California Air Resources Board

Requires all State agencies, including their departments, boards, offices, commissions, and conservancies, to consider the 30x30 goal when adopting, revising, or establishing plans, policies, or regulations, and shall ensure, to the extent feasible, that the plan, policy, or regulation is not inconsistent with the 30x30 goal. Was not heard in the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization.

Would have requiredCARB, on or before January 1, 2028, to publish on its website an assessment of the life-cycle emissions from alternative uses of forest and agricultural biomass residues. The bill also would have required CARB, on or before January 1, 2028, to complete a comprehensive strategy to support beneficial carbon removal products generated from agricultural or forest biomass resources, including, but not limited to, biochar, as specified. This bill also would have required the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to require, as feasible, for State-funded forest health projects, a disposal plan describing how much biomass residue should be physically removed versus burned by prescribed burn. The bill also would have required the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to investigate the use of biomass fuel made from biomass residues, as specified.

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Governor’s Veto Message:

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 88 without my signature.

This bill would require the California Air Resources Board to develop specified methods and protocols to quantify the avoided emissions and beneficial uses of forest and agricultural biomass. This bill also would direct the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to require forest health projects to include a resource disposal component, and the California Energy Commission to include biomass-derived low- and negative-carbon fuels in certain reports.

Throughout my Administration, I have been supportive of advancing methods and practices to sustainably address the growing amount of woody biomass waste in the state, primarily due to the risk it presents of exacerbating catastrophic wildfires. This is why my Administration, for years, has recommended and acted on strategies to address this challenge and risk.

While I applaud the authors' desire to further this work, most of the requirements in this bill are duplicative of existing efforts. At the same time, other provisions would trigger new and substantial costs at each of the affected agencies not accounted for in the 2025 Budget Act. 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

View Governor’s veto message here

Exempts an agricultural crop preparation service (ACPS) from the Department of Recycling and Resource Recovery’s (CalRecycle) regulations for the Edible Food Rescue Program for Commercial Edible Food Generators (CCR Tit.14, Div. 7, Chap. 12, Art. 10) promulgated under the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Strategy if the ACPS demonstrates to CalRecycle, in a form and manner developed by CalRecycle, that it has not disposed of organic waste in a landfill on or after January 1, 2016.

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Requires the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to oversee a sustainable agriculture program to provide research, technical assistance, and incentive grants to promote agricultural practices that support climate resilience for farms and ranches and the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, and biodiversity. The bill also renames the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming to the Scientific Advisory Panel on Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture (Panel) for the purpose of providing advice to the CDFA Secretary on the implementation of research, incentive, and technical assistance grant programs for sustainable agriculture. This bill also expands the Panel from nine members to eleven members to add members of the public that represent scientific expertise in sustainable agriculture and members of state agencies that represent expertise in programs and policies related to agriculture.

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Would have required a lead agency to incorporate appropriate wildlife passage features into a transportation infrastructure project in a connectivity area, as specified, but would exempt a project on the state highway system from this requirement if California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is the lead agency. The bill would have authorized a lead agency to use compensatory mitigation credits to satisfy this requirement, as specified. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Requires the  Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to develop strategies to reduce barriers and increase support for stewardship of conserved lands and collaborate with stakeholders, California Native American tribes, and relevant state agencies to prepare a section on stewardship as part of the 2027 annual report on progress made toward achieving the 30x30 goal, which the bill requires to include, among other things, recommendations to increase and improve stewardship of 30x30 lands, including innovative ways to reduce barriers and increase federal, state, and local support for stewardship, as specified. The bill would require the update to be posted on the agency’s internet website. 

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Allows a local jurisdiction to count organic material used as a beneficial agricultural amendment towards its recovered organic waste procurement target under SB 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) if the material is processed at a facility authorized by the Department of Recycling and Resource Recovery using approved technologies and if the beneficial agricultural amendment is licensed for end use as an agricultural fertilizer by the Department of Food and Agriculture. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Would have required the California Coastal Commission (Commission) to authorize blue carbon demonstration projects and develop, in consultation with CARB and other parties, a blue carbon demonstration project program. The bill would have allowed the Commission to require an applicant with a nonresidential project that impacts coastal wetland, subtidal, intertidal, or marine habitats or ecosystems to build or contribute to a blue carbon demonstration project as a mitigation measure.

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Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 399 without my signature.

This bill would authorize the  California Coastal Commission to facilitate the development of blue carbon demonstration projects in certain coastal areas and wetlands.

California is a global leader in advancing nature-based carbon capture and sequestration solutions, having built and expanded our portfolio of actions over decades. In fact, between 2020 and 2024 alone, the state invested approximately $9.6 billion in nature-based solutions. Additionally, my Administration developed and released achievable carbon removal targets for natural and working lands as a result of Assembly Bill 1757 (C. Garcia) in 2022. That same year, the Natural and Working Land Climate Smart Strategy cataloged over 350 efforts across state agencies to deliver meaningful nature-based solutions for climate action.

While I share the author's desire to accelerate novel nature-based climate solutions, this bill creates a new, unfunded program. 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

See veto message here

Would have required all State agencies, departments, boards, offices, commissions, and conservancies to consider the 30x30 goal of conserving 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030 as established by Executive Order No. N-82-20 when adopting, revising, or establishing plans, policies, and regulations. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have created the California Compost Tax Credit Fund providing refundable tax credits for California farmers, ranchers, and landowners who employ farming practices that maximize carbon sequestration through the utilization of compost on natural and working lands. Would have transferred one percent of annual Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund proceeds, not exceeding $120 million per fiscal year through FY 2035-36 to the California Compost Tax Credit Fund. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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