Dear Neighbor‚
I am deeply honored to represent our communities and grateful for the trust you have placed in me. The governor’s deadline to sign or veto bills for this year was earlier this month‚ and I am pleased that five of my legislative bills have passed the legislature and were signed by the governor‚ and here is the list:
1. With the support of the County of Placer‚ I authored Senate Bill 359. This measure establishes clear guidelines for the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration and confirms that the existing tax exemptions for fuels—like diesel and compressed natural gas—used by public transit operators will also apply to counties that operate their own transit services directly.
2. When engaging in a home improvement contract‚ consumers should be informed about who will be providing the service. I proposed Senate Bill 517 to allow consumers to make an informed decision regarding their home improvement project by requiring a home improvement contract to provide a disclosure if subcontractors are being used on a project.
3. I introduced Senate Bill 568 to make sure that the requirement to have epinephrine available in public schools is applied in school programs including preschool. Epinephrine is currently required in public schools‚ and our school health professionals have the medication on hand to provide lifesaving treatment. My bill provides the necessary clarification to this requirement so that our public schools and their programs are prepared to assist any student that may need epinephrine.
4. Senate Bill 765 establishes the giant garter snake as the official state snake. The giant garter snake can only be found in California. Declaring the giant garter snake as the official state snake of California acknowledges the important place of the species in the ecology‚ agriculture‚ and water resources and reinforce the state’s commitment to protecting endangered species. It has been my honor to work on this legislative proposal with the California Rice Commission and Save the Snakes‚ a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve snakes around the world through education‚ research‚ and community support.
Sacramento Snake Festival 2025
5. Having spent my early career as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)‚ I have great respect for the accounting industry and am pleased that Senate Bill 788‚ which eliminates unnecessary regulatory overlap and confusion‚ was also signed by the governor. This bill reduces compliance burdens and costs for CPAs and CPA firms‚ and California consumers can continue to access the trusted tax professionals they need to meet their compliance needs.
You can review a more extensive list of the bills I introduced this year on my website at sen.ca.gov/niello.
Applications for the 2026-2027 Cohort of Senate Fellows Are Now Open!
I have had the honor of hosting two Senate Fellows in my office over the last few years‚ and mentoring the young leaders in the legislature has been a very rewarding experience. Rooted in experiential learning and public service‚ Senate Fellows spend 11 months as part of a cohort working in the Capitol office of a California State Senator. College seniors and recent graduates are eligible to apply. The deadline to apply for the 2026-2027 cohort is December 8‚ 2025. For more information‚ visit the Senate Fellowship webpageor access the digital Senate Fellowship Program Brochure.
Team Niello 2022-2023 Fellow‚ Hayley Fernandes
Team Niello 2024-2025 Fellow‚ Adelyn Fowler
Casework Success
When a constituent reached out to our office for help‚ she was facing every parent’s worst nightmare: a four-month-old son with unforeseen medical issues and a terrifying financial crisis. She had applied for her Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits through the Employment Development Department (EDD). She had gone a month with no income and utilized almost all of her savings. My dedicated staff immediately served as her liaison‚ directly engaging with the EDD. She received the PFL benefits and was able to focus entirely on her son’s recovery without the crippling stress of financial ruin. Whether you need assistance with the EDD‚ the DMV or any other state agency‚ our offices are prepared to step in and advocate on your behalf.
Niello in the News
The Galt Herald: “Mayor’s Podcast Features State Senator”
Reflecting on the senator’s guest appearance‚ Farmer told The Galt Herald that he appreciated Niello and his staff for making the time to come down to “our great American little town‚” to discuss key issues affecting the community. “It was great having the senator on our show…The senator had some good insight to the problems that we discussed‚ and he also offered to try to be some help on issue with the 99-highway corridor in Galt‚” said Farmer. “We also appreciated some of the fun questions we had for him… overall‚ it was a great evening and look forward to having him back someday!”
Click here to watch the Great American Little Town podcast episode on YouTube.
Abridged: “Lawmakers seek joint solutions‚ more respect for Sacramento region”
Photo by Shelley Ho
State Sen. Roger Niello‚ R-Fair Oaks‚ and Assemblymember Maggy Krell‚ D-Sacramento‚ appeared Wednesday at the 2025 Livability Summit‚ hosted by local nonprofit Valley Vision. About 300 civic leaders from the six-county region convened to assess the region’s current list of challenges and opportunities.
Comstock’s Magazine: “An ADA Lawsuit Could Sink Your Small Business”
I introduced Senate Bill 84 to provide this opportunity to small businesses and improve accessibility for people with disabilities. My proposal would create a right to cure opportunity for small businesses with under 50 employees to fix construction-related deficiencies that do not meet disability access provisions prior to being sued. I am joined by 24 other Democratic and Republican legislators in both the state Assembly and Senate to implement this solution in the state of California.
It’s an honor to serve you.
Sincerely‚
ROGER NIELLO
Senator‚ Sixth District