California Air Resources Board

Summary

Prohibits, beginning January 1, 2025, a person or entity from manufacturing, selling, delivering, holding, or offering for sale in commerce any cosmetic product that contains intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances, as defined.

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Summary

Would have required specified state transportation programs to incorporate strategies from the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) into program guidelines, as provided, and required the California Transportation Agency, the California Transportation Commission, and the California Department of Transportation to establish new transparency and accountability guidelines for certain transportation funding programs, as specified.

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• Category: Transportation Planning, Land Use, and Housing

Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Assembly: 

I am returning Assembly Bill 2438 without my signature.

This bill requires the alignment of certain transportation funding programs with the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) adopted in July 2021, and requires additional public transparency procedures in the project selection process for various transportation programs.

While I share the goal of addressing the impacts of the transportation sector on climate change, this bill is unnecessary. Work is well under way at the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the California Transportation Commission to align funding programs in the bill with CAPTI, with several actions already completed.

CalSTA is committed to reviewing outcomes and integrating public feedback in future years to make modifications to CAPTI, as necessary, to meet the needs of the statewide transportation system. Linking these programs in statute to a specific iteration of this plan inhibits the state's ability to appropriately respond to the evolution of the state's response to climate change.

A draft Annual Report on CAPTI Implementation Progress will be released in October of this year, outlining the progress made on CAPTI implementation since its adoption last July. My Administration will continue collaborating with transportation stakeholders to increase program funding accountability and transparency as well as enhance financial planning for climate change impacts to transportation infrastructure.

For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.


Sincerely, 

Gavin Newsom

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Summary

Would have required projects and programs included in each Regional Transportation Improvement Program also be consistent with the most recently prepared applicable Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) and State and federal air quality standards. This bill also would have prohibited funds from local transportation tax measures passed after 2023 from being spent until the proposed transportation projects were included in the most recently adopted SCS, and would have prohibited State funds from being used for a project that increased single-occupancy vehicle capacity, unless the project was included in an adopted SCS and provided sufficient enforceable mitigation to ensure that it would not increase the emissions of greenhouse gases and the metropolitan planning organization found that the project helps advance other regional goals. Was not heard in the Senate Committee on Transportation.

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Summary

Prohibits public agencies from imposing minimum automobile parking requirements on specified residential, commercial, and other developments located within one-half mile of public transit, unless the city or county makes written findings within 30 days stating that not imposing minimum parking would have a substantially negative impact on affordable housing or housing for special needs or elderly populations.

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Summary

Provides that it is the intent of the Legislature that CARB, in consultation with the local air districts, review established guidance and policies related to prescribed fire with the goal of maximizing acreage and opportunities to implement prescribed fire in order to reduce the air pollution associated with high-severity wildfire. The bill also makes various changes to State law to enhance wildland fire prevention efforts, including, among other things, incorporating and facilitating cultural burning practices, and requiring the identification of moderate and high fire hazard severity zones in local responsibility areas, as specified.

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Summary

Among other provisions, would have expanded the content of CARB’s SB 150 Progress Report on the SB 375 program; would have required metropolitan planning organizations to submit data for the report, as feasible; would have required additional collaboration on the Strategic Growth Council’s AB 285 Report on the California Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS); would have required local governments to submit a progress report one year after an SCS is accepted; and would have required the Department of Transportation to submit a proposal for a bicycle highway pilot program. Vetoed by the Governor.

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Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 1147 without my signature.

This bill adds new and modified reporting at the local and regional levels on compatibility of land use and transportation planning with greenhouse gas reduction goals and a proposal for a pilot program to create a network of bicycle highways.

Although the bill seeks to improve transparency to the Sustainable Community Strategies process, it does not require or incentivize regional and local governments to make land use decisions that change development and transportation patterns.

While I share the author's goal to align policies and promote the use of active transportation modes such as walking and biking, the bill is not necessary because state agencies are already collaborating on these policies and updating local requirements.

I proposed $7.6 billion to make key investments in a wide variety of critically necessary projects including high speed rail, transit connectivity projects in advance of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, active transportation, and a variety of other rail system improvements. Not only will these projects improve safety and access for bicyclists and pedestrians, they will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are key to meeting our state's climate objectives. I look forward to re-engaging with the Legislature to finalize and pass a comprehensive transportation package early next year.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

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Summary

Would have exempted from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) housing projects located in a very low vehicle travel area, as defined; required the Office of Planning and Research to maintain maps depicting very low vehicle travel areas; exempted other housing projects as specified; and required CEQA lead agencies approving specified exempted projects to file for notices of exemption, among other provisions.  Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have increased to 50 percent, from 25 percent, the allowable parcel area of a transit priority development project that may be farther than a half-mile from a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor and still meet the requirements for limited California Environmental Quality Act review.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have required each five-year update to the California Transportation Plan (CTP) and the Strategic Growth Council’s report on the CTP and Sustainable Communities Strategies to include a forecast of the impacts of climate change on transportation infrastructure and measures to address those impacts, among other provisions.  Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Would have expanded project types eligible under the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) to include funding for passenger tramway (gondola) transit systems.  This bill would have made continuous appropriations from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to fund gondolas through TIRCP.  Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

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