California Air Resources Board

Would have required the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force (Task Force), on or before July 1, 2028, and in cooperation with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Department of Public Health, and CARB, to assess the health costs and impacts of high-severity wildfire smoke using existing wildfire smoke and health data. The bill would have also required the Task Force to develop a model to estimate the health benefits of achieving the goals identified in the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan and recommend how the Action Plan can increase its health benefits. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Would have required CARB to expand its incident air monitoring program to provide support for local monitoring, upon receiving funding. This bill would have required CARB and the local air districts to together choose the regional center locations that either CARB or the district would operate, with at least one center being in the South Coast Air Quality Management District. CARB would have been required to assist with operational plans for the centers regardless of the operator, and all operators would be required to provide emergency air monitoring response for disasters. The bill would have established allowable uses for funding, including but not limited to planning and maintaining centers and equipment; air quality data collection, analysis, and communication; and staff resources and training.

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Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 2349 without my signature.

This bill would require the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to expand its incident air monitoring program.

While I share the author’s goal of expanding emergency air monitoring, the proposed program requires significant resources not included in this year's budget.

In partnership with the Legislature this year, my administration has enacted a balanced budget that recognizes the challenging fiscal landscape our state faces 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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Sets residential property insurance requirements for smoke damage claims on properties within a specified wildfire impact zone. Insurers must cover additional living expenses, testing, and restoration until properties are safe for human occupancy following guidance and rules set by CARB and the Department of Toxic Substances Control in AB 1642 (Harabedian). The bill also requires the Office of Emergency Services and the Department of Insurance, in consultation with departments including CARB, to submit legislative reports on regulatory limitations impacting the Lineage Logistics warehouse fire response and insurance coverage gaps exposed by the fire.

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Requires CARB, by January 1, 2029, to develop and publish online guidance on levels for indoor air contaminants following residential smoke damage from wildfire, implications for health, and possible protective measures to reduce health impacts. CARB may revise and update the guidance as new research and data becomes available. The guidance developed is exempt from the Administrative Procedures Act and the California Environmental Quality Act. The bill has other guidance and regulation requirements for the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).

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Would have created the Refrigerant Stewardship and Recovery Act, which would have required producers of covered products, as defined, to form and join a producer responsibility organization (PRO). The PRO would have been required to submit a plan to CalRecycle for the handling of disposal of covered products. Was amended to be about recycling major appliances.

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Requires a battery supplier to be responsible for ensuring the end-of-life management of a vehicle traction battery and requires reporting information regarding the sale, transfer, or receipt of a vehicle traction battery or module to the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). The bill imposes related duties on a secondary user, a secondary handler, an auctioneer, all as defined, to report similar information regarding a vehicle traction battery or battery module to DTSC. The bill provides funding mechanisms for DTSC to implement the bill. CARB’s interest was conformity with technical specifications used in CARB’s regulations. Moved to the Assembly Inactive File.

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Requires the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) department to complete, by June 30, 2027, their mandated plan with recommendations and guidelines for counties to use in the case of a significant air quality event caused by wildfires or other sources. The bill requires the county-specific plan, which counties are required to develop to address all recommendations and guidelines in the CDPH plan, to incorporate a process to conduct outreach and communicate to the public and with key stakeholders specified information about the plan.

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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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Summary

Urges the United States Congress and President Biden to support a $100 million supplemental funding request to address the ongoing impacts on public health, the environment, and the local economy caused by cross-jurisdictional pollution from the Navy North Hangar Fire in Tustin, and to include in future federal budgets sufficient ongoing operational and maintenance funding for Navy North Hangar Fire remediation. The measure urges President Biden to declare a national emergency due to the ongoing impacts.

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Summary

Would have repealed existing law authorizing the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to adopt regulations to establish management standards for metal shredding facilities for hazardous waste management activities within DTSC’s jurisdiction, and would have established a new comprehensive regulatory framework within DTSC for metal shredding facilities. The bill would have repealed existing law that provides that treated metal shredder waste that is managed in accordance with those regulations is deemed to be solid waste, and not hazardous waste. Was not heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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