SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares as follows:(a) On November 6, 2024, it became clear that Donald J. Trump had won election as President of the United States, setting the stage for President-elect Trump to assume office for a second term on January 20, 2025.
(b) The track record of the first Trump Administration, combined with the statements made by President-elect Trump on the campaign trail, as well as statements and policy papers issued by individuals close to his campaign and by Republican congressional leadership, indicate the consequences of his presidency for California residents and taxpayers may be significant and immediate, including: continuing the assault on
reproductive freedom by limiting access to medication abortion, expanding conscience objections for employers and providers, and pursuing a national abortion ban; undoing clean vehicle policies that are critical to combating climate change and dismantling other longstanding environmental protections for clean air and clean water; repealing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and reinstituting immigration policies that lead to family separations; withholding disaster response funding and individual assistance for victims of disasters as political retribution; and politicizing grant programs to commandeer state and local governmental resources for federal purposes.
(c) During President-elect Trump’s first term, California developed a successful roadmap for fighting back and standing up for our state’s values and our people’s constitutional rights, including filing more than 120 lawsuits challenging actions taken by the Trump
Administration.
(d) Lawyers from the Attorney General’s office and the Governor’s office have been preparing for a potential second Trump term for more than a year, and they are ready to challenge in court any unconstitutional and unlawful federal policies and to mount robust and vigorous defenses of California’s laws, policies, and programs on issues critical to Californians.
(e) Preparing to litigate regressive potential actions on these major policy issues with the urgency and comprehensiveness called for in this moment necessitates ensuring the state’s legal apparatus is sufficiently resourced.
(f) The Governor, in accordance with Section 3(b) of Article IV of the California Constitution, convened the Legislature of the State of California to assemble in extraordinary session in Sacramento, California, on the
second day of December 2024, to consider and act upon legislation necessary to provide additional funding to the Department of Justice and other agencies, departments, boards, and offices within the executive branch to support the ability to immediately file affirmative litigation challenging actions taken by the incoming Trump Administration, defend against litigation or enforcement actions brought by the incoming Trump Administration, and take administrative action authorized under state law to mitigate the impacts of actions by the incoming Trump Administration, and to make conforming changes to existing law consistent therewith.
(g) The Legislature therefore intends to adopt changes to the Budget Act of 2024 to provide the necessary resources to state departments and agencies to defend California’s programs, policies, institutions, and taxpayers from unlawful federal action.