California Air Resources Board

Summary

Extends the repeal date of January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2030, regarding an alternative set of teleconferencing provisions for State bodies under the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. The bill similarly extends the repeal date regarding an alternative set of teleconferencing provisions for multimember State advisory bodies under the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act.

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Summary

Revokes all CARB authority to adopt, revise, or repeal regulations and declares that any law granting authority to or requiring CARB to adopt, revise, or repeal regulations, or take an action that requires exercising regulatory authority, instead be read as only authorizing CARB to provide advice and propose measures to the Legislature for statutory enactment. The bill requires CARB to provide advice and propose measures to the Legislature for statutory enactment regarding its duties. The bill declares that it does not invalidate or repeal any regulation adopted by CARB before January 1, 2026. Failed passage in the Senate Environmental Quality Committeeand was granted reconsideration.

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Summary

Allows any member of the governing board of CARB to be removed from office by the Legislature, by concurrent resolution adopted by a majority vote of all members elected to each house, for dereliction of duty or corruption or incompetency. The bill requires CARB to submit a proposed regulation that has costs exceeding $10 million on California consumers to the Legislative Analyst for an independent economic analysis. The bill requires CARB to prepare and publish on its website a written response to the Legislative Analyst’s report no less than 30 days before adopting the proposed regulation. The bill also requires CARB to publish on its website all final resolutions, supporting documents, and proposed regulations in their complete and final form no less than 72 hours before any CARB vote. Once published, the bill would prohibit amendments, revisions, or alterations to the final resolutions, supporting documents, or proposed regulations before CARB’s vote. Failed passage in the Senate Environmental Quality Committeeand was granted reconsideration.

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Summary

Repeals the prohibition on compensation of the board members of CARB from local air districts and specifies that those board members are to receive the annual salary provided to other board members of CARB. Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

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Summary

Would have established, until January 1, 2035, the Office of Regulatory Counsel (Office) within the Governor’s office, under the directionand control of a director appointed by the Governor, as specified. The bill would have required the Office to draft and assist in the preparation, consideration, amendment, and repeal of regulations for a State agency, before the State agency submits a proposed action regarding that regulation to the Office of Administrative Law for publication in the California Regulatory Notice Register. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have amended the Administrative Procedure Act to require the economic assessment for non-major regulations to include the extent it will affect cost of living on residents of the State, and to require the standardized regulatory impact analysis for major regulations to address the cost of living impacts on residents of the State. The bill also would have required an agency to notify the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) when the agency determines it needs to contract for outside services to perform such analyses and would have required OAL to select the contractor and oversee its work. The bill would have required OAL to adopt a standardized cost of living methodology for use by all agencies. The bill would have required OAL during rulemaking review to conduct an independent analysis into the adequacy of an agency’s economic analyses, among other things. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Provides reimbursement and per diem compensation for members of single county local air district boards, as well as the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District board. Specifically, the bill allows daily compensation up to $200 per day with an annual cap on compensation of $7,200 and allows approval of an annual increase of 5-10%. The bill also requires a report to be submitted to the Legislature within three years of commencement of the compensation.

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Would have required all agencies and departments subject to the Governor’s authority to develop or update their strategic plan to reflect the use of data analysis and inclusive practices to more effectively advance racial equity and to respond to identified disparities with changes to the organization’s policies, programs, and operations. Applicable agencies and departments would have been required to report their progress the Governor and Joint Legislative Budget Committee by April 1, 2026, and each April 1 thereafter. This bill would have also required agencies and departments to engage with and gather input from California communities that have been historically disadvantaged and underserved within the scope of policies or programs administered or implemented.

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Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Assembly:

 I am returning Assembly Bill 766 without my signature.

 This bill would require agencies, departments, offices, or commissions under the Governor's authority to develop or update their strategic plans to more effectively advance racial equity and respond to identified disparities with changes to the organization's policies, programs, and operations. This bill would also require each entity to report to the Legislature and Governor, by April 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, on the steps taken to develop and adopt a strategic plan.

 I share the author's goal to ensure equity is embedded within my Administration's actions and plans. In 2022, I signed EO N-16-22, which provided a framework towards helping make the California Dream a reality for every one of us. That EO also created the 11-member Racial Equity Commission to recommend tools, methodologies, and opportunities to address inequities facing historically underserved and marginalized communities across the state.

Unfortunately, the bill's timelines for reporting on strategic plans, along with the additional information entities must include in their plan and uncertainty around which entities are required to comply, are unworkable. Lastly, expanding the reporting requirements to all entities under my purview with these accelerated timelines will lead to significant costs not accounted for in this year's final budget agreement.

 In partnership with the Legislature this year, my Administration has enacted a balanced budget that recognizes the challenging fiscal landscape our state aces while maintaining our commitment to working families and our most vulnerable communities. With significant fiscal pressures and the federal government's hostile economic policies, it is vital that we remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications that are not included in the budget, such as this measure.

 For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

 Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

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Requires State or local agencies that directly or by contract collects demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of Californians to expand the categories to include major Middle Eastern or North African groups in any provided form that offers respondents the option of selecting one or more ethnic or racial designations. The aggregated data can be shared with the public, but not data that would permit identification of individuals.

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Requires certain air districts with jurisdiction over a geographic area with a certain population size, in adopting, amending, or repealing major regulations, to prepare a standardized regulatory impact analysis. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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