State Sen. Kelly Seyarto had six bills he authored signed into law during the 2026 legislative session, according to a wrap-up posted on his Senate website.

The Murrieta Republican also co-authored several additional measures that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed, including a traffic signal synchronization pilot for Western Riverside County and stiffer penalties for repeat DUI offenders who flee crash scenes.

Here is what the new laws do and how they connect to Temecula.

Traffic signal pilot targets I-15 corridor congestion

AB 2307, authored by Assemblymember Kate Sanchez and co-authored by Seyarto, authorizes the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) and Caltrans to coordinate traffic signals between state highways and local roads. The WRCOG announced the signing on Sept. 2.

The pilot will evaluate congestion, travel-time reliability, operational efficiency and vehicle emissions, according to WRCOG. The City of Murrieta said the law could improve travel times for commuters throughout Southwest Riverside County by up to 20%, though the city did not identify the source of that estimate.

The law comes as Temecula's I-15 corridor is already testing a separate smart-freeway pilot that activated June 1, as we reported Oct. 30.

WRCOG Interim Executive Director Chris Gray said in the council's announcement that coordinating signals across jurisdictional boundaries can "maximize existing infrastructure and deliver more reliable travel for our communities."

Property tax fix for disabled heirs

SB 974, which Seyarto authored, clarifies Proposition 19 to ensure that severely disabled individuals who inherit homes held in Special Needs Trusts keep their Proposition 13 property tax protections.

Proposition 19, approved by voters in 2020, let older adults, disabled people and wildfire victims carry low property tax assessments when they moved, the Orange County Register reported. But the measure did not specifically address Special Needs Trusts, creating uncertainty about whether those protections applied when a home was passed down, according to Seyarto's office.

"Families caring for a loved one with a severe disability already have a lot to consider when planning for their future," Seyarto said, according to the Register. "They should not have to worry that doing the responsible thing could result in an unintended tax consequence."

SB 974 received bipartisan support and no opposition in the Legislature, according to Seyarto's office.

Tougher DUI hit-and-run penalties

SB 907, authored by Sen. Bob Archuleta and co-authored by Seyarto, increases penalties for drivers who flee crashes that injure or kill someone. Under the law, some hit-and-run injuries can be charged as felonies. Prison terms rise for deaths or serious injuries when the driver had a prior DUI, reckless driving or gross vehicular manslaughter conviction within the past 10 years, according to the Digital Democracy legislative tracker.

The law was chaptered Sept. 25.

Wildfire permitting, community colleges and more

SB 904, which Seyarto authored, creates a statewide protocol to speed up rebuilding permits after major wildfires. It received bipartisan support, according to Seyarto's office.

The remaining authored bills signed into law cover a range of issues. SB 308 consolidates duplicative fiscal reporting for California Community Colleges into a single annual report. SB 1186 sets clear timelines for issuing new birth certificates after an adoption.

Seyarto also co-authored SB 1218, authored by Sen. Jesse Arreguín, which lets local governments immobilize vehicles with repeated unpaid illegal dumping violations. Newsom signed that measure on Sept. 20.

One Seyarto bill, SB 1029, was vetoed. It would have helped Californians recover money owed to them from vehicle lien sales. Seyarto said in his wrap-up that he plans to reintroduce the legislation next year.