September 7–13, 2026
California locked in a wave of new rules for kids and screens, the City Council approved bridge repairs and fire-risk clearing across LA, and federal disaster tax breaks became law.
On the road. The City Council this week adopted funding for two bridge repair projects that affect daily commutes. The Glendale-Hyperion bridge complex, which carries traffic over the Los Angeles River, is getting repairs using redirected city road and bridge funds. Separately, state grants will pay for bridge fixes across the San Fernando Valley, with the goal of preventing the sudden closures that reroute thousands of drivers at once. Both items are adopted by the council and move forward. The council also approved a package that combines state road money with local sales tax dollars to fix pavement and add wheelchair ramps at crossings citywide.
For families with kids in school. California signed a cluster of new laws this week that together reshape what schools can and must do around technology. Schools are now required to teach digital wellness, meaning lessons on screen time, social media risks, and online privacy become part of the curriculum (AB 2071, now law). Schools must also tell parents when their kids use apps designed to be addictive during school hours (AB 302, now law). A separate law bars schools from selling or sharing your child's personal information with outside companies without your written permission first (AB 1159, now law). And California added new limits on the features, such as infinite scroll and autoplay, that social media platforms can show to minors (AB 2246, now law). The state also set official computer science standards for K-12 classrooms (AB 2298, now law), and platforms must now report suspected child abuse material to law enforcement faster than before (AB 1946, now law).
For wildfire-affected residents. Federally, a new law (HR 5366, signed by the President) extends disaster tax breaks through early 2027. If you lost money or property in a federally declared disaster going back to late 2019, you can now deduct your full loss rather than absorbing a penalty off the top. People who received financial help from nonprofits or government funds after a wildfire also won't owe federal income tax on those payments, as long as the fire was federally declared after 2014. Given LA's recent fire history, this one is worth flagging to your tax preparer.
Around the neighborhood. In Porter Ranch, the council approved removing dead brush and trees from Limekiln Canyon, Wilbur-Tampa, and Aliso Canyon parks to lower the fire risk heading into fire season. That work is adopted by the council and moves ahead. The council also finalized which organization will lead the LA Continuum of Care, the network that connects shelters, job programs, and housing help across the city, starting in fiscal year 2027. Several federal bills this week dealt with matters outside Los Angeles, including land transfers in Nevada, a Paducah, Kentucky Army Reserve parcel, and a DC memorial extension.
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Coming up next week:
Small business tax relief. The Budget and Finance Committee takes up a proposal on Tuesday, September 15 that would give qualifying new or small LA businesses a temporary break from the city's business tax, lowering startup costs during their early years.
Legal settlements review. The Budget and Finance Committee also meets Tuesday, September 15 to review several pending city lawsuits, including claims involving the Department of Public Works and a dispute with Caltrans (the state highway agency). Settlement approvals shift money within the city budget, which can affect what's left for other services.
Surplus land in question. The Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee takes up a request Wednesday, September 16 to exempt a property on Loma Verde Avenue from the state law that normally requires cities to offer surplus land for affordable housing before selling it privately. How the committee rules could shape how the city handles other properties it no longer needs.
Federal floor votes ahead. Several federal bills cleared committee this week with no firm House floor date set yet. One would require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to run a pilot program adopting shelter dogs as staff support animals. Another would direct the Department of Homeland Security to run a large-scale drill simulating a biological attack on the food supply within four years. A bill to update how the Government Publishing Office distributes official federal documents, keeping public access free, also awaits a floor vote.
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