California Assembly Democrats Commit to Improved Accountability

New oversight project will revisit efficacy of laws passed

Feb. 3, 2026 at 9:47pm

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The California Assembly has announced a new initiative called the Outcomes Review project, which aims to increase oversight and accountability by requiring lawmakers to review whether their own legislation is achieving its intended goals. Under the initiative, 14 Assembly members have volunteered to reexamine bills they authored that have already been signed into law, assessing whether the policies are delivering promised results and identifying potential changes.

Why it matters

This effort represents a shift in the Legislature's focus beyond just passing bills to evaluating their real-world impact. It's an acknowledgment that passing a law is not the finish line, and that lawmakers need to ensure their policies are actually working as intended and delivering the promised results for constituents.

The details

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said the Outcomes Review project has been in development since the early days of his speakership. Participating lawmakers will hold hearings on each bill in relevant legislative committees and conduct community meetings as part of the review process. They may also include question-and-answer sessions with state departments and agencies responsible for implementing the laws. At the end of the year, the legislators will present their findings and propose policy or budget changes aimed at improving the effectiveness of the laws under review.

  • The Outcomes Review project was announced on Tuesday, February 4, 2026.

The players

Robert Rivas

The Assembly Speaker who announced the new Outcomes Review project.

Liz Ortega

A Democratic Assemblymember from San Leandro who is reviewing legislation she authored to combat wage theft.

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What they’re saying

“Passing a law is not the finish line.”

— Robert Rivas, Assembly Speaker

“We pass a lot of different laws here, and so now it's an opportunity to see what's working and, if it's not working, how do we fix it? We have a department that's supposed to be collecting money stolen from workers, and currently it's not working. A lot of the wages are being left on the table.”

— Liz Ortega, Democratic Assemblymember

What’s next

Lawmakers plan to hold hearings on each bill in relevant legislative committees and conduct community meetings as part of the review process. They may also include question-and-answer sessions with state departments and agencies responsible for implementing the laws. At the end of the year, participating legislators will present their findings and propose policy or budget changes aimed at improving the effectiveness of the laws under review.

The takeaway

This new Outcomes Review project represents a significant shift in the California Assembly's approach to lawmaking, moving beyond simply passing legislation to actively evaluating its real-world impact and effectiveness. It's an acknowledgment that the Legislature's work doesn't end with bill passage, and that ongoing oversight and accountability are crucial to ensuring laws are delivering on their intended goals and benefiting constituents.