California Air Resources Board

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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Extends a number of timelines in the process of determining regional housing needs, regional housing needs allocations, and housing element revisions, and requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide specific analysis or text to local governments to remedy deficiencies in their draft housing element revisions.

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To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 650 without my signature.

This bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), if it finds that a draft housing element is deficient, to provide the specific analysis and the draft text that should be included in the jurisdiction's housing element.

I share the author's interest in improving the housing element process. In partnership with the Legislature, we have enacted numerous reforms to strengthen this process by demanding more rigorous site inventories, enforceable rezoning, and stronger accountability mechanisms to uphold state law.

Although intended to build on these recent efforts, I am concerned that this bill would inappropriately shift responsibility for preparing housing elements from local jurisdictions to HCD. While HCD provides technical assistance when requested and in response to inadequate housing elements, that support is no substitute to the local government's fundamental responsibility to plan for its share of housing needs. Further, shifting these duties to the state would add at least $11 million in new annual costs.

Housing element law has advanced considerably through recent legislation, much of which is now being implemented in the current planning cycle. As these changes take hold, it is critical to preserve the fundamental structure of local planning responsibility under state oversight. However, I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature on additional opportunities to further improve this process.

For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

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Would have expanded the fuels allowed by the Ocean-Going Vessel Fuel Regulation to include any fuel that has a lower carbon intensity than marine diesel oil or marine gas oil for the auxiliary engines, main engines and auxiliary boilers. Amended to deal with paratransit recertification eligibility.

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