Speaker Robert Rivas Announces New Assembly Actions Targeting Biggest Cost Drivers for Californians

SACRAMENTO—In every corner of California, middle-class families are earning what should be a solid, stable income— but they are barely hanging on. 

• This is true in our major cities like Los Angeles, where a family of four making on average $118,000 a year — an amount 20% higher than the region’s median family income — still falls short by nearly $20,000 annually, and struggles to cover the basics: rent or a mortgage, child care, groceries and transportation.
• This is also the reality in California’s rural areas, like Speaker Robert Rivas’ home community of San Benito County. There, a family of four brings-in an average of $140,000 a year, but still ends up in the red each month, falling approximately $13,000 short annually.

This isn’t just a hardship. It’s a crisis.

Today, Speaker Rivas is announcing several actions on affordability, part of the California State Assembly’s ongoing work to lower the cost of living in California.

“California’s cost-of-living is the single biggest threat to our future,” Speaker Robert Rivas said. “Middle-class families earning $125,000 a year are struggling to afford rent, child care, and groceries. That’s not sustainable. People across the state — working full-time and doing everything right — are still falling behind. When the middle class is squeezed this hard, our entire future is at risk.”

New Select Committees to Deliver Biggest Impact for Working Families

The Speaker is launching four select committees focused on the largest cost-drivers for California families:

Select Committee on Child Care Costs:  This Select Committee will confront one of the biggest cost drivers squeezing California families: early child care, for children ages zero to three. With costs rivaling housing, an underpaid workforce, and only 1 in 9 eligible kids receiving subsidized care, this committee will focus on how to maximize existing programs and make zero-to-3 child care universally accessible and affordable for California families.

“Thank you to Speaker Rivas for seeing the value of lived experience. As a single mother who raised two children, my appointment as co-chair to the Select Committee on Increasing Child Care Affordability will allow me to use my life's experience to reduce the barriers working families face when they can’t access or afford child care,” co-chair Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry of Winters said. “Child care providers are essential to California’s families and economy, but many are forced to close their doors because funding doesn’t reflect the true cost of care. I’m proud to support the work of this select committee as we partner with providers, workers, and families to find real, lasting solutions. If families can’t access care, parents can’t work—and when parents can’t work, our entire economy is negatively affected.”

“I’m truly humbled and thankful to Speaker Robert Rivas for entrusting me with the role of co-chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Child Care Affordability,” co-chair Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen of Elk Grove said. This is more than policy—it’s about our kids, our families, and our future. Every parent deserves the peace of mind that comes from being able to provide for their family. I carry this work with deep purpose and a full heart.”

Select Committee on CalFresh Enrollment and Nutrition: This select committee will tackle one of the most solvable affordability challenges in California: food insecurity. With over a million eligible Californians going hungry and facing daily food insecurity, and billions in federal dollars left on the table, the Assembly will focus on boosting CalFresh enrollment, improving access to fresh food, and ensuring every family can afford to eat with dignity.

“I am honored to co-chair this Select Committee on CalFresh Enrollment and Nutrition to protect and expand Californians' access to clean, healthy, and accessible food,” co-chair Assemblymember Mia Bonta of Oakland said. “I grew up watching my mother's hard work to put food on the table, and I know parents across the state are working two or three jobs to afford basic needs like a healthy meal. The federal administration is poised only to make this worse as they target essential programs to fund tax cuts for their billionaire buddies. This select committee will be crucial to prepare to respond to potential cuts to our state nutrition programs. I appreciate Speaker Rivas's foresight and prioritization of this issue, and I look forward to working with my co-chair, Assemblymember Sharp-Collins.”

“I am humbled and honored to co-chair this Select Committee,” co-chair Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins of San Diego said. “We have dedicated our work this year to tackling the affordability crisis, so it is long overdue that we have real and holistic conversations about the cost of living. Federal cuts, in addition to recent tax policies, threaten the ability of hard-working Californians to put food on the table. I look forward to working with co-chair Bonta and my colleagues to continue working on this issue in an equitable way, knowing that the needs of California families are many and there is no one-size-fits-all all solution.” 

Select Committee on Housing Finance and Affordability: California can’t solve its housing crisis without solving how we finance housing. This select committee will explore bold, creative financing solutions to accelerate affordable housing production, because with demand outpacing funding 4 to 1, we can’t afford to leave high-impact tools on the table.

“Housing costs are strangling the promise of the California Dream for many families now and, if we don’t act, will be even worse for the generations that follow,” co-chair Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila-Farías of Concord said. “Building new housing that enhances our communities and gives working families a bit of economic breathing room is my top priority.”

“Housing is not just about shelter — it’s about dignity, stability, and opportunity,” co-chair Assemblymember John Harabedian of Pasadena said. “I’m proud to co-chair the Select Committee on Housing Finance, which will explore bold, forward-thinking strategies to address the structural barriers driving California’s housing crisis. I thank Speaker Rivas for his bold leadership in creating space for this work. We have a chance to reimagine what’s possible, and to build a future where every Californian has a place to call home.”

Select Committee on Transportation Costs and Impact of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard: This select committee will take a hard look at whether the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which launched nearly 20 years ago, is still delivering for California families as currently designed and administered. With gas prices projected to spike and some program resources being spent out of state, we need greater transparency, accountability and reforms that put California consumers first.

“I am honored by Speaker Rivas’ confidence and trust in appointing me to help lead this important effort,” co-chair Assemblymember Lori Wilson of Suisun City said. “I look forward to working with Assemblymember Alvarez and our colleagues to ensure the Low Carbon Fuel Standard delivers real, measurable results for California families. As chair of the Transportation Committee, I am committed to advancing clean energy goals in ways that also address the affordability challenges facing our communities. California must continue to lead — not only in innovation and environmental stewardship, but in making sure the cost of our policies is balanced by real benefits for the people we serve.”

“I’m honored by Speaker Rivas appointing me as co-chair of the Select Committee on the Low Carbon Fuel Standard,” Assemblymember David Alvarez of San Diego said. “We have a responsibility to make sure the LCFS is reducing emissions while also not placing an undue burden on Californians. That means closely examining how the program is implemented, who benefits from clean fuel incentives, and how we can improve the transition to a low-carbon economy without unnecessary costs to consumers.”

Support for Legislation to Facilitate Housing Production, Improve Affordability

Speaker Rivas is offering support for the following affordability bills and legislation that will facilitate housing construction:

AB 353 (Boerner): Mandates internet service providers make affordable home internet plans available to California residents

AB 457 (Soria): Streamlines the process to provide affordable housing for farmworkers in California 

AB 485 (Ortega): Strengthens enforcement of unpaid wage judgments

AB 609 (Wicks): Creates an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act for housing projects that are compliant with local laws and in environmentally friendly locations

AB 782 (Quirk-Silva): Eliminates unnecessary costs and delays by prohibiting local governments from requiring bonding or other financial assurances related to subdivision improvements that will be privately owned and maintained.

AB 1007 (Rubio): Expedites the approval process for development projects by requiring public agencies to make decisions within set timelines.

AB 1234 (Ortega): Speeds up the resolution of valid wage theft claims by penalizing bad-faith delays and allowing default judgments when employers fail to appear or respond to claims. 

AB 1248 (Haney): Protects tenants from unpredictable and costly housing fees

AB 1294 (Haney): Establishes statewide uniform application for housing projects that are compliant with local laws.

Ongoing Legislative Work on Affordability

Speaker Rivas and the Assembly already took quick action to address housing affordability.

On April 1, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and a bipartisan majority of California Assembly members voted to pass four bills that will significantly speed up housing construction, reduce cost overruns and delays, and change the course of the housing crisis, leading to more affordable options.

In addition to the housing legislation, the Assembly has begun a series of hearings in the committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact, chaired by Assemblymember José Luis Solache Jr., to examine real cost pressures facing Californians — from macroeconomic trends to day-to-day household impacts. These hearings will continue this summer and throughout the year in communities across California.

The Utilities & Energy Committee, chaired by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, also has begun a series of oversight hearings to examine different cost pressures on utility service affordability, including two hearings already completed on wildfire mitigation and transmission infrastructure costs. These hearings will continue throughout this year on other utility cost issues.

For additional information, please contact:

Speaker Robert Rivas Press Secretary, Cynthia.Moreno@asm.ca.gov.

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Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas represents California’s 29th Assembly District, which includes all of San Benito County and portions of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara Counties. For a full biography of Speaker Rivas, click here.