How Assembly Democrats are Leveling-Up Oversight and Protecting Taxpayer Investments

For immediate release:

• Nick Miller
• Communications Director
• 916-319-2029
• [email protected]

SACRAMENTO - Since day one as the Assembly's leader, Speaker Robert Rivas has prioritized oversight and made sure California's investments are implemented responsibly and effectively.

And now, in 2026, Assembly Democrats are leveling-up efforts: Holding even more hearings to account for major state programs and agency actions, and developing new tools to track enacted legislation - because taxpayer dollars must work for each and every resident.

Beginning with his swearing-in as Speaker, Rivas has urged his Assembly colleagues to focus on results: emphasizing quality of legislation over the quantity of bills introduced, and elevated focus on making sure laws deliver for Californians.

This included a new Budget subcommittee prioritizing oversight, mandating lawmakers introduce fewer bills, creating a first-in-the-nation program to examine enacted laws to ensure they're working, and more.

"The Legislature's job doesn't end when a bill is signed into law. We have a responsibility to make sure our policies are working as intended - by reviewing how they are implemented, engaging with experts and advocates, and holding agencies accountable to deliver meaningful results for Californians," Speaker Robert Rivas said.

These robust oversight efforts are now highlighted on the Speaker's website, providing Californians greater transparency on the Assembly's legislative process.

The following is an overview of the Assembly's accountability priorities under Speaker Rivas:

First-of-its-Kind Outcomes Review Project: Making Sure Laws Work For California

Speaker Robert Rivas announced that 16 Assembly members are participating in this year's first-of-its-kindOutcomes Review project, a new oversight effort designed to evaluate whether enacted laws are delivering real-world results.

This oversight tool empowers lawmakers to assess, review and improve implementation of enacted laws they've authored or championed - aiming to strengthen community engagement and improve outcomes for Californians.

"Californians expect results, not just good intentions on paper. The Outcomes Review tool is another way the Assembly is prioritizing oversight and empowering lawmakers, because we don't build trust by passing laws: We build trust by delivering results," Speaker Robert Rivas said in February.

With 2026's Outcomes Review project, lawmakers are focusing on diverse issues, including housing, affordability, energy, health care, worker protections, wildfire recovery and foster care.

Through this process, lawmakers will:

• Hold committee hearings and community meetings to examine implementation
• Produce findings and recommendations to improve results

The initiative marks a new phase in legislative accountability, which government policy author Jennifer Pahlka described as a "bold" and "intentional, structured process for evaluating whether the laws lawmakers pass actually do what they're supposed to do" on her Eating Policy Substack.

Click below for the fifteen bills that are being reviewed under the 2026 Outcomes Review cohort.

Fewer Bills, Bigger Impact

In a shift toward results-driven governance, in 2024 the Speaker announced the Assembly would reduce the number of bills each member can introduce.

Speaker Rivas lowered the number of bills legislators can carry each two-year session from 50 to 35, explaining the decision in remarks at the beginning of the legislative session:

"We're doing so because we want every leader in this room to have the greatest possible bandwidth to focus on laws that uplift affordability and prosperity," the Speaker said in 2024.

This bold decision has brought deeper focus to the Assembly's work - resulting in the lowest number of new bill introductions in two decades.

Compared to the previous two-year session, bill introductions are down nearly 13%, with 608 fewer bills introduced overall.

This reframing of priorities allows lawmakers additional capacity for oversight and accountability, ensuring existing programs are implemented effectively.

Oversight of State Programs, Accountability for Taxpayer Dollars

Under Speaker Rivas' leadership, the Assembly has consistently prioritized impact and accountability - particularly when it comes to taxpayer-funded programs.

The Assembly has emphasized robust oversight of state spending and new legislation with real impact to lower the cost of living for hardworking Californians.

The Assembly has held targeted hearings examining key issues that matter most to voters, including:

• Energy affordability and rising utility costs

• Homelessness and housing programs

• The future of California's Next Generation 911 system

These hearings bring together policymakers, agency leaders, experts and community stakeholders to examine how programs are performing and where improvements are needed. They have resulted in a push for greater accountability, transparency and measurable outcomes across state programs from lawmakers.

The Speaker also launched four select committees focused on the largest cost-drivers for California families, to make sure lawmakers are delivering results:

• Select Committee on Child Care Costs
• Select Committee on Housing Finance and Affordability
• Select Committee on Transportation Costs and Impact of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard
• Select Committee on CalFresh Enrollment and Nutrition

Through public hearings and expert testimony, these committees have examined programs that impact the daily lives of Californians - from the cost and availability of child care to barriers that prevent eligible families from accessing food assistance benefits.

Budget Oversight Hearings & Responsible Spending

Oversight is also a central part of the Assembly's annual budget process.

Each year, Assembly budget committees conduct dozens of public hearings, examining how state departments and programs are spending taxpayer dollars and whether those investments are delivering measurable results for Californians.

In fact, more than 30 percent of budget hearings involve oversight of state agencies and programs.

A key vehicle for this work is Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight, created by Speaker Rivas to look into major state investments and ensure public funds are being used effectively.

The committee, chaired by Assemblymember Gregg Hart, convenes lawmakers, policy experts and stakeholders to examine how state programs are performing - and where improvements are needed to strengthen accountability and outcomes.

Recent hearings have examined a variety of high-priority issues, including:

• Homelessness and housing spending, including the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program, which distributes billions of dollars to local governments to prevent and reduce homelessness. Lawmakers have scrutinized how those funds are being used and what results they are delivering for Californians experiencing homelessness.
• Federal policy changes affecting California programs, including a hearing examining the potential impact of federal proposals to freeze child care funding. The hearing found that Trump's proposals would weaken California's safety net programs and jeopardize families' ability to access affordable care for their kids, maintain employment, and secure basic needs.
• Oversight of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget, including a review of corrections spending, structural budget challenges, and opportunities to improve efficiency. Lawmakers examined the factors driving the department's costs, the impact of staffing shortages and infrastructure needs, and recommendations to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent effectively while improving outcomes within the state's correctional system.
• Impact of federal work requirements on California's safety net programs, including policies affecting Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD). Lawmakers examined how proposed federal work requirement changes in programs like Medi-Cal and CalFresh could affect behavioral health treatment, homelessness response efforts, and criminal justice programs.

With these hearings, lawmakers are strengthening transparency, identifying paths forward and ensuring that future budget investments are guided by data, performance and real-world outcomes.