From Vision to Results: Senator Becker’s 2025 |
Dear Friends,
As we begin 2026, I want to share a look back at what we delivered last year for Senate District 13 — and where we’re headed next.
2025 was a year of urgency and results. Californians felt the pressure of rising costs, climate impacts, and rapid technological change. In response, my office doubled down for our community: holding utilities accountable, protecting privacy, standing up for our values and our community, investing in climate resilience, expanding access to healthcare, collecting food for our neighbors in time of crisis, and showing up for our community here at home while also representing California’s leadership on the global stage.
(Left) Senator Becker being sworn into office with San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller; (Right) Senator Becker with Governor Gavin Newsom.
Lowering energy costs and strengthening the grid |
(Left) Senator Becker with Governor Gavin Newsom; (Right) Senator Becker with supporters of SB 254.
Affordability was the issue Californians felt every month, especially in their utility bills. I held a town hall discussing why energy bills are so high and what we can do about it, which you can watch here. We delivered major reforms to bring costs down, improve accountability, and keep the lights on as our economy electrifies:
- SB 254 — major energy affordability and wildfire liability reform.
- AB 825 — increasing reliability and lowering costs by expanding our connections with neighboring states
Protecting privacy and consumers in a fast-changing tech economy |
Senator Becker speaking with ABC7 about the Delete Act
The Delete Act is now being fully implemented, giving Californians unprecedented control over their personal data. You can now request that your online data be permanently deleted through a single, centralized process by clicking here. Over 150,000 people have already signed up. This is the strongest consumer privacy protection in the nation, according to this Washington Post article, and it comes at a time when personal data is being weaponized against vulnerable communities.
Expanding access to healthcare and reducing red tape |
Senator Becker with physicians from the California Medical Association.
Healthcare should be about patients and doctors — not needless delays.
- SB 306 —A major step toward cutting unnecessary delays and keeping medical decisions where they belong: between doctors and patients.
- SB 338 —A pilot to expand access to care for farmworkers and underserved rural communities through mobile/virtual health capacity.
Supporting Housing, Transportation & Local Infrastructure |
We pushed forward practical solutions that help our region build and maintain what people rely on every day.
- SB 358 —Designed to support housing affordability and reduce barriers tied to project cost structures near transit.
- SB 272 —A pilot program to streamline project delivery for San Mateo County’s transit system.
We also delivered local improvements residents can see and feel—from major corridor and roadway upgrades to critical infrastructure investments across the Peninsula.
Working to Fix Builders Remedy |
Renderings show what the site at 80 Willow Road might look like. Courtesy city of Menlo Park. Source: Palo Alto Online.
I introduced SB 457 to address growing concerns around the misuse of the state’s builder’s remedy law. The bill aimed to restore public trust by requiring complete applications and preventing last-minute, speculative projects from overwhelming communities that were actively working to comply with state housing law. Many local city council members came to support me at the hearing but the bill was unfortunately voted down and I was not successful in this fight. The bill did spark an important conversation about accountability, affordability, and balance and we are continuing to see what we can do on this issue.
Protecting our coast, the Bay, and the Peninsula from flooding |
Senator Becker presenting a symbolic check with Assemblymember Diane Papan, San Mateo County Supervisor Lisa Gauthier, Pacifica Mayor Sue Beckmeyer, and East Palo Alto Councilmember Webster Lincoln.
Climate resilience isn’t abstract here — it’s about protecting homes, jobs, and critical infrastructure. As Chair of the Bay Area Caucus, I worked with colleagues to secure a doubling of coastal and bayside resilience funding — totaling $102 million — to help protect communities facing sea level rise and climate-driven flooding. You can see my announcement here.
Protecting Students |
All students have a right to feel safe and welcomed in our classrooms. We are here for all kids going to school on the Peninsula.
This year, we passed two bills to protect kids. One specifically addresses the dramatic rise in antisemitism, including the shocking human swastika incident at an area school. The other establishes coordinators to combat other forms of hate. AB 715 passed unanimously and was the landmark legislation establishing a new Office of Civil Rights. It and the companion legislation SB 48 hope to ensure schools have the tools, training, and accountability needed to respond swiftly to hate, and protect every student’s right to learn in a safe, inclusive environment.
Showing up for our community |
I’m proud of the way our district shows up for one another.
When over 130,000 constituents lost their CalFresh benefits due to the federal shutdown, we stepped up and asked you to help our neighbors in need, resulting in over 10,500 pounds of non-perishable food being donated to my district office for those impacted. (Watch here)
Senator Becker meeting with participants of Defy Ventures Program.
I brought volunteers from our area to Soledad State Prison with Defy Ventures to equip incarcerated men with the entrepreneurial skills needed for successful reentry. It was a transformative experience for the volunteers and I hope to do this again this year. This is my third trip with Defy.
Senator Becker with recipients of donated laptops.
I along with AT&T, StreetCode Academy, and Human-I-T distributed 200 laptops to local students and families in East Palo Alto because too many students in our community are still forced to do homework without a computer, apply for jobs on a phone, or fall behind simply because they don’t have the tools they need. (Read more here)
Representing California at COP30 in Brazil |
Senator Becker addressing delegates at COP30.
Upon returning from COP30, I addressed The Climate Center to discuss how California can keep pushing toward a cleaner, greener future. You can watch my address here. One message from COP30 was unmistakable: As Energy Chair, I was able to share that at a time when the federal government has withdrawn the United States from the Paris Accords, California is stepping up and leading. It was clear just how vital our state’s leadership is, especially now. Across the globe, governments, scientists, activists, and Indigenous leaders are advancing bold climate solutions. One of the takeaways was a much stronger understanding of what the Amazon rainforest means to the climate health of the planet and California. Part of that was gained through the experience I had with indigenous tribes and indigenous leaders at COP. The Amazon rainforest spans across nine countries and is bigger than the continental US. I had the incredible experience of being part of a flotilla of 200 boats meeting indigenous leaders who had caravanned to COP. I’d like to share a glimpse of that experience with you in the video here. (Learn more here and here)
Selected coverage and interviews (2025) |
Profile & Leadership
Fighting for the future: How State Senator Josh Becker brings local lessons to the state capitol
Energy Affordability & Grid Reliability:
Politico (Sep 19, 2025): Gavin Newsom signs sweeping energy affordability package
Canary Media (Sep 17, 2025): California just passed a suite of bills to tackle rising energy costs
KQED (Sep 11, 2025): California lawmakers reach last-minute deals on climate, energy
SFGATE (Dec 1, 2025): California has a huge solar power problem. A fix is coming.
Privacy & Consumer Protection:
Governor’s Office (Oct 8, 2025): Governor Newsom signs data privacy bills to protect tech users
Politico (Mar 13, 2025): California Democrats eye new way to resist Trump’s immigration crackdown
WIRED (Aug 2025): Data Brokers Are Hiding Their Opt-Out Pages From Google Search
Virtual Currency Protections (SB 822):
Yahoo Finance (Oct 14, 2025): California becomes first state to protect unclaimed crypto
Healthcare Access & Cutting Red Tape:
CalMatters (Sep 17, 2025): Insulin, health privacy, insurance delays head to Gavin Newsom’s desk
San Mateo Daily Journal (Oct 9, 2025): Pair of new laws aim to help ease health care access
Climate Resilience & District Service:
San Mateo Daily Journal (Sep 16, 2025): San Mateo County to get climate cash
COP30 (Brazil) — Interviews & Coverage:
KQED (Omny) audio: CA Senate Energy Committee Chair Reports Back from COP 30 in Brazil
Senator Becker’s Good News Climate Blog (Dec 15, 2025): Welcome post
Whether you supported this work by volunteering, sending feedback, showing up to community events, or helping neighbors in need — thank you. It’s an honor to represent you.
As always, my office is here to help. Please stay in touch and let us know what you’re seeing, what you need, and what we should prioritize in the year ahead.
With gratitude,
Josh Becker
California State Senator, SD-13