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California voters routinely approve billions of dollars in public investment bonds because Californians believe government can be a catalyst for change. Yet one important question too often goes unanswered: Did it work?
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Assembly Bill 1754, authored by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, D-Downey, would bring some much-needed sunshine to future statewide general obligation bonds by bringing results-based accountability to how Californians evaluate the results of major public investments.
The proposal is straightforward: Starting in 2027, for voter-approved statewide bonds, state agencies would identify the intended outcomes of funded programs, establish measures of success and provide concise public reports on whether projects were completed as planned and whether those outcomes were achieved. The reports are designed to be brief, practical and integrated into existing administrative processes — not lengthy academic studies or costly new bureaucracies.
AB 1754 aims to give policymakers and taxpayers better information when making the next public investment.
This represents a modest but meaningful shift in how California approaches accountability.
For decades, public oversight has focused primarily on whether taxpayer dollars were spent legally and according to established procedures. Those safeguards remain essential.
Californians also want to know what difference their investments have made. How many new homes did a housing bond help create? Did education investments improve student learning? Did climate resilience projects reduce wildfire risk or strengthen vulnerable communities? These are not partisan questions. They are management questions.
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Private companies routinely evaluate performance. Nonprofit organizations increasingly measure outcomes alongside financial stewardship. Government should be no different.
Consider the two statewide bonds California voters approved in 2024: Proposition 2 authorized $10 billion for school construction and modernization, and Proposition 4 authorized $10 billion for climate resilience projects, prioritizing low-income communities and those most affected by environmental disasters. Under AB 1754, Californians would know more than how much of that money was spent.
How many classrooms were built or modernized and how many square feet of school space was improved? How many acres of land were treated to reduce wildfire risk and make communities more resilient? These answers would give taxpayers and policymakers a much clearer picture of what their dollars actually accomplished.
By asking agencies to define success upfront and report on results after investments are made, California can build a stronger culture of learning — one where evidence informs future decisions, public trust grows, and policymakers better understand what works, what doesn’t, and where limited public resources can have the greatest impact.
Cathy Cockrum Dean is president and founder of Elevate California, a non-partisan, proactive voice for common-sense legislation that elects and works with state legislators.
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