California Air Resources Board

Prohibits CARB from adopting any standard, regulation, or rule, that affects the Low Carbon Fuel Standard or the Cap-and-Trade program, until the Legislative Analyst has analyzed the cost to the consumer from the impact on the price per gallon of fuel or price per kilowatt house of electricity of the proposed standard, regulation, or rule and submitted its analysis to the Legislature. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

View full bill text here

Requires California Energy Commission CEC and the California Public Utilities Commission CPUC to post, and update monthly, dashboards on their websites that includes the difference in average gasoline prices and the average total price of electricity or natural gas prices in California compared to national averages, and any California-specific taxes, fees, regulations, and policies that directly or indirectly contribute to those prices. If the average price of gasoline, electricity, or natural gas exceeds 10% of the natural average, the bill requires for 6 months: taxes and fees on gasoline to be suspended; fees on electricity and natural gas to be suspended; and require CARB to suspend the requirements of the Cap-and-Trade program for an oil refinery, electrical corporation, or gas corporation. The bill requires the CEC to develop a rebate methodology to compensate Californians for the higher cost of gasoline, electricity, and natural gas and for the Controller to provide rebates, funded by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Was not heard in the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee.

View full bill text here

Voids specified amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard that were adopted in November 2024. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

View full bill text here

Permanently exempts active transportation plans, pedestrian plans, and bicycle transportation plans for the restriping of streets and highways, bicycle parking and storage, and signal timing to improve street and highway intersection operations from CEQA. This bill expands the project types applicable for the CEQA exemption of certain transportation-related projects and extends the exemption from January 1, 2030, to January 1, 2040. The bill extends and expands other CEQA exemptions for public projects related to transit and requires certain CEQA-exempt projects that exceed a specified dollar amount to meet certain criteria.

View full bill text here

Would have required the California Energy Commission (CEC), in coordination with the State Lands Commission, California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and CARB, to develop a plan by December 31, 2030, for the alternative fuel needs of oceangoing vessels at seaports that will enable the ports to meet their emission reduction goals. CARB would have been required to provide the CEC with information regarding OGV fuel types that comply with CARB's regulations. The bill also would have required the CEC to convene a working group, including CARB, to assist with the development of the information required by the plan, as specified.

View full bill text here

Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:

 I am returning Senate Bill 298 without my signature.

 This bill would require the California Energy Commission (CEC), in coordination with the State Lands Commission, California State Transportation Agency, and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to develop a plan by December 31, 2030, for the alternative fuel needs of Ocean-Going Vessels (OGVs) at ports that will meet ports' emission reduction goals.

 As the nation's premier gateway for international trade, California's ports are an essential component of the nation's economy. I strongly support efforts to plan and deploy zero-emission infrastructure and technologies at our ports. This is why CARB has already begun the informal rulemaking phase for an OGV In-Transit Regulation to reduce harmful air pollution from OGVs while transiting, maneuvering, and anchoring in waters off the California coastline.

 Though well-intentioned, the plan required by this bill could complicate CARB 's active OGV In-Transit rulemaking and result in costs to the CEC's primary operating fund, which is currently facing an ongoing structural deficit, thus exacerbating the fund's structural imbalance. I encourage the supporters of this measure to work with CARB through its rulemaking process to collaboratively identify solutions for deploying alternative fuels at our ports.

 For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

 Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

View Governor’s veto message here

Would have imposed new requirements on the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for any adoption or amendment of a rule or regulation that has new or additional emissions reduction requirements on sources of air pollution associated with an operation at the ports, including the proposed Port Indirect Source Rule (ISR), until January 1, 2031. The bill would have prohibited any port-related actions that impose a cap on cargo throughput or cruise ship passengers at the ports or uses public funds to require or incentivize automated or remotely operated equipment or supporting infrastructure.  

View full bill text here

Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:

 I am returning Senate Bill 34 without my signature.

 This bill would impose new requirements on the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for any adoption or amendment of a rule or regulation passed after July 1, 2025 that imposes new or additional emissions reduction requirements on sources of air pollution associated with port operations. The bill also would prohibit any port-related action that imposes a cap on cargo throughput or cruise ship passengers, or uses public funds to require or incentivize the use of automated or remotely operated equipment or supporting infrastructure. All these prohibitions and requirements would remain in effect until January l, 2031.

 California's ports are critical to the stability of our national and global supply chains and ore relied upon by most Americans to meet their everyday needs. Today, our ports handle about 40 percent of the nation's containerized imports and 30 percent of our notion's exports, making them vital points in the flow of goods and commerce. At the same time, ports are also one of the most significant sources of local air pollution due to their reliance on fossil fuels. Over the past several years, our ports have mode tremendous progress in building zero-emission infrastructure to reduce harmful air and climate pollution that benefits not just the ports, but also the surrounding communities.

 With the current federal Administration directly undermining our state and local air and climate pollution reduction strategies, it is imperative that we maintain the tools we have and encourage cooperative action at all levels to avoid the worst health and climate impacts. To that end, I am encouraged by the productive discussions between the SCAQMD and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to identify and advance prudent air quality improvement measures and the SCAQMD 's recent unanimous direction to staff to further their efforts to reach a Cooperative Agreement. This locally driven and collaborative approach toward reducing air and climate pollution is the type of consensus that should be supported and encouraged. This bill interferes with this approach, the progress made, and the ongoing good faith efforts made by the SCAQMD and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

 For this reason, I cannot sign this bill.

 Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

View Governor’s veto message here

Would have required all agencies and departments subject to the Governor’s authority to develop or update their strategic plan to reflect the use of data analysis and inclusive practices to more effectively advance racial equity and to respond to identified disparities with changes to the organization’s policies, programs, and operations. Applicable agencies and departments would have been required to report their progress the Governor and Joint Legislative Budget Committee by April 1, 2026, and each April 1 thereafter. This bill would have also required agencies and departments to engage with and gather input from California communities that have been historically disadvantaged and underserved within the scope of policies or programs administered or implemented.

View full bill text here

Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Assembly:

 I am returning Assembly Bill 766 without my signature.

 This bill would require agencies, departments, offices, or commissions under the Governor's authority to develop or update their strategic plans to more effectively advance racial equity and respond to identified disparities with changes to the organization's policies, programs, and operations. This bill would also require each entity to report to the Legislature and Governor, by April 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, on the steps taken to develop and adopt a strategic plan.

 I share the author's goal to ensure equity is embedded within my Administration's actions and plans. In 2022, I signed EO N-16-22, which provided a framework towards helping make the California Dream a reality for every one of us. That EO also created the 11-member Racial Equity Commission to recommend tools, methodologies, and opportunities to address inequities facing historically underserved and marginalized communities across the state.

Unfortunately, the bill's timelines for reporting on strategic plans, along with the additional information entities must include in their plan and uncertainty around which entities are required to comply, are unworkable. Lastly, expanding the reporting requirements to all entities under my purview with these accelerated timelines will lead to significant costs not accounted for in this year's final budget agreement.

 In partnership with the Legislature this year, my Administration has enacted a balanced budget that recognizes the challenging fiscal landscape our state aces 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

Requires the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) department to complete, by June 30, 2027, their mandated plan with recommendations and guidelines for counties to use in the case of a significant air quality event caused by wildfires or other sources. The bill requires the county-specific plan, which counties are required to develop to address all recommendations and guidelines in the CDPH plan, to incorporate a process to conduct outreach and communicate to the public and with key stakeholders specified information about the plan.

View full bill text here

Requires that a housing development project within a specified distance of a transit-oriented development (TOD) stop, be an allowed use as a transit-oriented housing development on any site zoned for residential, mixed, or commercial development, if the development complies with applicable requirements. Among these requirements, the bill requires a project to include at least 5 dwelling units and establish requirements concerning height limits, density, and residential floor area ratio in accordance with a development’s proximity to specified tiers of TOD stops. The bill provides that a local government that denies a project meeting the requirements of these provisions located in a high-resource area, as defined, would be presumed in violation of the Housing Accountability Act and immediately liable for penalties, beginning on January 1, 2027. These provisions do not apply to a local agency until July 1, 2026, or within unincorporated areas of counties until the 7th regional housing needs allocation cycle. The bill specifies that a development proposed pursuant to these provisions is eligible for streamlined, ministerial approval pursuant to specified law, except that the bill exempts a project under these provisions from specified requirements and specifies that the project is required to comply with certain affordability requirements, under that law.

View full bill text here

Authorizes the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to issue an emergency vehicle permit to any vehicle owned by a county, city, or city and county office of emergency services only while that vehicle is being used by a public employee in responding to any disaster.

View full bill text here