California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have established the Equity, Climate Resilience, and Quality Jobs Fund in the State Treasury and required, to the extent authorized by the federal jobs acts, as defined, one percent of all qualified moneys from the federal jobs acts to be transferred into the fund to be utilized by the California Workforce Development Board for specified purposes. The bill would have also required the establishment of memorandums of understanding and reporting of labor standards’ outcomes from affected State agencies, such as CARB.

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Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 1375 without my signature.

This bill establishes the Equity, Climate Resilience, and Quality Jobs Fund and requires one percent of all qualified monies from the federal jobs acts to be transferred into the fund for specified purposes, including the development of poverty-reducing programs and labor standards.

California has long led the nation with strong worker protections, from robust health and safety standards to requiring livable wages to ensuring protections against discrimination in the workplace. For public works projects, state standards include both prevailing wage and minimum apprentice-to -journeyperson requirements to protect and promote these high-quality jobs. The state has also made historic investments in pre-apprenticeship programs to further reduce barriers. This structured pathway builds partnerships between the state, building and construction trades, local workforce boards, community colleges, and community-based organizations to recruit and support individuals from disadvantaged communities on their path to an apprenticeship program.

When the Biden-Harris Administration launched historic federal infrastructure investments, I issued an Executive Order creating an Infrastructure Strike Team within my Administration to coordinate work across all state agencies. This year, we launched www.build.ca.gov to highlight the state's key investments and issued guidelines for programs to embed equity in project development. Additionally, in March, my Administration established the California Jobs First Council to focus on streamlining the state's key economic and workforce development programs and create more jobs, faster.

I strongly support efforts to maximize state and federal funding opportunities to deliver high-quality jobs that increase opportunities for all communities and decrease disparities in historically disadvantaged areas. However, creating a memorandum of understanding process with potentially 200 independent agreements and establishing an entirely new regulatory framework, as envisioned by this bill, is unnecessary to accomplish this goal. Significant coordination between state agencies is well underway to build upon the state's existing strong workforce development programs and worker protection laws.

For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

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Summary 

Provides specified direction for procedures that pertain to restitution or vehicle replacement pursuant to the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act and the Tanner Consumer Protection Act, commonly known as the “Lemon Laws.” Specifically, this bill would specify that a consumer seeking restitution for a vehicle repair or replacement must file their case within one year of the expiration of an applicable express warranty and in all cases must file their case within six years of the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle. Additionally, this bill, among other things, requires a consumer, at least 30 days prior to the commencement of a civil action seeking civil penalties related to the Lemon Laws, to notify the manufacturer of specified vehicle information and demand that the manufacturer repurchase or replace the motor vehicle. 

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Governor’s Signing Message 

To the Members of the California State Assembly:  

I am signing Assembly Bill 1755, which would significantly alter the procedures for handling vehicle defect claims under California's "Lemon Law." I commend the authors for their efforts to expedite resolution of Lemon Law claims and reduce litigation that is placing increasing pressure on court dockets.

Earlier this year, I was pleased to sign AB 2288 (Kalra) and SB 92 (Umberg), consensus measures that were the product of months of negotiation to address deficiencies in Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) litigation. In contrast to that consensus, this bill has drawn substantive opposition from several consumer groups and the majority of automakers, who were not party to the negotiations. While AB 1755 aims to speed resolution of Lemon Law claims and reduce litigation, many automakers, including smaller electric-vehicle automakers, have expressed serious concerns that some of the specific procedures prescribed in AB 1755 are unworkable for them. In light of those concerns, the authors have agreed to introduce a bill early in the 2025-2026 legislative session that would amend the statute enacted by this bill to make its new procedures subject to election by a given automaker. Automakers that do not elect to utilize the new procedures to resolve Lemon Law claims on their vehicles would be subject to existing Lemon Law rules. I urge the Legislature to adopt that compromise proposal swiftly.

The agreed-upon amendments would also require consumers who have made Lemon Law claims under this bill to give notice to prospective buyers if they sell their vehicles prior to resolution of their Lemon Law lawsuit, in order to ensure that buyers are aware of potential defects. The sale of vehicles to buyers unaware of pending Lemon Law claims on the vehicle is a broader problem under current law that puts buyers and the general public at risk from unsafe vehicles on the road, and I encourage the Legislature to consider additional solutions to that issue.

I also encourage the Legislature to consider whether additional changes to the Lemon Law are needed in light of the transition to electric vehicles and significant advancements in automotive technology. The Lemon Law was enacted in 1970, before cars were equipped with a single computer (today they have as many as 100 separate computers and related electronic sensors) and decades before the first mass-produced electric vehicle. While this issue was not the focus of AB 1755, I encourage the Legislature to consider whether additional updates to the Lemon Law are warranted.  

Sincerely,  

Gavin Newsom 

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Summary

This bill codifies parts of the Governor’s Executive Order N-12-23 (EO N-12-23) addressing the use and regulation of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools by State agencies. The bill tasks specified agencies to update the EO N-12-23 mandated report on the benefits and risks of GenAI. State agencies shall also consider procuring GenAI tools to improve efficiency, effectiveness, accessibility, and equity of government operations.

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Governor’s Signing Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:
I am signing Senate Bill 896, known as the Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Accountability Act, which requires the California Department of Technology (CDT) and the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) to update specified reports called for in Executive Order N-12-23.

On September 6, 2023, I signed an Executive Order (EO) that underscores California's commitment to developing a deliberative and responsible process for the evaluation and deployment of AI within state government. Over the last year, my Administration has worked tirelessly to study the development, use and risks of AI, including potential threats to, and vulnerabilities of, California's critical infrastructure, including those that could lead to mass casualty events.

SB 896 codifies several important aspects of this EO, including direction to CalOES to perform risk analyses on potential threats posed by the use of GenAI to California's critical infrastructure. Under this direction, CalOES has been working with frontier model companies to analyze energy infrastructure risks and convened power sector providers to share threats and security strategies. Building on this work, and in signing this bill, I am further directing CalOES to undertake the same risk assessment with water infrastructure providers in the coming year, and the communications sector shortly thereafter.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

View Governor’s signing message here

Summary

Would have required CARB to convene a youth advisory council of 35 members ages 16 to 21 representing each local air district to advise CARB on air pollution issues that impact youth in California. CARB would have been required to conduct public outreach to encourage applications and do additional outreach efforts in areas disproportionately impacted by pollution in each local air district, as well as prioritize those disproportionately impacted by pollution in membership. The bill would have authorized the council to conduct research and other activities with administrative support from CARB. Amended to deal with judicial officer disqualifications.

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Summary

Would have required the University of California (UC) to conform to certain labor, employment, and occupational health and safety standards that apply to other public agencies had it been placed on a ballot and approved by the voters. Current constitutional law exempts UC from executive and legislative authority over basic labor standards. This bill may have forced agencies such as CARB to solicit UC for research grants before any other institution. However, this amendment would not have removed the “civil servant” exemption that UC employees are under, so this eventuality may have been unfounded. Failed passage in the Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments.

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Summary

Authorizes the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), or an entity within CNRA or CalEPA to enter into a direct agreement with the California Ocean Science Trust for the delivery of peer reviews, technical guidance, or scientific reports and analyses.

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Summary

Would have established the Office of Regulatory Counsel in the Governor’s Office under the direction and control of an executive officer. The bill would have required the Office of Regulatory Counsel 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

Adds an additional unusual circumstance under which the initial response time to a public records request may be extended during a state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor in the jurisdiction where the agency is located. This circumstance applies when the state of emergency currently affects, due to the state of emergency, the agency’s ability to provide a timely response to requests due to staffing shortages or closure of facilities where the request records are located, and specifies that this provision only applies to records not created during and applying to the state of emergency.

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Summary

Would have prohibited, under the Public Records Act, an elected or appointed official or employee of a public agency from creating or sending a public record using a nonofficial electronic messaging system unless the official or employee sends a copy of the public record to an official electronic messaging system. The bill would have prohibited, under the Legislative Open Records Act, a Member of the Legislature, legislative officer, standing, joint, or select committee or subcommittee of the Senate and Assembly, or agency or employee of the Legislature from creating or sending a legislative record using a nonofficial electronic messaging system unless the Member of the Legislature, legislative officer, standing, joint, or select committee or subcommittee of the Senate and Assembly, or agency or employee of the Legislature sends a copy of the legislative record to an official electronic messaging system. Was amended to deal with fentanyl.

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Summary

Authorizes a State agency administering a grant program to provide advanced payment of up to 25% to a federally recognized Indian tribe recipient under nearly the same conditions afforded 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The bill allows CARB to authorize advance payment from contract recipients and grant recipients to subrecipients.

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