California Air Resources Board

Summary 

Would have extended the compliance dates set for local governments and municipalities to meet CARB’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Regulation by ten years. This bill would have also prohibited CARB from taking enforcement action against a local government that violates the ACF Regulation if the violation occurs before January 1, 2025. Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee. 

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Summary 

Would have prohibited CARB, by January 1, 2026, from enforcing any regulation requiring the purchase and use of zero-emission trucks that have greater than 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight rating operating at land ports of entry, which the bill defined as land ports of entry on the California-Mexico border within a commercial zone. This bill would have also required CARB, after January 1, 2026, if enforcing regulations requiring the purchase and use of zero-emission trucks with greater than 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight rating operating at a land port of entry within a commercial zone, to have the burden of proof that a regulated fleet operator has reasonable access to an economically feasible charging or fueling infrastructure. This bill would have also provided a number of exemptions to heavy-duty truck electrification regulations. Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation 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, if CARB requires a fleet owner to acquire zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) as part of its fleet, to authorize the rental of a ZEV or vehicles for a cumulative total of 260 days in a calendar year to be deemed ownership of one ZEV for purposes of meeting that obligation. This provision would have resulted in the exemption of any vehicles rented less than 260 days as not a part of the “owned fleet,” thereby reducing the fleet’s compliance obligation under CARB’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Regulation.  

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Governor’s Veto Message 

To the Members of the California State Assembly:  

I am returning Assembly Bill 637 without my signature.  

This bill would require the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to authorize a fleet owner's rental of a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) for a cumulative total of 260 days per year to be considered ownership of one ZEV for the purpose of complying with the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation.  

In 2020, I issued Executive Order (EO) N-79-20, which directed CARB, among other things, to develop strategies to transition in-state sales of new passenger vehicles and trucks to 100 percent zero-emission by 2035, where feasible. Pursuant to this EO, CARB developed the ACF to accelerate transportation sector emission reductions while providing safe, feasible, and flexible compliance options for affected fleet owners that have over 50 vehicles or over $50 million in gross annual revenue.  

This bill would allow rental vehicle companies to circumvent the ACF regulations, and the flexible and balanced compliance mechanisms CARB has already created, with a new and unclear compliance mechanism. I am concerned this will jeopardize our clean air goals at a time when the state awaits action on its Clean Air Act waiver by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  

With that, I encourage the rental vehicle companies to work toward meeting the ACF regulations, and if there are insurmountable challenges, to work with CARB to explore practical and alternative compliance pathways through the existing regulatory process.  

For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.  

Sincerely,  

Gavin Newsom 

View Governor’s veto message here 

Summary 

This bill would have required CARB, when providing a voucher for the purchase of a new or used drayage truck, to ensure the incentive amount be determined pursuant to a sliding scale that authorizes increased vouchers in different amounts for fleets of 50 or fewer, 30 or fewer, or 5 or fewer vehicles. The bill would have also required CARB, when administering incentives specified by this bill, to prioritize fleets of five or fewer trucks and drayage operations transporting goods between the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, or Oakland and warehouses located in the State. Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. 

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Summary

Requires the Secretary of Transportation to coordinate between stakeholders and provide guidance and recommendations to ensure the performance of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor, the 351-mile rail line running between San Luis Obispo and San Diego. Additionally, the Transportation Secretary must: 1) develop a report  with assistance from the Secretary of Environmental Protection and Secretary for  Natural Resources and submit a report to the Legislature, no later than two years after appropriation by the Legislature for purposes of the report, about capital improvement projects, resiliency improvement projects, zero-emission infrastructure, and other recommendations, 2) convene a working group of stakeholders to submit consensus recommendations and feedback on or before February 1, 2026, on various topics relating to rail service in the corridor and 3) work with rail operations stakeholders to submit a report to the Legislature on the performance of the corridor no later than three years after an appropriation by the Legislature and biennially thereafter.

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Summary 

Would have required the California Transportation Agency and the California Energy Commission to jointly convene a Zero-Emission Freight Central Delivery Team (California Department of Transportation, CARB, California Public Utilities Commission, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, among others) to lead the statewide coordination of zero-emission freight infrastructure planning and implementation. This would have built off the recommendations of the assessment required by SB 671 (Gonzalez, Chapter 769, Statutes of 2021). This bill would have required the Central Delivery Team to promote the timely and equitable deployment of freight zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure by:  1) Strategically selecting project locations for freight ZEV infrastructure; 2) Coordinating actions among State agencies, utilities, and other stakeholders and developing a process to include nongovernmental stakeholders; 3) Identifying leads from regional transportation planning agencies, ports, State agencies, and other stakeholders; 4) Identifying available funding sources and public private partnership models; 5) Developing standardized station deployment models; and 6) Working with community colleges and ports to support training of skilled freight workers. The bill also would have required a report to be delivered every five years, with the first due on or before March 1, 2026, that outlined the team’s actions in the last year, best practices for planning and implementation, policy recommendations, and an assessment of the State's progress. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary 

Would have stated the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to reduce emissions at the ports of California. Remains at the Senate Rules Committee.

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Summary 

Would have required the freight coordinator, as appointed by the Governor, to serve as the advisory and coordinating entity for the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). The freight coordinator would have advised and coordinated policies that promote the growth, competitiveness, and sustainability for freight and the supply chain across the State, and would have promoted and assessed the continued economic vitality and sustainability of the freight sector. The bill would have required the freight coordinator to advise the Governor and GO-Biz director on issues affecting the State’s freight and supply chain, including economic strategy, investment, and improvements in technology. The freight coordinator would have also advised the Governor and director on policy and administrative regulations affecting the State’s freight and supply chain. As related to CARB, the bill would have required the freight coordinator to work directly with specified State agencies, including CARB, to address and discuss ongoing freight and supply chain issues. Was not heard in the Assembly Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy Committee.

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Summary

Removes the statutorily established caps in the Pilot Boat Surcharge Account established by AB 2056 (Grayson, Chapter 769, Statutes of 2022) to allow the San Francisco Bar Pilots to access more funds dedicated to the purchase of new pilot boats and providing design and engineering modifications for the purpose of extending the service life of existing pilot boats.

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