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Delivering for our Communities

Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes has been a strong advocate for the Inland Empire, effectively championing legislation and state investments that strengthen the economy, increase wildfire resilience, protect voting rights, and increase access to open spaces and critical resources for everyone in our region. To date, she has had 49 pieces of legislation signed into law and delivered over $650 million in investments to the Inland Empire.2022-23 State Budget Victories

Environmental Justice

California is making strides to protect clean air and water, combat climate change and advance environmental justice. Assemblymember Cervantes has authored legislation and secured state investments to preserve natural habitats and resources, improve access to parks, and address pollution in impacted communities.

  • AB 777 expands prohibitions on waste treatment, storage, transfer, or disposal at the Stringfellow Superfund Site in Jurupa Valley. The bill also requires timely notification by the DTSC to the City of Jurupa Valley and Riverside County Board of Supervisors if any material or substance is treated, stored, transferred, or disposed of at the site. Signed into law October 2023.
  • AB 176 requires the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority to evaluate a project's impact on permanent job creation in California. Signed into law October 2019.
  • AB 179 helps ensure representation on the California Transportation Commission for communities affected by pollution. Signed into law October 2017.
  • AB 193 creates the Zero-Emission Assurance Project (ZAP), which will provide a rebate for the purchase of a replacement battery or fuel cell for a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) for qualified consumers. Signed into law September 2019.
  • $18 million for the Jurupa Area Recreation and Parks District (JARPD) to improve access to parks and open-spaces.
  • $15 million for the preservation of Jurupa Mountain by the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority to protect the region’s natural open space habitats for wildlife and future generations to enjoy.
  • $5.5 million for the continued mitigation and restoration efforts of the Stringfellow Superfund Site in Jurupa Valley.
  • $2 million for the City of Corona to continue the renovation of Griffin Park.

Transportation Infrastructure

To address Western Riverside County’s infrastructure needs, Assemblymember Cervantes successfully secured $427 million for the Riverside County Transportation Efficiency Corridor (RCTEC) to enhance road safety and reduce traffic congestion. The RCTEC comprises of five key transportation projects, including:

Assemblymember Cervantes also advocated for state investments in the 71/91 Interchange Project in Corona, the new non-tolled interchange designed to improve safety, expand access to other modes of travel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance traffic flow.

Additionally, she authored AB 91, to require the California Department of Transportation study the feasibility of allowing single-occupancy cars to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, commonly known as “carpool lanes,” during non-peak traffic hours on certain freeways in Western Riverside County. Signed into law September 2018.

Veterans

Coming from a family who has served in every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces since World War II, Assemblymember Cervantes is committed to serving those who have served by fighting for expanded resources to aid their success.

As former Chair of the Select Committee on Veteran Education and Employment, Assemblymember Cervantes introduced AB 1786 – Veteran Student Curriculum Articulation to create a system to help veteran students attending community college earn course credit for their military-based training. Signed into law September 2018.

This initiative was supported by a $250,000 budget allocation for the development of California’s Military Articulation Platform (MAP). An additional $2 million was secured in 2022 and 2023, for a total of $4.25 million in state investments for the expansion of MAP to fulfill the promise of AB 1786 (Cervantes) and support student veterans in attaining community college credit for their military training and experience statewide.

  • AB 1618, creates a process to certify legitimate organizations that provide services to veterans. Also creates a competitive grant program for those organizations. Signed into law October 2017.
  • AB 226, expedites the process for spouses of active U.S. Military service members to get a California teaching credential. Signed into law October 2017.
  • $25 million for the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a competitive grant process to support organizations that provide services to veterans who are at-risk or are experiencing homelessness, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1618 (Cervantes, 2017).

  • $2 million for western Riverside County’s first Veterans Resource Center at Norco College to better support student veterans.

  • $500,000 for the California Military Department to conduct a feasibility study regarding a possible Youth Challenge Academy in Riverside County.

TK-12 & Higher Education

As the daughter of an elementary school teacher, Assemblymember Cervantes has demonstrated her commitment to education by working to transform the lives of students and their families.

  • AB 463 allows part-time college faculty to receive employment certification so they can apply for federal student debt relief. Signed into law September 2019.
  • AB 1786 creates a system within the California Community College system to help veteran students obtain credits for their military-based training. Signed into law September 2018.
  • AB 1124 supports juvenile court school students who want to pursue college by allowing them to take additional courses before graduating. Signed into law October 2017.
  • AB 1887 extended the application deadline for financial aid programs from April 2, 2024 to May 2, 2024 in response to implementation issues with the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Signed into law March 2024.
  • AB 2370 helps protect community college faculty from encroachment by artificial intelligence (AI) by requiring that instructors of record for credit and non-credit courses must meet minimum requirements set by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Signed into law July 2024.
  • $201 million for infrastructure improvements at UC Riverside.
  • $91.39 million to support debt service payments for, among other projects, the expansion of enrollment and classroom facilities for the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program at California State University, San Bernardino.
  • $33.3 million to support debt service payments for campus expansion projects at UC Riverside.
  • $33 million to Riverside Community College District for the future Inland Empire Technical Trade Center (IETTC) in the City of Jurupa Valley.

Assemblymember Cervantes serves as Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Career Technical Education and Building a 21st Century Workforce. As a member of the committee, she has convened a hearing on Pathways to Employment and a roundtable on Career Technical Education in order to discuss with leaders in business, education, and economic development the work being done to help train our future generations for 21st Century jobs.

Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy

Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes has advocated for California’s businesses as Past Chair of the Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy by supporting and authoring policies and championing state funding to provide technical assistance, promote access to capital, and cut red tape, including—

  • $23 million for Small Business Technical Assistance Centers to provide entrepreneurs and small business owners with one-on-one counseling, training, and access to capital.
  • $1.5 million for a regional Workforce Development Center at Norco College to help close the skills gap and bolster the economy.
  • $500,000 to study ways to mitigate the effects on employment of automation at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach which is critical to the Inland Empire’s logistics economy.
  • AB 2342 modifies the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) Program to improve implementation and better support regions in developing equitable and inclusive economic recovery and transition strategies. Signed into law September 2022.
  • AB 1553 improves the Capital Access Loan Program and enables more small businesses to access funding to upgrade properties under ADA guidelines. Signed into law October 2017.
  • AB 639 initiates a stakeholder process to engage those most impacted by the transition to a lower-carbon economy at Southern California’s largest seaports. Signed into law September 2020.
  • AB 336 protects employers and employees of contracting firms from unscrupulous businesses by requiring contractor licensees to report to the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) their workers’ compensation classification code. Signed into law October 2023.

Housing

Access to safe and affordable housing is a crucial component of overall health and well-being. Assemblymember Cervantes has taken significant steps to expand access to housing and address student housing needs in the Inland Empire.

  • $126 million for a joint student housing project between UC Riverside and the Riverside Community College District.
  • $10 million for TruEvolution’s Project Legacy in the City of Riverside to provide transitional housing and wrap-around services to Riverside County’s most vulnerable communities, including individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
  • $8 million to refurbish the Las Coronas affordable housing communities (Corona de Oro & Corona del Rey) in the City of Corona, ensuring 232 housing units remain available for low-income families to call home.

Public Safety and Access to Justice

Working to enhance public safety and keep our communities safe, Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes has authored legislation that provides public safety officials with more tools to protect our communities.

  • AB 1994 requires county jails to notify the Department of Justice within 15 working days when a registered sex offender has been admitted to or released from their custody. Signed into law September 2018.
  • AB 2080 clarifies that local law enforcement agencies must provide data to the Department of Justice on both the admission and release of criminal offenders within 30 days. Signed into law September 2018.
  • AB 2606 extends an existing requirement that state prisons and state hospitals update a statewide information database about offenders under their supervision every 10 days to county probation departments. Signed into law September 2020.
  • AB 764 helps protect survivors of criminal stalking by modernizing our laws to include “social media, electronic communication, [and] electronic communication devices” to the forms of contact prohibited by a protective order. Signed into law October 2021.

Recognizing the need for increased access to the judicial system in Western Riverside County, Assemblymember Cervantes successfully advocated for $2.9 million in ongoing funding for 2 newly created judgeships for the Riverside County Superior Court, and the reopening of the Corona Courthouse.

    Sexual Assault

    Assemblymember Cervantes has authored key legislation to strengthen protections for survivors of sexual assault.

    • AB 1467 provides campus sexual assault counselors with the independence necessary to assist survivors to the fullest extent. Signed into law September 2022.
    • AB 939, Denim Day Act of 2021, fulfills the promise of Denim Day by removing an existing provision of law that allows how a survivor was dressed to be admitted as evidence of consent in a criminal case involving sexual assault, making it clear that clothes can never provide consent. Signed into law October 2021.
    • AB 164 protects survivors of domestic violence by allowing California courts to honor firearm prohibitions that are part of out-of-state restraining orders. Signed into law October 2019.
    • AB 303 prevents the early release of sexually violent predators without a trial. Signed into law October 2019.
    • AB 1896 ensures confidential counseling for student survivors of sexual assault at our public and private colleges and universities. Signed into law July 2018.
    • AB 1746 expedites the process of prosecuting serial perpetrators of sexual battery and statutory rape by making prosecutions of these crimes eligible for consolidation into a single trial. Signed into law September 2018.

      Emergency Preparedness

    • AB 477 ensures that representatives from access and functional needs populations are included in local emergency transportation planning. Signed into law September 2019.
    • AB 2730 ensures that counties and cities benefit from sharing resources, such as paratransit vehicles, drivers, and equipment, and providing logistical support to meet evacuation needs during declared emergencies, disasters, or public health emergencies and facilitate potential collaborative efforts. Signed into law September 2020.
    • $200,000 for the City of Corona to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan to reduce the risk of wildfires in the region.

      Family Health & Wellness

    Recognizing the healthcare needs of our rapidly growing region, Assemblymember Cervantes has successfully advocated for investments in opportunities to grow our future healthcare workforce and address the physician shortage in the Inland Empire. As a mom to young triplets, Assemblymember Cervantes has authored important legislation relating to maternal mental health. She’s also worked to expand access to resources for California’s aging population.

    • $28.55 million for the development of the Center for Human Performance and Kinesiology at Norco College.
    • $25 million for expanded enrollment and operational costs at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.
    • $25 million for the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine to expand clinical facilities and increase access to medical care in Riverside County.
    • $6.5 million in ongoing funding to support debt service payments for the UC Riverside School of Medicine.
    • $2.7 million for the Norco College Human Performance and Kinesiology Capital Facility Project to provide students with coursework, training, and certificate programs in Kinesiology, Applied Biomechanics, and Applied Sports Nutrition.
    • $2 million in ongoing funding to support operational costs at the UC Riverside School of Medicine.
    • AB 1200 establishes the Aging & Disability Resource Connection program to provide elders and their families with information regarding long-term care programs. Signed into law October 2017.

    • AB 1477 increases access to maternal mental health care by requiring licensed health care practitioners who provide prenatal, postpartum, or interpregnancy care, to give expectant mothers appropriate screening for maternal mental health conditions. Signed into law October 2021.

    • AB 1936 expands health access by providing women and birthing people the opportunity to have a maternal mental health screening both during pregnancy and up to six weeks during the postpartum period. Signed into law September 2024.

    Community Infrastructure

    Assemblymember Cervantes has successfully advocated for significant investments in community infrastructure projects that improve the quality of life for residents, provide our region's rich historical heritage, including:

    • $30 million for infrastructure improvements for Citrus State Historic Park in the City of Riverside to fulfill the park’s mission of educating visitors about the economic and cultural impacts of the citrus industry in California.
    • $25 million for the Cesar Chavez Community Center in the City of Riverside.
    • $4.5 million for the Army Specialist Jesus S. Duran Eastside Library Project in the City of Riverside.
    • $500,000 for local historical preservation efforts by the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California in the City of Riverside.

      LGBTQ Equity

    As a member of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, Assemblymember Cervantes is committed to ensuring inclusivity and equity for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

    • $3.063 million for a new Inland Empire LGBTQ+ Resource Center powered by TruEvolution and services provided in Southwest Riverside County, including in the cities of Menifee, Lake Elsinore, and Norco. In addition to the creation of the Legacy Fund to invest in local LGBTQ+ serving organizations.
    • AB 746 establishes a statewide standard for couples seeking stepparent adoptions to ensure that California’s adoption laws guarantee equal access to parentage, especially for our LGBTQIA+ community. Signed into law September 2021.
    • AB 2466 strengthens anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQ+ resource families and helps to end the statutory stigma attached to LGBTQ+ foster children by eliminating the term “hard to place children” from our state laws. Signed into law September 2022.
    • AB 1899 makes juror questionnaires employed by trial courts more inclusive of our LGBTQ+ community by using more gender-neutral language and providing options to answer questions in a manner that embraces different sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. Signed into law September 2024.

    Elections and Voting Rights

    Assemblymember Cervantes has authored legislation aimed to make the voting process more accessible, fair, and transparent for all California voters, especially in the Inland Empire. One of the most significant policies is the creation of the Riverside County Redistricting Commission for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors through AB 1307 (Cervantes), which will take effect with the 2030 round of redistricting, and is backed by a $1 million 2022-23 State Budget allocation secured by Assemblymember Cervantes. This commission will ensure that redistricting is done fairly and independently.

    • $1 million for the creation of an independent citizens redistricting commission for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
    • AB 1307 creates an independent citizens redistricting commission for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors beginning with the 2030 round of redistricting. Signed into law September 2022.
    • AB 1807 updates the independent redistricting commission to make the process of drawing new boundaries more transparent, equitable, and accessible. Signed into law September 2024.
    • AB 63  requires county registrars to provide updated election results at least two times per week. It also requires the Secretary of State to notify the relevant house of the Legislature if any legislative candidate who won their race was not continually registered to vote in the district that they ran to represent. Signed into law October 2023.
    • AB 1619 improves voter education, strengthens voter protections, and addresses high rejection rates for mismatched signatures on vote-by-mail ballots for registered voters. Signed into law July 2022.
    • AB 2951 provides the California Secretary of State with more time — until July 1, 2025 — to implement an existing requirement to notify individuals before their voter registration is canceled due to a change of address or death. Signed into law September 2024.
    • AB 1631 improves ballot access by requiring counties provide multilingual polling place workers to provide language assistance to bilingual and non-English-speaking citizens. Signed into law September 2022.
    • AB 2172 updates the Political Reform Act of 1974 to reflect the electronic realities of the 21st Century by authorizing electronic FPPC filing. Signed into law September 2022.
    • AB 49, California Voter Protection Act of 2019, expands and protects voters' rights by strengthening the vote-by-mail process and requiring ballots be mailed to voters 29 days before election day. Signed into law October 2019.
    • AB 201, Text Message DISCLOSE Act, helps further transparency in our politics by requiring mass campaign text messages to include "paid-for-by" disclosures, allowing California voters to see who is paying for them. Signed into law October 2019.
    • AB 2123 provides local governments with more time to transition from at-large to district-based elections. Signed into law September 2018.
    • AB 453 requires local governments transitioning to district-based elections set a certain time to discuss the matter at public hearings required by the California Voting Rights Act, improving transparency by ensuring the public will know when the item will come up on the agenda. Signed into law August 2024.