California Air Resources Board

Summary

Provides that it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that provides that the policy of the State is to ensure that companies that contract with the State are not contributing to tropical deforestation, either directly or through their supply chains. Remains atthe Assembly Desk.

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Summary 

Requires CARB, if it proposes a regulation to regulate an on-road mobile source, to prepare a lifecycle analysis, as defined, of any technology required by the regulation. The scope of environmental impacts in the lifecycle analysis must include, but is not limited to, the assessment from raw material extraction and processing, through the product’s manufacture, distribution, and use, to the recycling or final disposal of the materials composing it. The assessments must include, but are not limited to, consideration of carbon dioxide emissions. Was not heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Requires CARB, by January 1, 2027, to conduct an analysis of credits identified in the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District’s (District) ledger of available emission reduction credits (ERCs) to determine if any credits were issued in violation of State, local, or district laws, rules, regulations, or procedures in place at the time of original issuance. The bill requires CARB to submit a report to the Legislature summarizing the analysis results. The bill requires the District to aggregate and make publicly available on its website specified information regarding permits issued during a specified 17-year span that require or required the use of one or more ERCs. Was not heard on Assembly Concurrence.

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Summary

Would have required the Ocean Protection Council (Council) by January 1, 2026, to implement a statewide voluntary vessel speed reduction and sustainable shipping program, as specified, for the California coast in order to reduce air pollution, the risk of fatal vessel strikes on whales, and harmful underwater acoustic impacts. The bill would have required the Council to coordinate with the coastal local air districts and consult with various entities, including CARB, on the program. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have streamlined the application and implementation process for covered grants, defined as a grand award not exceeding $20,000 with a duration not more than a year and 501(c)(3) nonprofits as the eligible recipient . The bill would have had website requirements for a State agency or third-party contractor to post application information for a covered grant and to allow completion of a covered grant application online. The bill also would have required administrators to provide outreach, including to rural, low-income, and disadvantaged communities, for covered grant programs totaling $200,000 or more. The bill would have required advanced payment of at least 50 percent of the grant award and prohibited an administrator from requiring specified receipts, reports, and insurance coverage. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Allows, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, and before January 1, 2028, a credit against State taxes for a qualified taxpayer in an amount equal to $800 per ton of criteria air pollutant reduced beyond the baseline amount. The bill defines “qualified taxpayer” to mean a major source emitter, as defined, that has emissions levels of criteria air pollutants for the taxable year at least 5 percent below the requirements set by the federal Clean Air Act. The bill also defines “baseline amount” with respect to criteria air pollutants to mean the level of criteria air pollutants the taxpayer may emit to meet the requirements of the federal Clean Air Act. Was not heard in the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee.

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Summary

Would have required State agencies to implement Zero Trust Architecture practices through a multi-year phased approach, with increasing level of maturity culminating in 2030. The bill would have required State agencies to implement on their systems: multi-factor authentication, enterprise endpoint detection and response, and robust logging practices. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have prohibited a person from manufacturing, selling, delivering, distributing, holding, or offering for sale in the State: (1) a cleaning product that contains any intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) beginning January 1, 2026, and (2) a floor sealer or a floor finish containing intentionally added PFAS beginning January 1, 2028.

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Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 727 without my signature.

This bill would prohibit, by 2026, the manufacture, distribution, or sale of cleaning products that contain intentionally added perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and would apply this ban, by 2028, to floor sealer or floor finish products.

This is one of three single-product chemical bans passed by the Legislature this year that attempt to address serious concerns with the presence of PFAS in consumer products. These bills do not identify or require any regulatory agency to determine compliance with, or enforce, the proposed statute.

While I strongly support the author's intent and have signed similar legislation in the past, I am concerned this bill falls short of providing enhanced protection to California consumers due to lack of regulatory oversight. Previously enacted single-product chemical bans, which also lack oversight, are proving challenging to implement, with inconsistent interpretations and confusion among manufacturers about how to comply with the restrictions.

In order to instill consumer confidence and effectively address public health and environmental concerns, I am directing the Department of Toxic Substances Control to engage with the author and the Legislature and consider alternative approaches to regulating the use of these harmful chemicals in consumer products.

For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

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Summary

Adds four public members to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Board that are appointed by the Governor to serve 4-year terms. Of these four, one member must be from a California Native American tribe chosen from a list of candidates submitted by local tribal organizations with a presence within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin, and three members must be appointed with the advice and consent of the Speaker of the Assembly. Of those three, two must have subject matter expertise in environmental justice or social justice issues and be selected from a list submitted by nonprofit organizations that have a presence within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin, and one must be a youth member between 18 and 26 years of age and be selected from a list submitted by either a youth-serving nonprofit organization or an institution of higher education, as specified. The bill also makes changes to board member terms. Was not heard in the Assembly Local Government Committee.

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Summary

Authorizes a State agency administering a grant program or contract to provide advance payment to a recipient non-profit that qualifies under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. When allowing advance payment, the State agency must prioritize grant recipients and projects serving disadvantaged, low income, and under-resourced communities or organizations, and ensure the advance payment does not exceed 25 percent, although the State agency may exceed this cap. The bill allows grant recipients to provide moneys from the advance payment to subrecipients. Additionally, the bill requires the grant recipient to meet specified minimum requirements and allows the Department of Finance  to perform an advance payment audit.

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