Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo introduced a legislative package for the 2025 session, with 18 new bills tackling critical issues facing families in her district.

The package of bills prioritizes affordability, community safety, housing and homelessness and more. She has announced three bills in the package, aimed at helping to solve the housing and homelessness crisis, including speeding up housing construction, improving housing stability for foster youth and helping prevent medical debt from leading to homelessness.

“We need to take bold action to tackle the challenges our community is facing—from the housing affordability crisis to financial hardships that push people further into instability,” said Schiavo. “These bills are about cutting red tape, expediting action, providing real support for families, and making sure people have the foundation they need to thrive.”

Expediting State Housing Permits (AB 301)

Expediting State Housing Permits ensures that housing projects are not stalled by removing red tape and establishing firm timelines for state agencies involved in housing development reviews. The bill requires state agencies to follow the same timelines required of counties for completeness checks and permit approvals. If a state agency fails to meet these deadlines, the permit will be deemed approved, or the review period will be considered complete, allowing housing development to move forward without roadblocks or further delays.

Patient Debt Prevention Act (AB 1312)

The Patient Debt Prevention Act reduces medical costs by requiring hospitals to prescreen patients experiencing homelessness, uninsured patients, Medi-Cal recipients and those with over $500 in medical debt for eligibility to charity care or reduced-cost programs before they are discharged. This ensures that patients receive the financial assistance they qualify for and prevents hospitals from burdening families currently struggling financially with unaffordable bills and medical debt, especially at a time when they may still be recovering from serious illness.

“Californians should not avoid hospital care out of fear they can’t pay the bill. No family should struggle to pay off avoidable hospital debt as a parent or child is recovering from an illness,” said Schiavo. “For too long, patients have been in the dark about financial assistance, even though financial help for hospital bills is available. Now, we have the tools to quickly estimate patients’ eligibility for financial assistance and help them apply for relief before they ever receive a hospital bill. The Patient Debt Prevention Act ensures hospital patients get the help they need to afford care, not a call from a collection agent.”

Foster Youth Housing Stability (AB 534)

Foster Youth Housing Stability helps foster youth service providers that support transition-age youth to more reliably access private financing to purchase housing. By amending Transitional Housing Program contracts, the bill decreases the risk of investment and increases the availability of stable, long-term housing for youth exiting foster care, reducing homelessness among this vulnerable population.

These three bills will be heard in policy committees in the coming months, with opportunities for stakeholders and the public to provide input. Individuals and organizations can submit position letters here.