California Legislature Sprinting Toward Finish Line

The California Legislature returned to business earlier this month after summer recess. The next milestone for hundreds of bills currently making their way through the legislative process are the Appropriations Committees “suspense” hearings. Bills must then pass both houses of the Legislature by midnight on August 31^st. Below are highlights of several critical bills to help curb climate change, support communities, and advance health and environmental protection. 

Climate and Clean Energy

AB 660 (Irwin) Helps reduce food waste by standardizing date labels to alleviate confusion as to whether food is still safe to eat. *

AB 2083 (Berman) Requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to assess the potential for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industrial facilities’ heat application equipment and processes by at least 85% below 1990 levels by January 1, 2045. 

AB 2537 (Addis) Authorizes the CEC to allocate capacity building grants for communities near offshore wind development. 

SB 1006 (Padilla) Requires a transmission utility to periodically study the feasibility of using "grid-enhancing technologies" and to provide the results of the studies to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) for review and, possibly, inclusion in CAISO's transmission planning studies and analyses.

SB 1018 (Becker) Makes it easier for large flexible industrial loads, including green hydrogen and industrial heat electrification, to power their loads with off-grid renewables. 

SB 1073 (Skinner) Confirms authority of state agencies to enter into longer-term contracts for procurement of low-carbon cement and concrete products. This bill will help ensure demand for innovative, lower-carbon building materials. *

SB 1221 (Min) Ensures that utilities are planning for neighborhood-scale electrification and scrutinizing any gas pipeline replacement projects. *

Toxics and Pesticides 

AB 1042 (Bauer-Kahan) Improves labels on pesticide-treated seeds by requiring registration numbers, indications of toxicity, and the application rate. This bill builds on last year’s AB 363 to help protect Californians and pollinators from neonicotinoids or “neonics.” *

AB 2408 (Haney) Bans the sale and use of firefighter personal protection equipment containing toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

AB 2851 (Bonta) Requires all metal shredding facilities in California to install a fence line air monitoring system and establish a community notification standard. The bill also requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to collect a fee from metal shredding facilities to pay help fund the Department’s regulatory activities. 

Oil and Gas 

AB 1866 (Hart) Sets a well-defined timeline for completing the plugging and site restoration of idle oil wells.

AB 2716 (Bryan) Prohibits an oil and gas well within 3,200 feet of a sensitive receptor from being operated as a low-production oil and gas well for an extended period. The bill further requires administrative penalties on low-production well owners in violation of this provision, until the low-production well is plugged and abandoned.

AB 3233 (Addis) Clarifies the authority of a local entity, by ordinance, to regulate, limit, or prohibit oil and gas operations or development in its jurisdiction.

SB 674 (Gonzalez) Improves and expands air pollution monitoring near refineries. On Governor Newsom's desk.  

Transportation and Safe Streets

AB 2401 (Ting) Directs the Air Resources Board to prioritize retirement and replacement of the oldest, most driven, and highest emitting vehicles. 

SB 960 (Wiener) Requires state-owned surface streets to safely and comfortably accommodate all road users, including those who are walking, biking, and using public transit. 

Water and Open Space

AB 1573 (Friedman) As proposed to be amended, this bill would complement last year’s water efficiency bill, AB 1572, by prohibiting the installation of an irrigation system for nonfunctional turf starting in 2027.  * 

SB 1208 (Padilla) Prohibits the regional water board from issuing a waste discharge permit for a new landfill within the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve or an area that is a tributary to the Tijuana River. 

SB 1255 (Durazo) Requires water suppliers with over 3,300 connections to provide low-income ratepayer assistance to eligible ratepayers through a voluntary ratepayer contribution fund. It would also require the State Water Resources Control Board to assess the cost of water affordability for small public water systems. 

SB 1399 (Stern) Clarifies that private transfer fees required by contract or other agreements entered into prior to January 1, 2019, are not prohibited by state law, thereby assuring that the Tejon Ranch Conservation Agreement can proceed as intended. *

NRDC opposes the following bills: 

AB 637 (Jackson) This bill would weaken the Advanced Clean Fleets rule recently enacted by the California Air Resources Board.

AB 3238 (Garcia) Certain provisions of this bill could undermine critical environmental and public health protections. 

SB 1062 (Dahle) Undermines the climate and environmental goals of the state, incentivizes the expansion of the forest-based bioenergy industry and could perpetuate health harms to environmental justice communities.

SB 1234 (Allen) Attempts to improve regulation of metal shredding and recycling facilities. But, there is insufficient time remaining this legislative session to address concerns, as metal shredding facilities have significant pollution impacts on nearby communities.

SB 1420 (Caballero) This bill provides expedited CEQA review benefits to hydrogen projects that could cause harm to the environment and to local communities.

NRDC and our partners will continue working to persuade legislators to prioritize climate action, clean energy development, affordability, clean transportation, natural resource protection, water efficiency, and the health and well-being of all Californians.

*NRDC is sponsoring or cosponsoring this bill. 

Darryl Little Jr., NRDC California legislative advocate, contributed to this blog.