California Air Resources Board

Would have exempted collector motor vehicles from smog checks if they were manufactured prior to the 1981 model year, had been assigned a historical vehicle identification plate, and were insured as a collector motor vehicle. The bill, beginning January 1, 2028, would have expanded the exemption by one model year, every year, for 5 years. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Exempts all motor vehicles 30 model years or older from smog checks. Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee. 

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Would have required CARB to expand its incident air monitoring program to provide support for a regional network of air quality incident response centers operated by air districts, including at least one located in the South Coast Air Quality Management District. This bill would have required CARB and each district that operates an air quality incident response to coordinate to provide emergency air monitoring response for disasters or other crises impacting air quality and public health in the State. Funding provided to CARB could have been used for planning and maintaining centers, air quality collection and modeling, research studies, training and preparedness, and staff resources, including a State Air Quality Health Officer. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Clarifies that a 21st century warehouse and a tier 1 21st century warehouse are required to comply with building standards in effect at the time that the building permit is issued and make other clarifying changes relating to permissibility of use of conduits and electrical hookups at loading bays at those locations. The bill revises the definition of “logistics use” and instead defines “logistics use development” for these purposes to mean a building that is primarily used as a warehouse for the movement or the storage of cargo, goods, or products that are moved to business or retail customers, or both, that does not predominantly serve retail customers for onsite purchases, and heavy-duty trucks are primarily involved in the movement of the cargo, goods, or product. The bill makes various other technical and conforming changes to the provisions governing logistics use development. This bill is the same as SB 415 (Reyes). Moved to the Assembly Inactive File.

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Would have, beginning January 1, 2028, prohibited a person from distributing, selling, or offering for sale a cleaning product, dental floss, juvenile product, food packaging, and ski wax, as specified, and beginning January 1, 2030, cookware, as specified, that contains intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as defined, except for previously used products and as otherwise preempted by federal law.

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Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 682 without my signature.

The bill, beginning January 1, 2028, prohibits a person from distributing, selling, or offering for sale a cleaning product, dental floss, juvenile product, food packaging, or ski wax, as specified, that contains intentionally added PFAS. Additionally, this bill, beginning January l, 2030, prohibits a person from distributing, selling, or offering for sale cookware that contains intentionally added PFAS.

I share the author's goal to protect human health and the environment by phasing out the use of PFAS in consumer products. However, the broad range of products that would be impacted by this bill would result in a sizable and rapid shift in cooking products available to Californians. I appreciate efforts to protect the health and safety of consumers, and while this bill is well-intentioned, I am deeply concerned about the impact this bill would have on the availability of affordable options in cooking products. I believe we must carefully consider the consequences that may result from a dramatic shift of products on our shelves.

I encourage the author and stakeholders to continue discussions in this space, while ensuring that we are not sacrificing the ability of Californians to afford household products like cookware with efforts to address the prevalence of PFAS.

For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

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Would have required CARB to publish a yearly assessment of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the transportation of oil in California from the point of origin to its point of destination in California, for oil produced out of state and in state. Would have also required the state board to post on its internet website a report on the air quality impact of potentially importing 5% to 10% of the State’s gasoline supply using tanker ships. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Authorizes transportation fuel blends of up to 15% ethanol (E15) until the California Environmental Policy Council completes its review of those blends and CARB either adopts a regulation establishing a specification for those blends or posts an assessment on its website demonstrating that it is not possible for a regulation for those blends to meet specified requirements. The bill contains an urgency clause.

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Summary

Would have authorized the California Energy Commission to exempt from thermal powerplant certification a thermal powerplant with a generating capacity of up to 150 megawatts if it is a data center backup generator that meets a variety of physical and environmental parameters and considerations, as specified. The bill would have required that the air quality impacts of these generators be mitigated, as determined by the appropriate air district as generators would largely be high-polluting diesel generators. Remains in the Assembly Rules Committee.

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Summary 

Would have provided an exemption for 2024 and subsequent model heavy-duty trucks, provided they meet federal exhaust emission standards, from CARB's emissions standards and test procedures. Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee. 

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Summary 

Would have required CARB to ensure, when implementing the Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A) Program, incentives provided under the program are available and distributed in all areas where air districts have elected to not manage the distribution of these incentives. This bill would have also required CARB to prioritize vehicle retirement in areas with the highest percentage of people in disadvantaged and low-income communities. This bill would have required CARB to address the funding for targeted outreach in low-income or disadvantaged communities with the highest number of vehicles manufactured before 2004, or that are at least 20 years old that are driven most and have the poorest fuel economy. This bill would have required CARB, in allocating funding to local air districts participating in the program and to the portion of the program managed by CARB, to consider additional metrics relating to retired vehicles. 

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Governor’s Veto Message 

To the Members of the California State Assembly:  

I am returning Assembly Bill 2401 without my signature.  

This bill would require the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to make several changes to the Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A) Program, including but not limited to codifying a statewide CC4A program, potentially reallocating funds between statewide and air district-run programs, expanding reporting requirements, and prioritizing certain recipients who drive older vehicles in greater amounts in more pollution-burdened areas.  

The CC4A program has helped thousands of lower-income residents living in some of the most disadvantaged and air-polluted areas of the state replace their old higher-polluting vehicles with newer, cleaner vehicles. The program is designed to be consumer-focused, and its appeal is its ease of access and straightforward eligibility and participation requirements.  

Unfortunately, while the intent of this bill is laudable, the new application requirements it would impose on the CC4A program recipients are onerous and will discourage some of the lowest-income residents in California from participating. In addition, the new verification requirements would necessitate constant and costly monitoring by CARB of recipient driving patterns, further discouraging program participation and thereby preventing continued reductions in local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from being realized. 

Sincerely, 

Gavin Newsom 

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