassment
Protect the right to travel to another state for abortion
Protect access to abortion pills, including by mail and telehealth
“Scott has foughtfor reproductive freedom his entire time in public office because he believes decisions about pregnancy, abortion, and contraception belong to individuals — in consultation with their doctors — not politicians.”
“When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the federal government began actively attacking reproductive health care, Scott responded by fortifying California's defenses — protecting providers, shielding patients, and ensuring the state remained a refuge for people seeking care.”
“Once we codify Roe, Scott will push to hold states accountable that continue to restrict or ban abortion access, so reproductive freedom is a reality for every American regardless of where they live.”
“Aggressively oppose all federal abortion restrictions, including but not limited to gestational bans, mandatory waiting periods, state-mandated counseling requirements, and parental consent laws that delay or deny care.”
“Defend the right to travel across state lines for reproductive care and oppose efforts to criminalize patients, providers, or anyone who helps someone access abortion services.”
“Shield patients and providers in California and similar states from out-of-state legal threats, extradition attempts, and other efforts to export abortion bans beyond their borders.”
Lower health care costs, including premiums and out-of-pocket costs
Pass Medicare for All
“Scott’s work has helped set California on a better path — expanding health care access, lowering costs, and laying the foundation for a Medicare for All single-payer system.”
“While Scott’s goal is a Medicare for All system, until we get there, we must fix and strengthen the system we have so that people can access affordable health care.”
Lower insulin costs, such as with a $35 monthly cap
Cap what patients pay for prescription drugs
Rein in pharmacy benefit managers
“The cost of healthcare is just as important as access. That’s why Scott took on the giant mega-corporations known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to stop them from jacking up the cost of medication to pad their profits.”
“Cap insulin at $35 per month nationally, crack down on pharmacy benefit managers that jack up drug prices, and let Medicare negotiate drug prices directly.”
“SB 41 (2025): Cracks down on pharmaceutical megacorporations called pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to prohibit behaviors that were profiting off inflating drug costs.”
“SB 1021 (Author: Wiener): Capping drug co-pays. Even if someone is fortunate enough to have insurance, drug copays can be prohibitively expensive and can effectively deny people access. SB 1021 reinstates and expands a strict cap on drug co-pays. SB 1021 also stops insurance companies from forcing people onto multi-pill PrEP regimens, which are less effective.”
“We need Medicare for All. And until we get there, Scott will tackle healthcare affordability in Congress just like he has in the Legislature: by capping insulin at $35/month, forcing insurance companies to cover mental healthcare, reducing prior authorizations, lowering prescription drug prices, and working to reverse Trump's cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”
Pass Medicare for All or another single-payer plan
Expand coverage to more people, including through the ACA and Medicaid
Reverse the cuts to Medicaid and restore the ACA tax credits
“Scott’s work has helped set California on a better path — expanding health care access, lowering costs, and laying the foundation for a Medicare for All single-payer system.”
“Scott has consistently championed single-payer health care, and, working with a broad labor/community coalition, he passed a law advancing single payer in California.”
“SB 770 (2023): Takes concrete steps towards universal health coverage in California by directing the California Health and Human Services Agency (HHS) to consult with the federal government to create a universal healthcare system, such as a single payer system.”
“SB 770 (Author: Wiener): SB 770 takes concrete steps towards universal health coverage in California. SB 770 directs the California Health and Human Services Agency (HHS) to consult with the federal government in order to determine the necessary details of a federal waiver application for a universal healthcare system, such as a single payer system.”
“SB 562 (Authors: Lara/Atkins; co-author: Wiener; bill failed): Scott co-authored this single-payer healthcare legislation, which passed the Senate but did not pass the Assembly.”
“Scott is a leader in expanding access to health care — including creation of a Medicare for All single payer system of universal coverage — and scientific research to improve health and solve other global problems.”
“While Scott’s goal is a Medicare for All system, until we get there, we must fix and strengthen the system we have so that people can access affordable health care.”
“We need Medicare for All. And until we get there, Scott will tackle healthcare affordability in Congress just like he has in the Legislature: by capping insulin at $35/month, forcing insurance companies to cover mental healthcare, reducing prior authorizations, lowering prescription drug prices, and working to reverse Trump's cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”
“Scott’s work has helped set California on a better path — expanding health care access, lowering costs, and laying the foundation for a Medicare for All single-payer system.”
“Scott is a leader in expanding access to health care — including creation of a Medicare for All single payer system of universal coverage — and scientific research to improve health and solve other global problems.”
“While Scott’s goal is a Medicare for All system, until we get there, we must fix and strengthen the system we have so that people can access affordable health care.”
“For the same reason, the rapid pace of AI advancement makes passing Medicare For All and other efforts to bolster our broken healthcare system all the more urgent. If large numbers of workers become rapidly displaced from the workplace, ensuring they have access to affordable healthcare is an absolute imperative.”
“As Senate Budget Chair, Scott helped defend MediCal — including for undocumented Californians — as Trump took a wrecking ball to the program, and protected funding for reproductive health care, HIV care, and other critical needs.”
“Protect and expand Medicaid, and fight every attempt by Trump and congressional Republicans to gut coverage for tens of millions of low-income Americans.”
“SB 1464 (Author: Wiener; adopted as part of the budget): Expanding dental care to people with special needs. People with developmental disabilities or cognitive impairments frequently need much more complex dental treatment than other people. For example, they may need more time with a dentist, multiple visits, or multiple people present. Yet, Denti-Cal only paid for one short, non-complex dental visit. As a result, these individuals with special needs frequently went without dental care and thus developed severe oral health problems. SB 1464, which Scott’s team was able to pass as part of the budget, funds the needed complex care for people with special oral health needs.”
“We need Medicare for All. And until we get there, Scott will tackle healthcare affordability in Congress just like he has in the Legislature: by capping insulin at $35/month, forcing insurance companies to cover mental healthcare, reducing prior authorizations, lowering prescription drug prices, and working to reverse Trump's cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”
“We need Medicare for All. And until we get there, Scott will tackle healthcare affordability in Congress just like he has in the Legislature: by capping insulin at $35/month, forcing insurance companies to cover mental healthcare, reducing prior authorizations, lowering prescription drug prices, and working to reverse Trump's cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”
Require insurers to cover mental health care like physical care
Expand mental health crisis services
Help people early, before a mental health crisis
Allow psychedelic treatments for mental health
“Scott’s firm belief that health care is a human right drove him to pass the biggest expansion of mental healthcare in California history, forcing giant insurance companies to cover mental health and addiction treatment the same way they cover physical health conditions.”
“Force insurance companies to cover mental health and addiction treatment the same way they cover physical health — extending California's landmark parity law to every American — and removing prior authorizations.”
“SB 855 (2020): The California Parity Act, is the biggest expansion of mental health and addiction benefits in decades. It requires parity between how insurance companies cover mental health treatments and medical treatments.”
“As Chair of the Senate Mental Health Caucus and the Senate Select Committee on Mental Health and Addiction, Scott has worked tirelessly to pass groundbreaking mental health and addiction laws. From the mental health parity law he authored – ensuring mental health is covered to the same extent as physical health – to advancing access to medical cannabis, to advancing the first-ever California legislation to decriminalize psychedelics all the way to the Governor’s desk, Scott isn’t afraid to take bold action.”
“SB 855 and SB 225 (Author: Wiener): This legislation makes California a national leader in mental health and addiction treatment coverage. It’s part of a growing movement to reverse the stigmatization of mental illness and addiction. SB 855 dramatically expands access to mental health and addiction care by requiring insurance companies to cover all medically necessary care, not just crisis care. Currently, insurance companies all too often deny coverage for mental health care before someone is in crisis. But we need to help people before they’re in crisis, and SB 855 will make that possible for millions of Californians. SB 225 requires providers to offer this coverage in a timely manner.”
“SB 513 (Author: Wiener; bill pending): Reducing Recidivism Through Therapy Act — Rehabilitates California’s incarcerated population and reduces California’s high recidivism rate by providing access to therapy to all incarcerated Californians.”
“Budget Allocation (Authors: Wiener/Ting): Peer Run Warm Line. Scott and Assemblymember Phil Ting obtained robust funding for this hotline where people experiencing mental health challenges can speak with a peer — someone who has also experienced mental health challenges — to get help. We need to stop pushing people into ERs when there are other options, and the Warm Line will help.”
“It’s too hard for people to access care — we need to direct more resources to our addiction and mental health systems to help them better deal with this crisis.”
“During his time in the Senate, Scott passed the nation’s strongest mental health parity law, which requires insurance companies to direct more resources to treatments for mental health and addiction.”
“SB 855 (Author: Wiener): Requires private insurance companies to cover non-emergency mental health and substance use disorder treatment, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT) like methadone. We need to get people the help they need before they reach a crisis point, not after, and we need to ensure mental health and substance use treatment are fully funded. Far too many people, including people living on our streets, suffer from untreated substance use and mental health issues, and according to a 2016 study, around half of police killing victims were people with a disability or mental illness. That is completely unacceptable and we need to do better to get people the help they need, and to ensure the right people are responding when they are in crisis. This was signed into law in 2020.”
“SB 58 (Author: Wiener; bill vetoed): This bill decriminalizes personal possession and use of small amounts of a few plant-based psychedelics – all of which are non-addictive and proven to be safe – and creates a path for facilitated group use. Psychedelics have shown great promise in treating mental health and substance abuse. And they can be lifesaving for our veterans, many of whom live with PTSD. The bill is supported by a coalition of veterans, first responders, and health professionals.”
“Scott will also bring his state-level work to force insurance companies to cover more health care more affordably, including mental health care, to the federal level.”
“We need Medicare for All. And until we get there, Scott will tackle healthcare affordability in Congress just like he has in the Legislature: by capping insulin at $35/month, forcing insurance companies to cover mental healthcare, reducing prior authorizations, lowering prescription drug prices, and working to reverse Trump's cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”
Bar discrimination against residents of long-term care facilities
“SB 219 (Author: Wiener): LGBTQ Senior Bill of Rights in long-term care facilities. SB 219 protects LGBTQ seniors living in long-term care facilities. Our seniors face significant discrimination in long-term care. Some are forced back into the closet, some are separated from their partners, and some trans seniors are forced to conform to their birth-assigned gender. LGBTQ seniors are less likely than other seniors to have adult children to advocate for them, and they need legal protection. SB 219 seeks to end this discrimination by mandating specific standards for how these facilities treat LGBTQ seniors.”
“In the Senate, Scott has fought to erase discriminatory laws that harmed LGBTQ people, including LGBTQ youth, transgender women, and people living with HIV. He authored nation-leading laws to make PrEP available from a pharmacist without a physician prescription (similar to the birth control pill), establish the nation’s strongest legal protections for LGBTQ seniors in nursing homes and other long-term care, collect voluntary health data to fight health disparities in the LGBTQ community, repeal discriminatory felonies targeting people living with HIV, and end discrimination against LGBTQ people on California’s broken sex offender registry.”
Require health plans to cover essential care and pre-existing conditions
“Scott will also bring his state-level work to force insurance companies to cover more health care more affordably, including mental health care, to the federal level.”
Require lactation spaces at work for nursing mothers
“SB 142 (Author: Wiener): Expanding lactation access in the workplace. New mothers returning to work are frequently met with very inadequate spaces to lactate, even being forced to express milk in a bathroom, broom closet, or their car. As a result, too many mothers, particularly lower income mothers, are forced to choose between breastfeeding their baby and returning to work. This choice — between breastfeeding and a family’s economic security — is a choice that no one should have to make. SB 142 enacts strong standards for lactation facilities at work, including a private room or space, a table and chair, an electrical outlet, and a nearby refrigerator.”
Require safe staffing levels in hospitals and pharmacies
“SB 1442 (2018): Prohibits pharmacies from requiring pharmacists to work alone during public hours; a qualified employee must always be available to assist.”
Stop insurers from denying or delaying care doctors say patients need
Penalize insurers that wrongly deny or delay care
End prior authorization requirements
Reform prior authorization and insurer reviews of care
Let patients appeal denials to a physician or independent review
“Force insurance companies to cover mental health and addiction treatment the same way they cover physical health — extending California's landmark parity law to every American — and removing prior authorizations.”
“SB 238 (Author: Wiener; bill pending): Youth Mental Health Access Act. SB 238 removes barriers to youth accessing mental health treatments by requiring that any private insurance treatment denials be automatically referred to the state’s existing Independent Medical Review process.”
“SB 159 (Author: Wiener): Expanding PrEP and PEP access. SB 159 is first-in-the-nation legislation that allows pharmacists to provide PrEP and PEP — two powerful anti-HIV preventatives — to people without a physician’s prescription. Far too few people who need PrEP are on it, due to various financial and logistical barriers, as well as continuing stigma. Communities of color and rural communities are particularly likely to lack access. One barrier is lack of access (or lack of timely access) to physicians, another is that some physicians are hostile to these HIV preventatives and resistant to prescribing it. By allowing people to go to their neighborhood pharmacy to access PrEP and PEP, without first having to find a physician and perhaps wait months for an appointment, SB 159 will dramatically expand where people can access PrEP and PEP and will make it much to gain that access. SB 159 also bans insurance prior authorizations for PrEP and PEP, which can delay obtaining them.”
“SB 70 (Author: Wiener; bill pending): Improves access to medication by limiting the circumstances in which health plans can change a patient’s medication for financial, rather than medical reasons.”
“SB 159 (2019): Authorizes pharmacists to furnish pre- and post- exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP) without a physician prescription and also prohibits insurance companies from requiring prior authorizations in order to obtain PrEP coverage.”
“We need Medicare for All. And until we get there, Scott will tackle healthcare affordability in Congress just like he has in the Legislature: by capping insulin at $35/month, forcing insurance companies to cover mental healthcare, reducing prior authorizations, lowering prescription drug prices, and working to reverse Trump's cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”
Expand access to addiction treatment and recovery services
Make naloxone and other overdose prevention widely available
Allow supervised consumption sites to prevent overdoses
Allow court-ordered care for people with severe addiction
“SB 1045/SB 40 (Author: Wiener): These two pieces of legislation create a new conservatorship tool to help the most debilitated people on our streets get the help they need: people with severe mental health and addiction issues who are dying and who are incapable of accepting voluntary services. It’s inhumane to allow these residents to unravel and ultimately die on our streets. These two laws, in combination, will allow San Francisco’s Department of Public Health to place these individuals in crisis into a six month conservatorship in order to get them the help they need, get them healthy, and eventually transition them into permanent housing. The Mayor and Board of Supervisors are currently implementing this state law.”
“SB 57 (Authors: Wiener; bill vetoed): Safe consumption sites. SB 57 allows San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles to pilot safe consumption site programs. These sites are supervised facilities, with healthcare professionals, where people who are addicted can consume their drugs under supervision in a safe and healthy setting. These sites have been wildly successful where they’ve been implemented in New York CIty, Canada, Australia, and Europe. The results speak for themselves: a majority of individuals ultimately transition into recovery, infections go down, overdoses drop (there’s never been a fatal overdose in one of these sites), crime goes down in the surrounding area, and syringe litter decreases.”
“SB 888 and SB 110 (Author: Wiener; bill failed, but State is now pursuing implementation): Substance use disorder services. Allows for expansion of contingency management as a tool of mental health and substance use care.”
“Our approach as a city will always prioritize treatment and recovery first, but the impact of this crisis on the surrounding community also requires a public safety response.”
“Bring those who are severely drug-intoxicated in public to a clean and safe environment to sober up and be offered treatment. These spaces get people off the street and increase their likelihood to accept treatment.”
“Scott has worked to expand these spaces, securing funding for meth sobering sites and twice passing statewide legislation to allow safe consumption sites, despite opposition that ultimately led to the measures' veto.”
“It’s too hard for people to access care — we need to direct more resources to our addiction and mental health systems to help them better deal with this crisis.”
“Expand federal resources for fentanyl treatment, including naloxone access and overdose prevention programs, so people struggling with addiction get help before it's too late.”
“SB 1045 (2018): Gives San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties greater flexibility to expand and modernize the conservatorship system, providing support for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness along with severe mental illness, substance use disorders, repeated psychiatric hospitalizations, or frequent emergency medical service use.”
“Expand access to IVF and protect surrogacy nationally, building on his work co-authoring SB 729 in California, so every family can access the care it takes to grow”
“That experience has driven his life's work — authoring landmark California legislation to modernize HIV criminalization laws, expand access to PrEP, and destigmatize testing and treatment — and it grounds his belief that the fight against HIV/AIDS cannot stop at America's borders.”
“Since the age of 19, Scott has lived with a chronic health condition — Crohn’s Disease (an autoimmune disease) — Scott has seen first hand how broken and fragmented our healthcare system is. That’s why he’s fought tirelessly to take on and defeat the powerful interests that undermine healthcare access and affordability.”
“Scott also passed California’s first price cap for insulin, so the four million Californians living with diabetes don’t have to choose between taking their medication and putting food on the table.”
“SB 859 (Author: Wiener): Ending the epidemics. Requires California Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Chief of the Office of AIDS (OA), to establish and implement a Master Plan to get to zero new HIV, HPV, and STI infections.”
“SB 1004 (Author: Wiener): Expanding mental health resources for young people. Most mental health issues manifest during teenage or college years, yet we do very little to intervene early and prevent these problems from spiraling into major mental health crisis and chronic homelessness. SB 1004 ensures that state funding from the millionaire tax focuses on intervening early and preventing major mental health issues among young people.”
“SB 339 (Author: Wiener; pending) - Increases access to the HIV prevention drug PrEP by resolving issues in the implementation of SB 159 (Wiener, 2019), which allowed pharmacists to furnish a limited supply of PrEP without a prescription.”
“SB 932 (Author: Wiener): Requires state to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity for COVID-19 and all reportable communicable diseases, to ensure the LGBTQ community isn’t left out of our healthcare system. This was signed into law in 2020.”
“People who are significantly debilitated and do not have the power to make decisions for themselves may need guardianship from a loved one or from mental health professionals, known as a conservatorship.”
“SB 90 (Author: Wiener; bill vetoed): Insulin Affordability Act — Caps the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 for a 30-day supply for CalCare recipients and bans health plans from imposing a deductible on insulin prescription drugs.”
“SB 34 (Author: Wiener): The Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary Compassionate Care Act ensures access to medical cannabis by low-income people. SB 34 allows “compassion programs” — which donate medical cannabis to low income people, including people living with HIV, veterans with PTSD, and low-income families — to continue to exist. Given the cost of retail cannabis, many low-income residents cannot afford their medicine and thus either go without it or resort to the dangerous illicit market. Compassion programs are essential for their health. California’s legalization of cannabis imposed significant taxes on these programs, which was gradually killing them off since they have no revenue. SB 34 exempts these programs from state taxes and allows them to continue to provide people with their medicine.”
“Scott was an early champion of conservatorship reform, helping pass groundbreaking legislation to get people in crisis on our streets the care they need before they continue to unravel and ultimately die.”
“Scott played a key role stopping the University of California from entering into partnerships with religious hospitals that effectively banned UC health providers from providing reproductive health care and gender-affirming care.”
“As Senate Budget Chair, Scott protected funding for reproductive health care, HIV prevention and care, gender-affirming care, STI prevention, and other critical needs as the Trump administration moved to gut them.”
“Protect Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health providers from defunding efforts and ensure federal funding covers the full range of reproductive health services.”
Fund violence intervention and crime prevention programs
Keep communities safe from crime
“Scott has fought to get guns off our streets and out of our schools. He fought for years and authored the bill that successfully pressured Cow Palace to ban gun shows, standing up against the NRA until the job was done. He was a strong supporter of the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act, which taxes the gun industry to fund violence intervention and school safety programs statewide. And he’s long advocated for banning assault weapons, backing California’s nation-leading ban and pushing for the same protections at the federal level.”
“Scale gun violence prevention and community intervention programs nationally, building on the CalVIP model — which has prevented more than 30,000 incidents of gun violence since 2019 — while investing in the mental health services and school safety infrastructure that go hand-in-hand with prevention”
“Scott championed conservatorship reform to get people in crisis the care they need, closed the "locked-door loophole" that let car break-in perpetrators avoid accountability, and worked with street vendors to stop the sale of stolen goods disrupting our neighborhoods.”
“He led the legislative fight to close the “locked-door loophole,” a senseless gap in California’s Penal Code that allowed car break-in perpetrators to avoid accountability if the DA could prove they broke into the car but couldn’t prove the doors were all locked; Scott’s work has helped crater car break-ins in San Francisco.”
“And, Scott worked with street vendors and community organizations to change state law to allow SFPD a greater role in tackling the sale of stolen goods on our streets, which leads to violence and undermining permitted street vendors.”
“SB 276 (2025): Holds individuals who sell stolen goods on San Francisco streets accountable with potential misdemeanor charges, helping protect legitimate street vendors and enhance public safety in San Francisco.”
“SB 905 (2024): Holds perpetrators accountable for car break-ins by closing the “locked-door loophole” in the penal code that allowed some to avoid accountability.”
Ban or restrict assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
Pass red flag laws
Keep guns away from criminals, domestic abusers and others who pose a danger
Promote safe storage and handling of guns
Hold gun makers and dealers legally accountable
Crack down on gun crime and gun trafficking
Fund gun violence prevention programs and research
Reduce gun violence
“Scott has fought to get guns off our streets and out of our schools. He fought for years and authored the bill that successfully pressured Cow Palace to ban gun shows, standing up against the NRA until the job was done. He was a strong supporter of the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act, which taxes the gun industry to fund violence intervention and school safety programs statewide. And he’s long advocated for banning assault weapons, backing California’s nation-leading ban and pushing for the same protections at the federal level.”
“Pass Ethan's Law, establishing federal safe gun storage requirements, and holding negligent gun owners accountable when unsecured firearms fall into the hands of children or other unauthorized users”
“Expand and strengthen federal background checks, closing loopholes that let prohibited buyers acquire guns with no questions asked — including closing the "Charleston loophole" so officials have the time they need to complete a check before a sale can proceed by default”
“Expand Extreme Risk Protection Order (red flag) laws nationally, with federal funding and incentives to help every state adopt and enforce these proven tools for preventing suicide and mass shootings”
“Scale gun violence prevention and community intervention programs nationally, building on the CalVIP model — which has prevented more than 30,000 incidents of gun violence since 2019 — while investing in the mental health services and school safety infrastructure that go hand-in-hand with prevention”
“Secure robust federal funding for gun violence research — at least $100 million annually — to better understand the causes of gun violence and identify solutions that work”
“Hold the gun industry accountable by repealing PLCAA's special legal protections for bad actors and directing the ATF to prioritize fighting gun crime and trafficking, rather than deprioritizing enforcement under industry pressure”
“Oppose national concealed carry reciprocity, which would gut California's and every other state's gun laws by forcing them to honor out-of-state permits — even for carriers with no training or background check”
“Whether ending mandatory minimum drug sentences in California, fighting for common sense policies to limit police use of lethal force, or enacting tough reforms to stop sending innocent people to prison, Scott has taken bold stances on tough issues and helped usher in change.”
“AB 1196 (Author: Gipson, co-author: Wiener): Banned police from using carotid restraints, one of the most commonly used strangleholds. Eric Garner was murdered by police in New York City using a stranglehold. These laws also need greater enforcement, since chokeholds are already banned in many states, but police are not prosecuted for using them. Any bans like this, if passed, must be coupled with enforcement and oversight.”
“AB 931 (Author: Weber): Modernizing police use of lethal force standards. Scott has been a consistent supporter of this legislation which enforces strict guidelines regarding police use of deadly force, including its original 2018 version that was aggressively opposed by law enforcement.”
“In Congress, he’ll support reforms to reduce police use of lethal force, make it easier for the wrongfully convicted to prove their innocence, and ensure our laws are rooted in compassion and rehabilitation.”
“Ensure cities and counties have access to federal funds to assist with fully staffed police departments AND increased crisis and mental healthcare to compassionately support those in need.”
Sanction and cut off fentanyl supply chains in China and abroad
“Crack down on the fentanyl supply chain by targeting the cartels and Chinese chemical manufacturers flooding our communities with poison, and holding accountable the drug traffickers profiting from mass death.”
“Oppose efforts to bring more guns into K-12 schools, including proposals to arm teachers or use federal funds for that purpose, outside of trained law enforcement and security personnel”
“SB 384 (Author: Wiener) and SB 145 (Author: Wiener): SB 384, signed into law in 2017, dramatically reforms California’s broken sex offender registry, which does little to separate LGBTQ sexual acts from actual sex crimes. The registry has long required all convicted sex offenders, including those who committed minor offenses, such as gay men arrested for having sex in the park, to remain on the registry for life. As a result, 1 in 400 Californians is on the sex offender registry, rendering it useless for law enforcement in terms of tracking people who actually present a risk to the community. Moreover, people’s lives have been destroyed due to an inability to get off of the registry after even a minor offense. SB 384 allows sex offenders who aren’t violent predators to petition to be removed from the registry after a period of time in which the person hasn’t reoffended. SB 145, which was signed into law in 2020, reduces discrimination against LGBTQ young people on the registry.”
“SB 132 (Author: Wiener): Protecting trans incarcerated people. SB 132 ensures that trans people who are in state prison can choose to be housed according to their gender identity, instead of being forced to be housed according to their birth-assigned gender. It also ensures that trans people in prison are treated with respect, including being able to use chosen names and pronouns. Scott introduced the bill in 2019, and spent time over the past year in state prisons meeting with trans people to ensure they have full feedback from the impacted community. This was signed into law in 2020.”
“Send people who refuse sobering centers or treatment programs to drug court. Being severely intoxicated on the street and refusing to go somewhere safe and clean is not acceptable, and we must enforce existing laws.”
“Systemic racism plagues our criminal justice system. Scott has been a consistent advocate for reimagining our criminal justice system, and has fought time and again for progressive criminal justice reforms.”
“SB 97 (Author: Wiener): Righting Wrongful Convictions Act — Smooths the process by which the wrongfully convicted can prove their innocence and overturn wrongful convictions.”
“SB 467 (Author: Wiener): End Wrongful Convictions Act – Ensures expert testimony used as admissible evidence in court has sound logic and methodology, and provides the opportunity to challenge wrongful convictions.”
“SB 1106 (Author: Wiener): Fresh Start Act – Helps people clear their record and reenter society — such as getting a job and housing — even if they can’t pay restitution fines.”
“SB 73 (Author: Wiener): Repeals certain mandatory minimum jail/prison sentences for drug offenses and provides judges with more discretion to order probation and other alternatives to incarceration.”
“SB 592 (Author: Wiener): The Fair Juries Act widened the jury pool to any tax filer (as opposed to just registered voters and drivers’ license/identity card holders). This legislation ensures a more racially and socioeconomically diverse jury pool, and thus leads to fairer juries.”
“AB 3070 (Author: Weber, co-author: Wiener): Will address unlawful discrimination in the selection of juries by using an objective test to determine whether discrimination — through implicit or explicit bias — has occurred. This was signed into law in 2020 by Governor Newsom.”
“AB 2542 (Author: Kalra, co-author: Wiener): California Racial Justice Act. Signed into law in 2020, this law will ensure that California doesn’t convict or give a sentence to a defendant based on race, ethnicity or national origin.”
“SB 923 and SB 938 (Author: Wiener): SB 923 helped bring California into the 21st century by adopting modern eyewitness identification standards so that innocent people aren’t misidentified and convicted, often on the basis of racial bias. Before COVID-19, Scott authored SB 938, which would have amended the standards used for evaluating expert testimony and forensics in court pre- and post-conviction. “Expert” testimony is very broadly defined — the bar is very low for what an “expert” can use as a source to back up their testimony — and we see junk science in our courts being used in testimonies all too often.”
“SB 233 (Author: Wiener): Protecting the health and safety of sex workers. SB 233 bans use of condoms as evidence of sex work (for arrest or at trial) and bans law enforcement from arresting sex workers for sex work or drug possession if the sex worker is reporting a violent crime. Without these groundbreaking legislative protections, sex workers can (and do) get arrested based on possession of condoms, thus making it less likely they will carry condoms, and refrain from reporting violent crimes for fear that they will be arrested for sex work or drug possession. SB 233 is an important reform, and, we hope, a step torward full decriminalization of sex work.”
“SB 136 (Author: Wiener): Repeal of one-year sentence enhancement. SB 136 repealed the most common sentence enhancement (which lets a judge increase a sentence beyond the prescribed range based on prior convictions), affecting tens of thousands of inmates in California. This enhancement has been a driver of mass incarceration, and its repeal will reduce California’s rates of incarceration and give people a chance to get out of jail and back on their feet. Passing this repeal legislation was a huge fight with law enforcement, but we were able to get it across the finish line.”
“SB 239 (Author: Wiener): HIV decriminalization. SB 239 repealed a list of HIV-specific felonies that were adopted in the 1980s and 1990s. These draconian and unfair laws singled out people living with HIV for uniquely harsh criminal treatment, much harsher than other deadly infections such as Ebola. These felonies particularly targeted women of color and sex workers, turning misdemeanor prostitution charges into felonies. Trans women of color who engage in sex work were perhaps the most targeted. These felonies also trapped HIV-positive people in abusive relationships, with partners or human traffickers threatening HIV-positive people with prosecution if they left the relationship (“If you leave, I’ll call the police and tell them you never told me you’re positive.”). Repeal of these felonies was a long-time priority for a broad coalition of LGBTQ, HIV, public health, sex worker, women, civil rights, and immigration advocates. For the three years before Scott was elected, the coalition could not find a legislator to author the legislation. Scott authored it in his first year in office, and was able to pass it and get it signed into law.”
“SB 923 (Author: Wiener): Modernizing eyewitness identification standards. SB 923 brings California into the 21st century by adopting modern eyewitness identification standards so that innocent people aren’t mis-identified and convicted. Scott’s team worked closely with the Innocence Project on the bill, which was opposed by law enforcement but passed into law.”
“SB 281 (Authors: Wiener/Ting; bill failed): Banning gun shows at the Cow Palace. The Cow Palace fairgrounds, at the border of San Francisco and Daly City, has long hosted gun shows, despite near universal community sentiment that the gun shows should end. After decades of advocacy and vetoed or failed legislation, Scott and Assemblymember Ting were able to place a gun show ban on Governor Brown’s desk in 2018. While he vetoed the legislation, Scott and Assemblymember Ting are pursuing it again. Under pressure from the legislation, the Cow Palace Board of Directors voted to end the gun shows.”
“SB 10 (Author: Hertzberg; co-author: Wiener): Bail reform. Scott co-authored and supported the measure to end money bail in California. Money bail means that after an arrest, low-income people who can’t afford to pay are forced to stay in jail, while wealthier individuals can walk free.”
“SB 271 (Author: Wiener; bill failed): Fair Federal Juries – Expands jury pools in federal courts in California by allowing them to summon jurors using state tax filing lists, making juries fairer and more diverse.”
“AB 2054 (Author: Kamlager, co-author: Wiener): Scott shepherded the bill through the Senate where he presented it on the floor. This bill passed the legislature, but was sadly vetoed. It would’ve funded non-armed first responders for situations that police officers would normally be summoned for — including mental health crises, incidents involving substance use, and emergencies with those living on our streets.”
“Scott authored laws ending mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, eliminating the most overused sentence enhancement, and ensuring innocent people wrongly convicted of crimes can be exonerated and released.”
“Strengthen federal prosecution and coordination to dismantle human trafficking networks and ensure survivors have access to the housing, healthcare, and legal support they need to rebuild their lives.”
Deal with Iran through diplomacy rather than military force
Pressure and deter Iran, including with sanctions
Support democracy and human rights in Iran
Require a vote in Congress before military action against Iran
Help Israel defend itself against attacks from Iran
“Scott also believes the U.S. should continue to provide Israel with defensive systems, such as Iron Dome and David’s Sling, which protect ten million Jewish, Muslim, and Christian civilians from near-constant missile and drone attacks, whether from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, or Iraqi militias. Scott believes that Israel, not U.S. taxpayers, should pay the cost of these life-saving defensive systems.”
“We must end the brutal and illegal war Trump is waging in Iran. It is destabilizing the region, driving up prices across the globe, and making Americans less safe.”
“Scott will push to restore meaningful negotiations while maintaining multilateral pressure. Military force is a last resort, and any use of it requires explicit authorization from Congress”
“This requires honesty about our allies, not just our adversaries. Russia's war on Ukraine is a human rights catastrophe. So is the systematic criminalization of LGBTQ people in Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. So are the treatment of women, the suppression of dissent, and the exploitation of migrant workers that define governance across much of the Gulf. The United States cannot preach democracy while looking the other way because a government hosts one of our military bases or buys American weapons. Scott will push Congress to use every tool available, including diplomatic pressure, trade policy, and security agreements, to advance real, measurable human rights improvements in these countries.”
“Scott will not support U.S. funding for the destruction of Palestinian communities in Gaza or the West Bank and thus will not support offensive arms sales to an Israeli government not committed to peace.”
“Scott also believes the U.S. should continue to provide Israel with defensive systems, such as Iron Dome and David’s Sling, which protect ten million Jewish, Muslim, and Christian civilians from near-constant missile and drone attacks, whether from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, or Iraqi militias. Scott believes that Israel, not U.S. taxpayers, should pay the cost of these life-saving defensive systems.”
Support Palestinian statehood, self-determination, equal rights and safety
Support Israel's existence, security and right to defend itself
Protect civilians in Gaza
Bring home all hostages held in Gaza
Stop West Bank settlement expansion, annexation and settler violence
Disarm Hamas and remove it from power
Limit or put conditions on U.S. weapons for Israel
“Promoting peace, never repeating the genocide in Gaza, ending the occupation of the West Bank, combating antisemitism, and supporting Jewish and Palestinian communities.”
“Scott believes Israel and Palestine must co-exist side by side in peace. There are over 7 million Jews and over 7 million Palestinians living in the region, and neither group is going anywhere. Endless violence, destruction, and displacement are untenable and must end. Peace through a two-state solution is the only answer.”
“Scott’s approach to Israel and Palestine is very basic: Stop killing civilians. Stop destroying communities. Stop empowering governments — whether Netanyahu or Hamas — that commit massacres.”
“Within weeks of October 7, the worst massacres of Jews since the Holocaust, which Scott harshly condemned, Scott opposed Israel’s destructive escalations in Gaza and supported a ceasefire. Scott is one of the very few Jewish elected leaders in the country to declare the Netanyahu government has committed genocide in Gaza.”
“Scott has been speaking out for years against the Netanyahu government’s West Bank settlement policy, which is systematically dismembering Palestinian communities. Scott believes settlement expansions are illegal, designed to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, and a step toward ethnic cleansing. Settler land grabs and violence must not be tolerated.”
“Scott will not support U.S. funding for the destruction of Palestinian communities in Gaza or the West Bank and thus will not support offensive arms sales to an Israeli government not committed to peace.”
“As a Jew whose family members fled antisemiticanti-Jewish violence in Eastern Europe and Russia, Scott deeply believes in Israel’s critical importance to Jews globally, as a Jewish homeland and home to half of all Jews on the planet. Scott also strongly believes Palestinians deserve a state in the West Bank and Gaza, and that both Israel and Palestine must be governed by leadership committed to peace and democracy.”
“Scott has also been clear that Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization committed to the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews, must disarm and have no role in a future Palestinian state.”
“On October 7, 2023, when Hamas engaged in mass slaughter, rape, and kidnapping of Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others in southern Israel, Scott immediately condemned Hamas’s pogrom and supported Israel’s right to defend itself. However, Israel quickly went beyond self-defense. Scott began opposing Israel’s escalations in Gaza on October 13, 2023, and he supported a ceasefire on November 17, 2023.”
“I'm a life-long supporter of Israel & am reeling from Hamas's genocidal pogrom. Israel has a right to defend itself & hold Hamas accountable for this atrocity. Israel also must avoid civilian disaster in Gaza. Displacing >1M Gazans — half the population — is not the answer.”
“Vigilante settlers are taking advantage of Israel’s war with Hamas to grab Palestinian land in the West Bank & to commit violence against Palestinians. Netanyahu is letting them get away with it. It needs to stop. West Bank settlement expansion sabotages any long-term solution.”
“West Bank settlers are escalating their violence toward Palestinians & illegally taking their land. Netanyahu already was tolerating illegal settlements in the West Bank — which undermine any possibility of a 2-state solution — & is now tolerating this escalation. It must stop.”
“At a time when the world must work to end the war while bringing home all hostages, ensuring Hamas no longer runs Gaza & laying groundwork for a 2-state solution, Netanyahu again shows he’s unfit for office. Israel needs a PM committed to durable peace.”
“For most Jews, however, we support Israel & also criticize it & can’t stand Netanyahu. We know Hamas is a death cult. We want peace. We want Israelis & Palestinians to be able to live in peace in Israel & Palestine. We want the death cycle to end.”
“Scott has consistently supported Israel’s right to reasonable self defense, but he has vocally opposed the Netanyahu government’s destruction of Gaza. For example, when Hamas began launching missiles into Israel in 2021, and Israel responded with extreme bombing of Gaza, Scott called for an end to the violence and publicly criticized Israel for going beyond self-defense in its bombing campaign.”
Strengthen U.S. alliances and rebuild trust with allies
Keep a strong U.S. commitment to NATO
Defend allies if they are attacked
Keep supporting Ukraine's defense against Russia
“Scott will fight to restore U.S. military and economic aid to Ukraine so it can negotiate from a position of strength, not desperation. America’s credibility as an ally is on the line.”
Restore Congress's power to approve wars and military force
“Scott will push to restore meaningful negotiations while maintaining multilateral pressure. Military force is a last resort, and any use of it requires explicit authorization from Congress”
“Scott Wiener will fight to fully restore USAID and rebuild America’s development capacity, and ensure that aid reaches the people who need it through institutions with the expertise to deliver it.”
“Route aid through trusted multilateral institutions like GAVI, the Global Fund, WHO, UNICEF, and the World Bank, which have the expertise the gutted State Department no longer does.”
Avoid war with China through diplomacy and de-escalation
Cooperate with China on climate, AI and other shared challenges
Cut U.S. dependence on China for critical goods
Out-compete China by investing in U.S. research and industry
“We can have disagreements with China — and protect American interests — without unnecessarily escalating to the point of conflict. Indeed, the U.S. and China have a solemn responsibility to collaborate on the major challenges confronting our planet, including climate change, AI risk, pandemics, economic stability, and avoiding catastrophic wars.”
“Scott supports existing U.S. policy toward Taiwan and opposes any forceful attempt to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. War with China would be catastrophic for the entire world, which means deterrence must be backed by serious diplomacy.”
“The U.S. should compete with China the right way: by leading. That means investing in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and clean energy so we’re not dependent on countries overseas for critical supply chains.”
Other things the site says about foreign affairs and aid (22)
“The Netanyahu government has also expanded its destruction to Lebanon, with massive bombardment and civilian displacement. Scott has harshly condemned this expansion, including an Israeli general’s statement that Israel would use a “Gaza strategy” in Lebanon.”
“With 1,400 innocents dead, Israel must hold Hamas accountable for the horror it perpetrated. But an endless ground war that destabilizes the region & imperils the lives of millions of Gazans & 360,000 Israeli soldiers is not the way to achieve that goal.”
“I’ve been clear about my own criticisms of Israel since the start of this war, including the settler violence in the West Bank, forced evacuation of 1.1M Gazans, escalation in Gaza & the humanitarian disaster & massive death unfolding there.”
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal, brutal, and a direct challenge to the international order that has kept great-power conflict at bay for decades.”
“Hold Russian leaders accountable for war crimes. The International Criminal Court must investigate and prosecute Putin and other Russian leaders for documented atrocities, from Bucha to the Mariupol maternity hospital, and the U.S. should fund those efforts.”
“China is America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge and a critical partner on so many of the globe’s pressing issues. The economic, cultural, and economic ties between California and China run deep, and we must foster and respect those ties.”
“Foreign aid prevents wars, disease, and famines. It builds stable governments, keeps pandemics from becoming global crises, and creates the kind of goodwill that military budgets can’t buy.”
“For every dollar we spend on development assistance, we save many more in military spending down the road. When America walks away from this work, China and Russia fill the vacuum.”
“Protect life-saving programs like PEPFAR and expand full-spectrum global health funding, including reproductive health, child nutrition, vaccine access, and health systems capacity.”
“Abroad, it means rebuilding a foreign policy grounded in peace and in the basic dignity of every person, wherever they live and whoever their government is.”
“The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has been one of America's greatest foreign policy achievements precisely because it has embodied that conviction: over two decades, it has saved more than 25 million lives, supported treatment for 21 million people, and prevented millions of mother-to-child transmissions.”
“Scott will push Congress to restore PEPFAR's integrity: mandating full public disclosure of all compacts, prohibiting conditionality that ties health funding to commercial or mineral agreements, and ensuring any transition to country-led health systems reflects actual capacity rather than an arbitrary political deadline.”
“Restore U.S. participation in and leadership of multilateral institutions, including the UN, WTO, WHO, and international agreements on climate and other key issues.”
“To protect innocent lives and prevent ruinous economic consequences, America urgently needs to become a force for peace and democracy in the world again.”
Strengthen tenant protections against eviction, discrimination and retaliation
“There is no tackling America’s affordability crisis without addressing housing costs. Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most households, and ballooning costs make it increasingly impossible for them to get by.”
“Scott has been willing to challenge our broken housing status quo and take on politically controversial but needed proposals to make housing more abundant and affordable.”
“AB 1482 (Author: Chiu; co-author: Wiener): Statewide rent cap and just cause eviction requirements. Scott co-authored this important tenant-protection legislation, which caps annual rent increases at 5% (plus the rate of inflation) for most of California’s housing supply, and which is the most aggressive in the country.”
“SB 329 (Author: Mitchell; co-author: Wiener): Banning discrimination by landlords against Section 8 voucher holders. SB 329 finally aligns California with other states by prohibiting landlords from refusing to rent to Section 8 voucher holders. Low-income residents who receive housing assistance need housing, and SB 329 will help.”
Expand housing tax credits like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
Build more public and social housing
Fund mixed-income housing developments
Preserve and repair existing affordable housing
Keep public housing investment going when private markets slow
“Scott’s plan will build 8 million homes over the next decade. His national regulatory strategy will cut the red tape and reform bureaucratic processes to make homes faster and cheaper to build. And his national investment strategy will make a generational investment in social housing and affordable housing, paid for by reversing big portions of the Bush and Trump mega tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy.”
“SB 234 (Author: Wiener; bill adopted as part of the budget): Creates a $100 million forgivable loan program to fund new housing, or acquire existing housing, for transition age youth between ages 16 and 26.”
“SB 2 (Author: Atkins; co-author: Wiener): Permanent source of funding for affordable housing. SB 2 imposes a recording fee on certain real estate transactions, with funds dedicated to affordable housing. SB 2 will generate billions in new state funding for affordable housing.”
“SB 3 (Author: Beall; co-author Wiener): Affordable housing bond. SB 3 placed a $3 billion bond on the ballot, which voters subsequently passed, for affordable housing construction and preservation.”
“Scott began fighting for more housing on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where in 2012 he became the first Supervisor in a generation to upzone his own district. He took that fight to the California Legislature, passing laws that completely overhauled California’s broken housing system, helping lower costs and build tens of thousands of affordable homes.”
“Scott’s plan will build 8 million homes over the next decade. His national regulatory strategy will cut the red tape and reform bureaucratic processes to make homes faster and cheaper to build. And his national investment strategy will make a generational investment in social housing and affordable housing, paid for by reversing big portions of the Bush and Trump mega tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy.”
“Scott has been willing to challenge our broken housing status quo and take on politically controversial but needed proposals to make housing more abundant and affordable.”
“SB 50 (Author: Wiener; bill failed): SB 50 overrides exclusionary low-density zoning by legalizing apartment buildings and affordable housing near public transportation and near job centers. SB 50 will help remedy the effects of low-density zoning, which has exacerbated income and racial segregation. It will help California reduce its 3.5 million home shortage, allow affordable housing to be built in many more parts of California, and address the impacts of climate change by allowing more people to live near transit and near where they work, thus reducing commutes and greenhouse gas emissions.”
“Scott is a nationally renowned leader on housing, authoring California's most consequential streamlining laws resulting in the construction of tens of thousands of homes — including 3,000+ below market rate, affordable homes in San Francisco. He helped build the statewide YIMBY movement and turned a political third rail into policy reality by taking on the status quo and Sacramento insiders.”
Cut red tape and rules that make homes slower and costlier to build
Speed up and simplify permits and approvals for new homes
Reform zoning to allow more homes, like apartments and ADUs
“SB 886 (2022) Student and Faculty Housing Act. Streamlines on-campus student and faculty housing at UC, CSU, and community colleges by exempting housing projects from the lengthy CEQA review process that has been weaponized to block or delay student housing for years.”
“Scott’s plan will build 8 million homes over the next decade. His national regulatory strategy will cut the red tape and reform bureaucratic processes to make homes faster and cheaper to build. And his national investment strategy will make a generational investment in social housing and affordable housing, paid for by reversing big portions of the Bush and Trump mega tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy.”
“SB 35, SB 423, SB 828, SB 765, SB 312, SB 4, and SB 79: These laws streamline and expedite housing approvals and permits, especially affordable housing, to ensure cities are held accountable to strong housing goals that actually meet California’s housing needs. They also require cities to zone for more homes, especially near public transportation; authorize churches and other faith organizations to build affordable housing on their land; and expedite permits for on-campus student housing. Scott authored these bills to fundamentally overhaul California’s broken housing approval system, expediting tens of thousands of housing approvals and ensuring that all communities are building housing.”
“As Chair of the Senate Housing Committee, Scott has tackled California’s housing crisis head-on and passed groundbreaking legislation to accelerate the approval of new homes and legalize apartment buildings and affordable housing in many parts of California where only single family homes were allowed. Thanks to Scott’s legislation in this area, thousands of affordable homes have been approved in San Francisco in the past few years, and even more are on the way.”
“SB 35 (Author: Wiener), SB 423 (Author: Wiener), SB 828 (Author: Wiener), and SB 765 (Author: Wiener): Streamlining and expediting housing approvals, including affordable housing, and ensuring strong housing goals that actually meet our state’s housing needs. Scott authored these three housing bills to expedite housing approvals and ensure that all communities are building housing. SB 35, SB 423 and SB 765 streamline housing approvals in communities that aren’t meeting their housing goals, and SB 828 requires reality-based housing goals based on anticipated future needs. In combination, these laws are doing two things: first, they are streamlining a large amount of subsidized affordable housing for low-income people, both in cities and suburbs. (San Francisco, in particular, is aggressively using this legislation to streamline a large amount of affordable housing). Second, these laws are forcing some of the most exclusionary suburbs in the state, such as Cupertino, to allow significant new housing.”
“He focused extensively on housing and public transportation, authoring laws to expedite approval of affordable housing, legalize new in-law units, and tie public transportation funding to population growth.”
“Scott is a nationally renowned leader on housing, authoring California's most consequential streamlining laws resulting in the construction of tens of thousands of homes — including 3,000+ below market rate, affordable homes in San Francisco. He helped build the statewide YIMBY movement and turned a political third rail into policy reality by taking on the status quo and Sacramento insiders.”
Reform zoning rules to allow more homes to be built
Tie federal funding to places that allow and build more housing
Build more homes near transit
Make it easier to build accessory dwelling units
“Scott began fighting for more housing on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where in 2012 he became the first Supervisor in a generation to upzone his own district. He took that fight to the California Legislature, passing laws that completely overhauled California’s broken housing system, helping lower costs and build tens of thousands of affordable homes.”
“Make housing faster and cheaper to build by incentivizing local governments to implement prohousing reforms with grants that reward results when new homes get built.”
“SB 35, SB 423, SB 828, SB 765, SB 312, SB 4, and SB 79: These laws streamline and expedite housing approvals and permits, especially affordable housing, to ensure cities are held accountable to strong housing goals that actually meet California’s housing needs. They also require cities to zone for more homes, especially near public transportation; authorize churches and other faith organizations to build affordable housing on their land; and expedite permits for on-campus student housing. Scott authored these bills to fundamentally overhaul California’s broken housing approval system, expediting tens of thousands of housing approvals and ensuring that all communities are building housing.”
“As Chair of the Senate Housing Committee, Scott has tackled California’s housing crisis head-on and passed groundbreaking legislation to accelerate the approval of new homes and legalize apartment buildings and affordable housing in many parts of California where only single family homes were allowed. Thanks to Scott’s legislation in this area, thousands of affordable homes have been approved in San Francisco in the past few years, and even more are on the way.”
“SB 35 (Author: Wiener), SB 423 (Author: Wiener), SB 828 (Author: Wiener), and SB 765 (Author: Wiener): Streamlining and expediting housing approvals, including affordable housing, and ensuring strong housing goals that actually meet our state’s housing needs. Scott authored these three housing bills to expedite housing approvals and ensure that all communities are building housing. SB 35, SB 423 and SB 765 streamline housing approvals in communities that aren’t meeting their housing goals, and SB 828 requires reality-based housing goals based on anticipated future needs. In combination, these laws are doing two things: first, they are streamlining a large amount of subsidized affordable housing for low-income people, both in cities and suburbs. (San Francisco, in particular, is aggressively using this legislation to streamline a large amount of affordable housing). Second, these laws are forcing some of the most exclusionary suburbs in the state, such as Cupertino, to allow significant new housing.”
“SB 4 (Author: Wiener): Yes in God’s Backyard. SB 4 makes it easier for faith institutions and nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing. The law permits affordable housing for lower-income families on excess land regardless of local zoning restrictions.”
“SB 10 (Author: Wiener): Allows local governments a streamlined path to zone infill neighborhoods for gentle, missing middle density — up to ten units per parcel — if they choose.”
“SB 50 (Author: Wiener; bill failed): SB 50 overrides exclusionary low-density zoning by legalizing apartment buildings and affordable housing near public transportation and near job centers. SB 50 will help remedy the effects of low-density zoning, which has exacerbated income and racial segregation. It will help California reduce its 3.5 million home shortage, allow affordable housing to be built in many more parts of California, and address the impacts of climate change by allowing more people to live near transit and near where they work, thus reducing commutes and greenhouse gas emissions.”
“Climate change is an existential threat to our planet, and Scott has been a climate hawk in the Senate since the day he took office. He supports the Green New Deal and has advocated throughout his career for better public transportation and denser housing near jobs and transit to minimize our carbon footprint.”
“He focused extensively on housing and public transportation, authoring laws to expedite approval of affordable housing, legalize new in-law units, and tie public transportation funding to population growth.”
Change zoning rules to allow more affordable housing
“Scott began fighting for more housing on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where in 2012 he became the first Supervisor in a generation to upzone his own district. He took that fight to the California Legislature, passing laws that completely overhauled California’s broken housing system, helping lower costs and build tens of thousands of affordable homes.”
“SB 4 (Author: Wiener): Yes in God’s Backyard. SB 4 makes it easier for faith institutions and nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing. The law permits affordable housing for lower-income families on excess land regardless of local zoning restrictions.”
“SB 593 (Author: Wiener): Removes barriers to replacing more than 5,800 units of low- and moderate-income housing in San Francisco that were demolished in the 1950s-70s period of redevelopment, also known as “urban renewal.””
“SB 886 (Author: Wiener): The Student and Faculty Housing Act. SB 886 streamlines and accelerates student and faculty housing production for public universities across the state and increases the supply of housing so more students and faculty can live on campus.”
“SCA 1 (Authors: Allen/Wiener): SCA 1 repeals Article 34 of the Constitution, a racist provision passed in 1950 that requires all publicly funded housing to be approved on the ballot. No other type of housing is subject to this requirement, and the purpose of Article 34 is to make it hard or impossible to place low-income housing in majority white communities. We need more housing of all varieties in California — including publicly funded housing — and this constitutional amendment will help. The amendment will appear on the November 2024 ballot.”
“SB 48 (Author: Wiener; bill adopted as part of the budget): SB 48 streamlines approval of navigation centers, so that the obstruction we saw at the Embarcadero never happens again. Under SB 48, these critical homeless-serving facilities, which help people transition off the streets, will be easier and faster to get approved and implemented.”
“SB 918 (Author: Wiener): Homeless Youth Act. Scott partnered with Larkin Street Youth Services and other homeless youth advocates to pass SB 918, which sets up a structure to ensure the state focuses on the unique needs of homeless youth. Two-thirds of California counties have no youth-specific homeless programs, and SB 918 will help fix that problem. In connection with this legislation, we’ve obtained tens of millions in state funding specific for homeless youth.”
“AB 1436 (Author: Chiu; co-author: Wiener): Eviction moratorium legislation for those impacted by COVID-19. The bill would prohibit a landlord from charging a tenant, or attempting to collect from a tenant, fees for a late payment of COVID-19 rental debt.”
“In addition, smart land use planning can ensure data centers are sited in appropriate locations without impeding our critical need to build millions of new homes.”
Raise pay through unions and collective bargaining
“Establish sectoral bargaining to empower workers across the economy. Establish federal wage boards to set higher standards for workers in key sectors and boost union density.”
“Raise the federal minimum wage to a living wage. Scott supports the Living Wage for All Act, which raises the minimum hourly wage to $25 by 2031 for large employers, and other efforts including Senator Sanders' Raise the Wage Act.”
“Scott will fight to rebuild union power in America and make sure bold action on housing, climate, and public transit means good union jobs and that the workers who build our roads, homes, and infrastructure have fair pay and rights.”
“He will go further, building new protections for the modern economy: stopping companies from using AI to spy on and harm workers, empowering the agencies meant to protect employees, and rewarding employers who let workers organize freely instead of fighting them at every turn.”
“Pass the PRO Act. Make it easier for workers to organize and harder for employers to delay or derail the process, including through card check and vote-by-mail union elections.”
“Fight national "right to work" legislation. Oppose any federal scheme that lets workers benefit from a union contract without contributing to the union that negotiated it, a tactic designed to starve unions of the resources they need to represent workers.”
“Establish sectoral bargaining to empower workers across the economy. Establish federal wage boards to set higher standards for workers in key sectors and boost union density.”
“Fully fund and staff the NLRB. Strengthen its power to penalize employers who violate labor law, so breaking the law is no longer just the cost of doing business.”
“Tie federal funding to labor neutrality. Require employers who receive federal subsidies and tax breaks to stay neutral when their workers seek to unionize, building on the model used in the CHIPS Act.”
“Scott will fight to rebuild union power in America and make sure bold action on housing, climate, and public transit means good union jobs and that the workers who build our roads, homes, and infrastructure have fair pay and rights.”
“In Congress, he'll support the PRO Act to help millions of new workers organize, take on companies that use AI to spy on and harm workers, and make Washington finally take the side of workers over corporations.”
“As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, he authored the nation's first fully paid parental leave law — guaranteeing new parents their full salary for six weeks to bond with a newborn or newly adopted child, at a time when California's state program only covered a fraction of lost wages.”
“Pass national paid family leave, building on the model he authored in San Francisco, so no parent has to choose between a paycheck and bonding with a new child or caring for a sick family member”
“SB 271 (Author: Wiener): Ensuring entertainment workers can access state-provided disability and family leave benefits. Entertainment workers frequently work outside of California on temporary assignment, which can preclude them from accessing their state-provided benefits. SB 271 ensures that these workers have full access to the benefits for which they’re paying via payroll deductions. SB 271 was a priority bill for the California Labor Federation and IATSE.”
“He made San Francisco the first city in the country to have fully paid parental leave, passed groundbreaking legislation to support nursing mothers, and helped expand California’s investment in child care for working families.”
“Scott served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district previously represented by Supervisor Harvey Milk, where he authored a number of first-in-the-nation laws, including mandating fully paid parental leave for all working parents and requiring water recycling and solar power in new developments.”
“The United States must move with all possible haste to shore up and expand unemployment insurance and other key social safety net planks—not as a complete solution, but as a no-risk emergency step to ensure people’s basic needs are met if larger and larger numbers of people face job displacement from AI.”
“To fund programs designed to address labor displacement, Scott will push to tax companies benefiting from AI, ensuring they pay their fair share and share the gains from AI broadly.”
“Critically, that means going beyond taxing the AI labs themselves to taxing other companies using AI to capture massive profits. For example, if pharmaceutical companies generate unprecedented profits by using AI to create scores of new drugs, they should be subject to an AI or robot tax.”
Protect immigrant workers from exploitation and enforce labor laws
“AB 450 (Author: Chiu; co-author: Wiener): Protecting immigrants in the workplace. AB 450 restricts employers from cooperating with ICE in workplace deportation raids.”
“Restore and codify Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement (DALE), the whistleblower protection the Trump administration quietly shut down, so workers who report wage theft or unsafe conditions can't be deported for speaking up.”
“Crack down on employers who exploit undocumented workers' immigration status to underpay them and dodge accountability, and support a path to citizenship, because normalizing immigration status removes the leverage employers use to suppress wages and silence workers.”
Other things the site says about labor and employment (16)
“Every family deserves the chance to grow, bond, and thrive without having to choose between a paycheck and time with a new child, or between building a family and affording the care it takes to do so.”
“Scott believes Washington should build on the models California and San Francisco have already proven work — and go further, so every family in America gets the support his own constituents have had for years.”
“He fought to strengthen California’s wage theft laws, and he passed laws to ensure freelancers don’t miss rent as they wait for late paychecks and workers can access disability benefits even when their work takes them outside of California.”
“Scott’s lifetime score with the California Labor Federation is 97%, and he has stood with workers on some of the most intense fights around wages, health care, technology, and basic protections.”
“Restore and codify collective bargaining rights for federal employees. Reverse efforts to reclassify federal workers just to strip them of their union protections.”
“Protect the Davis-Bacon Act. Block Republican efforts to repeal federal prevailing wage requirements, so union tradespeople building federally funded roads, transit, and housing keep getting paid fair, locally competitive wages.”
“Rebuild wage and safety law enforcement. Fully fund and staff the Department of Labor, OSHA, and the Wage and Hour Division so wage theft and unsafe workplaces are actually investigated and punished, instead of employers betting they'll never get caught.”
“Protect workers from unchecked AI in the workplace. Ban employer use of AI to surveil workers, and require transparency and worker input before AI can be used to make hiring, firing, or discipline decisions.”
“Create a federal test to stop gig worker misclassification. Companies should not be able to deny workers fair pay and basic protections by mislabeling them as independent contractors.”
“SB 988 (2024): The Freelance Worker Protection Act establishes strict baseline legal protections for independent contractors against late or non-payment.”
“SB 310 (2025): Would have allowed workers who are victims of wage theft to independently sue employers for the full statutory penalties associated with late or unpaid wages.”
“SB 271 (2019): Ensures that California-resident entertainment workers can claim disability and unemployment benefits even if their work takes them out of state”
“SB 142 (2019): Requires employers to provide safe, private, and clean lactation spaces and standardizes exactly what a workplace lactation room must look like”
Set binding safety rules for the most powerful AI models
Give a federal agency the power and expertise to oversee AI safety
Hold AI companies accountable for the harms they cause
Seek international agreements on AI safety
Keep states' power to regulate AI
Protect AI whistleblowers
“We can have disagreements with China — and protect American interests — without unnecessarily escalating to the point of conflict. Indeed, the U.S. and China have a solemn responsibility to collaborate on the major challenges confronting our planet, including climate change, AI risk, pandemics, economic stability, and avoiding catastrophic wars.”
“Scott is the first American legislator to prove he can take on Big Tech and pass sweeping AI guardrails to protect the public. Now he’s taking that fight to Congress.”
“The most transformative technology in human history should benefit everybody. In Congress, Scott will set common sense guardrails on AI development and spread the benefits of AI far and wide, working to:”
“Pass federal AI transparency and safety requirements so the largest AI developers must publish safety frameworks, disclose critical incidents to federal authorities, and be honest about the catastrophic risks their models could pose — including mass casualty events, attacks on critical infrastructure, and the development of biological or chemical weapons.”
“Those transparency requirements must build on California’s SB 53 — a law Scott Wiener passed — to require public disclosure of complete model specs. AI labs should have the ability to redact truly sensitive trade secrets, but federal regulators will have the authority to review any material redacted from the public disclosure of the public model.”
“But transparency is not enough – developers need to be held to minimum safety standards just like we have in every other safety-critical industry, and independent third parties should verify their compliance with those standards. Every major lab has already promised to protect the public from catastrophic risks. It's past time to put those promises into law.”
“Those safety standards should be backed by steep fines for labs that fail to follow safety standards. If labs repeatedly and willfully violate established safety standards, courts should have injunctive authority to stop development until the labs come into compliance.”
“Protect AI whistleblowers — the engineers and researchers inside these companies who see real risks firsthand — by creating federal protections so they can report safety concerns without fear of retaliation or career destruction.”
“In Congress, he'll fight to restore and expand federal investment in AI safety science, so that the government — not just the companies building these systems — has the independent expertise to evaluate and govern them.”
“The House passed a ten-year moratorium on state AI regulation — a brazen giveaway to the industry that would strip every level of government of the ability to act while Congress does nothing. Scott will fight that preemption and defend states' right to govern when Washington won't.”
“SB 1047 (2024): The Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Systems Act — required developers of the most powerful AI models to conduct pre-deployment safety testing, plan for catastrophic risks including mass casualty events and critical infrastructure attacks, and accept liability for harms caused by their systems. Passed the California legislature 32–1 before being vetoed by Governor Newsom. Sparked the most consequential national conversation about AI governance any state bill has ever generated.”
“SB 53 (2025): The Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act — California's first enacted frontier AI safety law, requiring companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind to publish safety frameworks, report critical incidents to state authorities, and protect employees who raise concerns about catastrophic risks. Also established CalCompute, a public cloud computing cluster within the University of California system. Signed into law by Governor Newsom after Scott fought for it through two full legislative sessions.”
Keep the U.S. leading the world in AI and new technology
Invest public money in research and new technology industries
Make chips and other critical goods in America
Set rules so AI is developed safely as the U.S. leads
“The U.S. should compete with China the right way: by leading. That means investing in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and clean energy so we’re not dependent on countries overseas for critical supply chains.”
“AI is the most transformative technology in human history, and it deserves leadership that matches that moment. Scott will fight for smart governance that keeps America ahead without leaving safety and our workforce behind.”
Other things the site says about science, technology and communications (30)
“In Congress, Scott will fight to restore and expand federal investment in science, to protect innovation as a pillar of American prosperity and ensure the U.S. remains the world leader.”
“Scott built a coalition of labor unions, universities, scientists, businesses, and students to advance a massive funding measure in California to create a new scientific research institute to ensure California remains the global leader on science.”
“In Congress, Scott will prioritize funding and supporting scientific research and innovation. Science is a pillar of American prosperity, and we must embrace it and ensure the U.S. remains the world leader.”
“In Congress, Scott will pass a comprehensive data privacy law, bring regulations into the 21st century by passing real social media protections, and take his landmark California net neutrality law national to ensure the internet works for everyone, not just big tech.”
“As Trump dismantles federal research funding, Scott is leading a coalition to build a new California state science grantmaking agency to fund our research infrastructure and biotech leadership.”
“The future of this technology isn’t up to the VCs and CEOs — it's up to the people. We have the power to shape the future of this technology, we just need to use it.”
“The public is put at severe risk when all AI expertise is concentrated exclusively in the private sector. AI is poised to create massive changes in healthcare, energy, finance, education, manufacturing, and more industries that are subject to critical public oversight. Meeting this challenge will require a major investment in federal AI capacity.”
“Scott will push for a comprehensive federal framework covering disclosure requirements for AI-generated political content, real civil and criminal penalties for weaponized deepfakes, and platform accountability for the amplification of synthetic disinformation.”
“Scott will revive the National AI Research Resource and building on CalCompute (a publicly owned AI compute cluster created by Scott’s AI legislation), giving startups, universities, and public interest researchers the resources to build AI that benefits everyone — breaking Big Tech's stranglehold on the computing power that determines who gets to compete in this industry.”
“Protect kids from addictive platform design by passing a federal law banning infinite scroll, algorithmic push notifications, auto-play, and engagement reward loops when directed at minors — building on California's model to set a national floor for child protection online.”
“Mandate algorithmic transparency and accountability by requiring platforms to disclose how their recommendation algorithms work, give users the meaningful right to opt out of algorithmic curation entirely, and conduct regular third-party audits of systems that demonstrably amplify hate, harassment, or extremist content.”
“Defund hate groups and harassment networks. Platforms should not be allowed to profit from content that incites violence, promotes domestic terrorism, or coordinates targeted harassment campaigns. Scott will push for enforceable standards — with real penalties — that require platforms to demonetize and disrupt hate networks, not just issue press releases about it.”
“Big Tech has spent hundreds of millions convincing Congress to look the other way when it comes to your data privacy. That ends when Scott gets to Washington.”
“Pass a comprehensive federal consumer data privacy law — one that gives every American the right to know what data companies collect, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of its sale.”
“End the data broker free-for-all by requiring brokers to register with the federal government, honor deletion requests, and face real penalties for noncompliance.”
“Pass a federal net neutrality law, something Congress has failed to do for over a decade, so every website, startup, and small business gets equal access to the internet.”
“Prevent telecom giants from creating fast lanes for corporations and slow lanes for everyone else because the internet should be a level playing field, not a toll road.”
“SB 339 (Author: Wiener): Gas Tax Alternative Pilot – extends California’s Road Charge Pilot Program, providing a potential future source of transportation and road funding.”
“SCA 6 (Author: Wiener; bill merged into broader bill): Lowering voter threshold to pass transportation infrastructure measures. Senate Constitutional Amendment 6 would have lowered the voter threshold for local transportation funding measures (e.g., for public transportation and bike and pedestrian projects) from 2/3rds to 55%. The idea was ultimately merged into a broader proposed constitutional amendment, ACA 1 (Author Aguiar-Curry; co-author: Wiener) covering all local infrastructure funding measures, including transportation measures. Scott is now a co-author of that broader measure.”
“SB 339 (2021): Road Usage Charge pilot program - forward-thinking assessment to maintain state of good repair in the face of declining transportation revenues”
Invest in repairing and modernizing roads and bridges
Raise gas taxes and fees to pay for road repairs
“SB 1 (Author: Beall; co-author: Wiener): Massive transportation funding increase. SB 1, which Scott and others passed in 2017, is the largest transportation funding measure in California history. Through an increase to the gas tax, vehicle registration fees, and the diesel gas tax, it raises over $5 billion annually for road repairs, freeway repairs, and public transportation. Scott advocated strongly to increase the share of the measure dedicated to public transportation, and ultimately was able to increase the public transit share to nearly $1 billion annually in new transit investment.”
“We need significant investments in our bus, rail, ferry, and bike systems to combat climate change and keep up with our carbon emission reduction goals.”
“His work in this space includes securing over $1 billion annually for public transit investments in California, generating hundreds of millions in new funding for Muni, streamlining bus and bike lane approvals, and helping lead the fight to prevent our transit systems from collapsing financially post-COVID.”
“SB 1 (Author: Beall; co-author: Wiener): Massive transportation funding increase. SB 1, which Scott and others passed in 2017, is the largest transportation funding measure in California history. Through an increase to the gas tax, vehicle registration fees, and the diesel gas tax, it raises over $5 billion annually for road repairs, freeway repairs, and public transportation. Scott advocated strongly to increase the share of the measure dedicated to public transportation, and ultimately was able to increase the public transit share to nearly $1 billion annually in new transit investment.”
“He stepped up to lead the fight in the Legislature for transit funding, securing billions in state funding to keep our trains and buses running on time, and authoring a law to trigger a regional ballot measure that will provide a sustainable, long-term source of funding for transit systems across the Bay Area.”
“In Congress, Scott will be a leading champion for public transit. He’ll fight to stabilize our transit systems, expand and improve them, and fix the broken bureaucratic processes that create the unacceptable delays and cost-overruns that have become all too common in recent years.”
“Secure funding for transformational projects like a Westside Subway to the Richmond and Sunset, completing the Portal to connect Caltrain and High-Speed Rail downtown, expanding our bus rapid transit lane network, and more.”
“Scott is California’s leading advocate for affordable and reliable transportation and in Congress, he’ll fight to expand federal funding for transit and cut red tape to deliver projects faster and at lower costs.”
Other things the site says about transportation and infrastructure (12)
“Scott has also championed creative use of our streets, including helping pass Car-Free JFK in Golden Gate Park and the ballot measure that created Sunset Dunes Park on the former Great Highway.”
“SB 288 and 922 (Author: Wiener): Streamlining sustainable transit projects. SB 288 will reform CEQA requirements for sustainable transportation and safe streets projects to speed up the approval processes for climate-friendly projects. SB 922 extends the sunset for the provisions of SB 288.”
“SB 288 and SB 922 (Author: Wiener): This law will help get our economy and our response to climate change back on track by jumpstarting and speeding up sustainable transportation projects like light rail and bus lanes, safe streets infrastructure like protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety projects, innovative conversion of streets to pedestrian use, and electric bus charging stations. It does so by adding these projects to the list of environmental sustainable projects exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act or CEQA. Unfortunately, people sometimes obstruct environmentally sustainable projects by abusing the CEQA process. SB 288 will significantly cut down on those abuses and ensure these climate-friendly projects can be approved much more quickly. SB 288 is also an economic recovery law that makes it easier to roll out public infrastructure investments more quickly to create jobs. SB 922 extends the provisions of SB 288 until 2030.”
“SB 127 (Author: Wiener; vetoed by the Governor): SB 127 would have forced Caltrans to make state-owned roads (e.g., 19th Avenue, Van Ness Avenue, Park Presidio Boulevard, Lombard Street, Sloat Boulevard) friendly to and safe for cyclists and pedestrians. It was the California Bicycle Coalition’s top priority bill.”
“As a member of the Board of Supervisors, Scott authored a charter amendment, which the voters passed, to ensure Muni funding increases as San Francisco grows — a measure that provides about $60 millions in Muni funding annually.”
“Creating a national transit center of excellence within the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and strengthening the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) role as a delivery partner”
“SB 960 (2024): Complete Streets Bill: Requires Caltrans to add bike lanes, sidewalks, other active transportation, and public transit improvements on state-owned surface streets and state highways.”
“ACA 1 (Author: McCarty, co-author: Wiener): Placed Proposition 17 on the ballot. Proposition 17, which passed in November 2020, restored the right to vote for people who are on parole.”
Protect LGBTQ people's access to health care, including gender-affirming care
Block and reverse government actions against LGBTQ people
Protect LGBTQ people's rights to adopt, foster and have children
“Scott co-authored SB 729, expanding insurance coverage for fertility treatment, including IVF, and redefining infertility to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ couples and single parents who had long been shut out of coverage.”
“SB 729 (2024): Expands insurance coverage for infertility treatment and IVF and redefines infertility to include LGBTQ+ and single individuals (signed into law, 2024)”
“From playing a key role building the San Francisco LGBTQ Community Center, to serving on boards of local and national LGBTQ organizations, to chairing the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, to passing groundbreaking LGBTQ civil rights legislation to decriminalize HIV, protect LGBTQ youth and seniors, expand healthcare access for transgender people, stop the targeting of sex workers, and ensure California does not honor or enforce anti-LGBTQ hate laws, Scott is an unabashed champion for the LGTBQ community.”
“In the Senate, Scott has fought to erase discriminatory laws that harmed LGBTQ people, including LGBTQ youth, transgender women, and people living with HIV. He authored nation-leading laws to make PrEP available from a pharmacist without a physician prescription (similar to the birth control pill), establish the nation’s strongest legal protections for LGBTQ seniors in nursing homes and other long-term care, collect voluntary health data to fight health disparities in the LGBTQ community, repeal discriminatory felonies targeting people living with HIV, and end discrimination against LGBTQ people on California’s broken sex offender registry.”
“He authored the nation’s first law to make California a state of refuge for LGBTQ people — including trans youth and their families fleeing red states — and expanded privacy protections to prevent harassment and doxxing of transgender and nonbinary people.”
“SB 219 (2017): Strengthens protections for LGBT seniors living in long-term care facilities against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status. Later incorporated into an Executive Order issued by President Biden.”
“Scott is one of the foremost champions for LGBTQ equality in the country, authoring the nation's first trans state of refuge law and passing landmark protections for LGBTQ youth, LGBTQ seniors, and people living with HIV.”
“As San Francisco’s first gay member of Congress, he will take his fight against Trump's unprecedented assault on LGBTQ people — even at his own personal risk.”
Other things the site says about civil rights and liberties (15)
“Scott has consistently called out antisemitism on both the right and the left — whether Trump’s empowerment of antisemites or the casting out from progressive spaces of Jews who support Israel’s existence. Scott has vocally opposed antisemitism in our local community, whether the targeting of Jewish-owned businesses, the targeting of Jewish kids in our public schools, or antisemitic atmospheres at UCSF and San Francisco State University.”
“Scott helped lead the California Legislative Jewish Caucus for over five years and helped pass California’s law to address antisemitism in our schools.”
“Scott has condemned bigoted attacks on Palestinians and Muslims, including violence directed at the community and political attacks by MAGA Republicans and others.”
“As a gay man who came of age during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis in 1987, Scott Wiener has fought for the LGTBQ community his entire adult life.”
“SB 107 (Author: Wiener): Provides refuge for trans kids and their families in California so they can avoid criminal prosecution for seeking or allowing gender-affirming care in states like Texas.”
“SB 179 (Authors: Atkins/Wiener): Allowing non-binary gender markers on government documents. Scott joint-authored SB 179 with Senator Toni Atkins. It streamlines the ability of people to administratively (i.e., without going to court) correct their gender marker on drivers licenses and other government documents and allows, for the first time, people to identify as non-binary on these documents.”
“The devastation of HIV/AIDS inspired Scott to volunteer for an HIV crisis hotline as a college student in North Carolina, and he advocated for transgender people as a student at Harvard Law School in the 1990s.”
“SB 107 (2022): Establishes California as a refuge for transgender youth and their parents, who are being criminalized in red states for seeking medically recommended gender affirming healthcare.”
“SB 59 (2025): Protects transgender Californians from harassment and outing by automatically making legal records related to gender transition confidential.”
“SB 497 (2025): Protects the privacy of medical data related to gender transition, and strengthens the protections of SB 107, the transgender state of refuge law.”
“Protect sensitive categories of data — health records, location data, and financial information — with the strongest legal safeguards, so corporations and a hostile federal government can't use your most personal information against you.”
Let people sue immigration agents who violate their rights
Hold ICE and its agents accountable for abuses
“Scott authored and passed our nation’s first law banning ICE and other law enforcement from wearing Gestapo-like face masks they use to hide from accountability and create an atmosphere of impunity — the No Secret Police Act.”
“After a federal court ruled that California does, in fact, have power to ban federal agents from wearing face masks, Scott is authoring follow up legislation to ensure the law is fully enforceable.”
“When masked agents began disappearing people off the streets, Scott passed first-in-the-nation legislation to make it illegal for ICE to wear masks, and he is now working to end impunity for ICE by allowing you to sue them when they violate your rights — it’s currently nearly impossible to sue them under federal law.”
“Crack down on employers who exploit undocumented workers' immigration status to underpay them and dodge accountability, and support a path to citizenship, because normalizing immigration status removes the leverage employers use to suppress wages and silence workers.”
“As the grandson of immigrants who fled pogroms in Eastern Europe, Scott believes every person – regardless of where they were born – deserves to live with safety and dignity. Many seek refuge in our country because of the promise America holds, and we need to ensure our country remains a place where people can seek a new and better life. Immigrants make our country better and stronger. They aren’t the problem; they’re part of the solution.”
“He authored a law to prevent immigrants from being forced to disclose their immigration status in open court when it isn’t relevant, preventing the justice system from exploiting immigrants and targeting them. He also helped pass a law to prevent landlords from using immigration status as leverage against tenants in eviction disputes.”
“SB 785 (2018): Protects immigrants from irrelevant disclosures of their immigration status in open court by requiring that any discussion or questioning about the immigration status of any witness, victim, or defendant first be deemed by a judge to be relevant and admissible.”
“AB 291 (Chiu, 2017): Provides greater protection of tenants against discrimination based on immigration status; Landlords may no longer use reporting tenants as leverage for eviction. Principal co-author with Assemblymember David Chiu.”
“When Trump was elected, Scott sprung into action: he co-authored the law that made California a sanctuary state and wrote the law to stop undocumented immigrants from being harassed if they report crimes and testify in court.”
“SB 85 (Author: Wiener; bill pending): Supports refugees and those granted asylum by extending the base number of days they are entitled to case management from 90 to 180”
“SB 785 and SB 836 (Author: Wiener): Protecting immigrants testifying in court. SB 785 prohibits attorneys from questioning witnesses on the stand about their immigration status unless an attorney first demonstrates to the judge that the question is specifically relevant to the case. We’ve seen various instances in which attorneys have intimidated witnesses by asking them irrelevant questions about their immigration status, particularly since we know that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is in courthouses. Immigrants, as a result, are often scared to go to court, which makes us all less safe. SB 785 ends this problem. SB 836 reenacts the provisions of SB 785.”
“SB 54 (Author: de Leon; co-author: Wiener): Sanctuary state legislation. Scott co-authored this important legislation to prohibit California public officials, including law enforcement, from cooperating with ICE to deport immigrants absent extreme circumstances.”
“AB 291 (Author: Chiu; co-author: Wiener): Protecting immigrant tenants. AB 291 prohibits landlords from retaliating against immigrant tenants by reporting them to ICE. Scott co-authored the legislation.”
Restore and protect federal support for clean energy
Speed up permitting for renewable energy projects
Bring clean energy to renters and communities hit by pollution
“We need to transition to clean energy as quickly as possible, but broken bureaucratic processes — and even outdated environmental laws — are slowing down our progress when we most need to speed up.”
“Scott has passed historic laws to cut through the red tape: requiring cities to implement instant app-based solar permitting, which made California the #1 state in the country for solar permitting, and making the largest investment in battery storage in California history.”
“He is also authoring legislation to streamline permitting for balcony plug-in solar for renters, heat pumps, and utility-scale solar projects, and to allow San Francisco to break up with PG&E and form its own public utility.”
“Restore the Inflation Reduction Act's clean energy investments from Republican attempts to roll back the tax credits driving the shift to solar, wind, and battery storage.”
“SB 379 (2022): Requires California cities to implement an online, instant solar permitting system to streamline the process of remote solar installation and inspection.”
“SB 700 (2018): Establishes the biggest investment in energy storage in California, the Energy Storage Initiative, offering rebates to electricity customers who install home or business energy storage systems that enable solar energy to be stored and used both day and night.”
“The U.S. should compete with China the right way: by leading. That means investing in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and clean energy so we’re not dependent on countries overseas for critical supply chains.”
“SB 379 (Author: Wiener): Requires California cities to provide online, instant solar permitting to streamline remote installation and inspection of residential solar and solar-plus-storage systems.”
“SB 700 (Author: Wiener): Expanding subsidies for clean energy storage systems. This major legislation creates a large subsidy/rebate program so that residents, businesses, public schools, and other public facilities can install energy storage systems. Energy storage is a key part of California’s clean energy future. This program will make it more affordable to install energy storage systems and will help spur innovation in the industry so that it becomes even more affordable, reliable, and available in the future.”
“Scott served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district previously represented by Supervisor Harvey Milk, where he authored a number of first-in-the-nation laws, including mandating fully paid parental leave for all working parents and requiring water recycling and solar power in new developments.”
“As a 29-year daily Muni rider — and frequent BART rider as well — Scott secured billions in state funding to keep Bay Area transit running and authored laws to fast-track clean energy projects.”
“Data centers powering the AI revolution are consuming electricity at a scale that strains the grid and drives up utility costs for everyone else. Ratepayers shouldn't subsidize Big Tech's compute bills.”
“An additional fee assessed on new data centers to fund investments in transmission capacity. These fees will help expand the grid, advance the clean energy transition, and lower energy costs for working people.”
Hold utility companies accountable for their rates and outages
Limit utility companies' lobbying and political spending
Expand public ownership of power utilities
Keep data centers and other big power users from raising household bills
“He is also authoring legislation to streamline permitting for balcony plug-in solar for renters, heat pumps, and utility-scale solar projects, and to allow San Francisco to break up with PG&E and form its own public utility.”
“SB 378 (Wiener; bill failed): Holding PG&E accountable for its mass blackouts. SB 378 will require PG&E to compensate people and businesses for damages they sustain during planned blackouts and prohibits PG&E from charging customers for service during these blackouts. The legislation also bans PG&E from lobbying against public power and other alternative approaches to power delivery.”
“Data centers powering the AI revolution are consuming electricity at a scale that strains the grid and drives up utility costs for everyone else. Ratepayers shouldn't subsidize Big Tech's compute bills.”
Modernize and expand the power grid to lower costs
Keep data centers' energy costs off household bills
“An additional fee assessed on new data centers to fund investments in transmission capacity. These fees will help expand the grid, advance the clean energy transition, and lower energy costs for working people.”
“Scott will fight to rebuild union power in America and make sure bold action on housing, climate, and public transit means good union jobs and that the workers who build our roads, homes, and infrastructure have fair pay and rights.”
End new drilling on federal lands and ban fracking
End oil and gas subsidies and tax windfall profits
“He also authored a bill to ban fracking in California, and while it fell short, the Legislature ultimately succeeded in cutting most drilling near homes, schools, and other sensitive areas, protecting much of the state.”
“End new fossil fuel drilling and leasing on federal lands, and phase out the billions in annual subsidies that prop up oil and gas companies as they wreck our climate.”
“SB 467 (Author: Wiener, bill failed) - Halts the issuance or renewal of permits for hydraulic fracturing (fracking), acid well stimulation treatments, cyclic steaming, and water and steam flooding starting January 1, 2022, and then prohibits these extraction methods entirely starting January 1, 2027.”
Expand transmission and get new power lines built faster
Make data centers and tech companies pay for grid expansion
Hold utilities accountable for grid upkeep and blackouts
“SB 378 (Wiener; bill failed): Holding PG&E accountable for its mass blackouts. SB 378 will require PG&E to compensate people and businesses for damages they sustain during planned blackouts and prohibits PG&E from charging customers for service during these blackouts. The legislation also bans PG&E from lobbying against public power and other alternative approaches to power delivery.”
“An additional fee assessed on new data centers to fund investments in transmission capacity. These fees will help expand the grid, advance the clean energy transition, and lower energy costs for working people.”
“Requirements that AI companies partner with utilities to provide low-cost access to their models for grid expansion modeling and interconnection agreements, helping eliminate a major obstacle to transmission expansion.”
Help homes switch to heat pumps or renewable heating
“He is also authoring legislation to streamline permitting for balcony plug-in solar for renters, heat pumps, and utility-scale solar projects, and to allow San Francisco to break up with PG&E and form its own public utility.”
Cut greenhouse gas emissions, including by moving to clean energy
Pass a Green New Deal
Hold polluters accountable and make them pay for climate damage
End subsidies for fossil fuel companies
Phase out fossil fuels and end new drilling
“Scott was named a TIME100 Climate Champion in 2023 after he took on the biggest corporations in the world — particularly the oil industry — and passed first-in-the-nation legislation to hold them accountable by forcing them to publicly disclose their carbon emissions.”
“Require large corporations to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions by building on his first-in-the-nation law in California — so polluters face accountability everywhere, not just in blue states.”
“End new fossil fuel drilling and leasing on federal lands, and phase out the billions in annual subsidies that prop up oil and gas companies as they wreck our climate.”
“SB 50 (Author: Wiener; bill failed): SB 50 overrides exclusionary low-density zoning by legalizing apartment buildings and affordable housing near public transportation and near job centers. SB 50 will help remedy the effects of low-density zoning, which has exacerbated income and racial segregation. It will help California reduce its 3.5 million home shortage, allow affordable housing to be built in many more parts of California, and address the impacts of climate change by allowing more people to live near transit and near where they work, thus reducing commutes and greenhouse gas emissions.”
“Climate change is an existential threat to our planet, and Scott has been a climate hawk in the Senate since the day he took office. He supports the Green New Deal and has advocated throughout his career for better public transportation and denser housing near jobs and transit to minimize our carbon footprint.”
“SB 253 (Author: Wiener): The Corporate Climate Data Accountability Act. SB 253 is a first-in-the-nation measure requiring large companies operating in California to report their greenhouse gas emissions to the public. This bill will ensure corporate transparency and open the door for bold climate leadership.”
“We need significant investments in our bus, rail, ferry, and bike systems to combat climate change and keep up with our carbon emission reduction goals.”
Replace lead pipes and get lead out of drinking water
Keep, strengthen and enforce drinking water safety rules
Test drinking water and make the results public
“SB 1144 (2022) Safe and Efficient Water Act. Requires every California public school and state agency building to test drinking water for lead, radon, Legionella, and other contaminants, and to install filters at every drinking and cooking source within one year when contamination is found. Holds schools and the state accountable for delivering clean drinking water, so kids aren't exposed to toxins in the buildings where they learn.”
“Californians know the climate crisis isn’t a distant threat. Devastating wildfires, brutal heat waves, and soaring energy bills and insurance premiums are hitting families right now.”
“SB 458 (Author: Wiener): Mobile recycling redemption pilot program. Recycling centers around California are closing down due to a collapse of the recycling industry. San Francisco is no exception, with about 80% of our recycling centers having closed. Yet, it was illegal for the City of San Francisco to implement a mobile recycling program, where recycling redemption trucks cycle around the city on a fixed schedule so that people can redeem their recyclables. SB 458 legalized mobile recycling redemption, and San Francisco is moving forward with its pilot program.”
“SB 54 (Author: Allen; joint author: Wiener): Phasing out single use plastics. Scott is a joint author of this legislation, which will move California toward a future without single use plastics. Single use plastics are strangling our oceans and other waterways, harming wildlife, and leaving a chemical trail throughout our environment. We need to transition away from plastics and toward a more sustainable future.”
“SB 966 (Author: Wiener): Expanding water recycling. California has a structural water shortage, and our state does not do nearly enough water recycling. SB 966 requires a statewide policy to make it easier for cities to adopt on-site water reuse programs for people’s homes, for businesses, and for schools and other public buildings.”
“SB 332 (Authors: Hertzberg/Wiener): Phasing out ocean discharges by water utilities. California needs to aggressively increase water reuse. Currently, our water utilities discharge treated wastewater into the ocean. SB 332 would have required utilities to phase out this practice by instead recycling the wastewater, but it stalled due to intense utility opposition. Scott believes this is a bill that needs to pass, and is optimistic that it will eventually do so.”
Fund schools more fairly, with more for poorer districts
“It is the federal government’s responsibility to create the conditions for students to thrive. This starts with recognizing that school districts cannot backfill critical programs when the federal government fails to commit the resources it promises. Fully funding programs for students with disabilities and other needs allows schools to dedicate funding toward other activities, increasing the quality of education for all students.”
“Help pass the IDEA Full Funding Act so students with disabilities receive the services they deserve, and increase Title I and III funding for schools serving low-income students and English learners.”
“Scott believes every child deserves a high-quality education that meets their needs. He’ll fight back against attacks on our public schools, and push the federal government to meet its responsibility and give schools the resources, workforce, and protections they need for kids to thrive.”
Keep federal protection of students' civil rights and special education
“Reverse Trump’s cuts to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, so students’ civil rights are protected and schools remain safe learning environments for all.”
“Protect school meal programs and expand after-school programs like 21st Century Learning Centers so no child learns hungry and working families have safe, enriching environments for their kids.”
“In Congress, Scott will continue to be a fierce defender of public schools – not just resisting and undoing Trump’s agenda, but pushing forward to create a better education system across the country.”
“Scott believes every child deserves an education that is responsive to their needs. Scott has long stood up for our schools and our students and not only when it’s easy.”
“Scott was an early supporter of restoring eighth grade algebra when the school district first eliminated it in 2015. He has long supported maintaining merit-based admissions at Lowell High, and he was the first elected official in San Francisco to endorse the school board recall, when our school district was at risk of coming off the rails.”
“And beyond funding, Scott believes the federal government needs to better use its power to train and retain talented educators, especially in high-cost areas like San Francisco.”
“Launch a federal Teacher Workforce Housing Initiative – including grants, technical assistance, and low-cost financing – so educators can afford to live in the communities they serve.”
“Scott has also obtained state budget funds to support creation of an LGBTQ history museum in the Castro, an LGBTQ music center in the Mission, a revamped Harvey Milk Plaza, and Eagle Plaza in SOMA.”
Require disclosure of political donors and end dark money
Refuse campaign money from AIPAC
Reform campaign finance laws
“Scott supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and will fight for real campaign finance reform so elections are decided by voters, not corporations and billionaires.”
Other things the site says about government operations and elections (13)
“And he will work to eliminate the Senate filibuster, the procedural rule that has become the go-to weapon for blocking every reform that a majority of Americans support.”
“Money in politics is corrupting our democracy. The Citizens United decision opened the door to unlimited, untraceable dark money flooding our elections and drowning out the voices of ordinary voters.”
“Support the elimination of the Senate filibuster so democracy reform can actually pass, not be killed by a procedural rule that has become a tool for minority rule.”
“Grant statehood to Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, so the roughly 3.2 million Americans who live there finally have full representation in Congress.”
“SB 27 (2019) Required every presidential candidate to publicly release five years of tax returns in order to appear on California's primary ballot, taking on Trump's refusal to honor four decades of presidential transparency precedent.”
“To ensure the federal government can keep pace with the rapid changes AI will bring to our world, Scott is proposing to restore the U.S. Digital Service with a new mandate to advise all federal agencies on the benefits and risks AI poses to their respective sectors.”
“The federal government must compete for top AI talent to keep pace with the rapid progress of industry, and the advisors must be compensated accordingly.”
“Congress must also begin to use AI to exercise its traditional oversight role of the executive branch. The executive branch is deploying AI across a massive range of departments at unprecedented levels, but Congress is currently struggling to keep up. Checks and balances require that Congress step up its own adoption of AI, especially to ensure adequate oversight of executive branch uses of AI. Congress should also empower agency inspectors general with AI to better identify and respond to executive branch waste, fraud, or violations of law.”
“Scott will fight to stop them from using AI to violate laws or Americans’ constitutional rights by pursuing vigorous oversight of the use of AI in the executive branch, channeling San Francisco’s AI expertise to ensure foundational American values guide our country’s use of AI.”
Other things the site says about business and commerce (2)
“Crack down on anticompetitive practices. When a handful of corporations control the public square, they set the rules for the internet and for democratic discourse. Scott will support aggressive enforcement of pro-competition laws to crack down on abuses from social media conglomerates, including harmful self-preferencing practices that shut competing products out of the online marketplace. Fair competition is the first step toward sharing the benefits of AI and other tech innovations with the broader public instead of allowing a few mega-corporations to decide which products reach the market.”
“Ban the pay-to-play shopping algorithm. Social media feeds are increasingly product placement masquerading as organic content, with platforms giving preferential placement to sellers who pay — without disclosing it. Scott will require clear labeling of commercially boosted content and ban undisclosed algorithmic preferencing in shopping features.”
“Scott’s plan will build 8 million homes over the next decade. His national regulatory strategy will cut the red tape and reform bureaucratic processes to make homes faster and cheaper to build. And his national investment strategy will make a generational investment in social housing and affordable housing, paid for by reversing big portions of the Bush and Trump mega tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy.”
“Make the expanded Child Tax Credit permanent, restoring the fully refundable, monthly-payment structure that cut child poverty nearly in half in 2021”
“Scott’s plan will build 8 million homes over the next decade. His national regulatory strategy will cut the red tape and reform bureaucratic processes to make homes faster and cheaper to build. And his national investment strategy will make a generational investment in social housing and affordable housing, paid for by reversing big portions of the Bush and Trump mega tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy.”
“Real trade policy protects American workers through enforceable labor standards, supply chain resilience, and partnerships with democracies that share our values.”
“Scott supports trade agreements that are actually negotiated, with real worker and environmental protections. We need a coherent strategy, not chaos.”
Expand access to child care, with more centers, slots and providers
“In the state Senate, Scott passed California’s lactation in the workplace law and, as Senate Budget Chair, helped protect and expand access to child care.”
“He made San Francisco the first city in the country to have fully paid parental leave, passed groundbreaking legislation to support nursing mothers, and helped expand California’s investment in child care for working families.”
Other things the site says about Social Security and welfare (1)
“Strengthen support for foster youth, increasing funding and extending eligibility under the Chafee program so young people aging out of care aren't left to fend for themselves at 18”
“As a State Senator, member of the Board of Supervisors, Deputy City Attorney, and longtime community leader, he has championed progressive policies – including authoring and passing more than 100 state laws – to improve affordability and make San Franciscans safer, happier, healthier, and more secure.”
End new drilling, mining and logging on public lands
“End new fossil fuel drilling and leasing on federal lands, and phase out the billions in annual subsidies that prop up oil and gas companies as they wreck our climate.”
Other things the site says about homeland security and emergencies (1)
“Scott has long championed California’s nonprofit security grant program, which has helped make both Jewish and Muslim community institutions in San Francisco and throughout California more secure from hate crimes.”
