CalChamber Releases 2026 Affordability Agenda

The California Chamber of Commerce this week released its annual Affordability Agenda, highlighting legislation that will either help businesses and consumers by cutting costs or will drive up costs despite the state’s high cost of living.

Nine new legislative proposals have been identified as Cost Drivers, while only two new bills have been identified as Cost Cutters. Other bills will be added to both Affordability Agenda lists in the coming weeks, including some from the list of more than 600 bills that were introduced last month with only placeholder language.

Bills are selected on the basis of their economic impact and the resulting costs or savings that would find their way to Californians and their families.

“No bill in the California Legislature should come up for a vote this year without taking stock of its impact on our state’s affordability crisis,” said CalChamber President and CEO Jennifer Barrera. “The Affordability Agenda reflects the best and worst of the proposals we’ve seen so far. Hard-working Californians deserve to know whether their elected representatives are prioritizing prosperity.”

This is the second year of the Affordability Agenda, which builds on the legacy of more than a quarter-century of annual lists that identified bills threatening job growth and retention. The Agenda ensures that additional factors are considered, such as the imposition of additional regulatory burdens or any new incentives to foster economic growth.

Legislators took notice in 2025, as all but one of the bills identified as a Cost Driver failed to move forward.

All bills are listed on CalChamber’s website, and their status will be updated throughout the legislative season.