SACRAMENTO — On July 30, Gov. Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 521 into law, which is part of majority leader Lena Gonzalez’s (D-Long Beach) Good Governance package. The Good Governance package is focused on building public trust in local government by improving training for local government officials and protecting against corrupt activities.
SB 521 will deter corruption and ensure that individuals who have violated public trust are barred from future public service in those same roles. Specifically, SB 521 adds a conflict of interest conviction to the existing list of felonies that trigger a five year prohibition on public employment, and prohibits city managers and city attorneys who are convicted of corruption-related felonies in their capacity as public servants from holding those positions in the future.
For decades, Southeast Los Angeles communities have faced a troubling pattern of public corruption, underscoring the need for stronger safeguards to protect these predominantly Latino, working-class, and immigrant neighborhoods. Investigations and convictions have revealed abuses ranging from the misuse of public funds to inflated salaries and contracts marked by conflicts of interest, at times involving officials with prior histories of misconduct in public office.
Majority leader Gonzalez’s Good Governance package also includes SB 827 – a bill to update existing ethics training requirements for local officials. SB 827 would also require local government officials to complete fiscal and financial training. These trainings will give local officials the resources and education they need to adhere to ethical standards and be good stewards of public funds. On July 17, 2025 SB 827 passed the Assembly local government committee, and now moves on to the Assembly appropriations committee.