Information related to the current status of legislation impacting California’s rural counties.
AB 6 (Friedman) Transportation planning: regional transportation plans: Solutions for Congested Corridors Program: reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This bill would have amended reporting and transportation project review requirements, under SB 375 (2008), for the state’s 18 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), for project information pertaining to climate and greenhouse gas emissions impacts. The bill would have required MPOs to send technical methodologies to CA Air Resources Board for review before project selection and approval can commence. Location: Senate 2 year Status: 7/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(10). (Last location was TRANS. on 6/14/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024) Position: Oppose Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 7 (Friedman) Transportation: planning: project selection processes. This bill would have required all transportation projects funded, at least in part, through major state or federal funding programs to incorporate several, specified principles that include improving road safety, conformity with federal streamlined project principles, ADA compliance, water and air quality impacts, climate impacts, and access to disadvantaged communities, among others. Location: Senate 2 year Status: 9/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(14). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 9/11/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024) Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 62 (Mathis) Statewide water storage: expansion. Would have established a statewide goal to increase above- and below-ground water storage capacity by a total of 3,700,000 acre-feet by the year 2030 and a total of 4,000,000 acre-feet by the year 2040. The bill would have required the Department of Water Resources, in consultation with the state board, to take reasonable actions to promote or assist efforts to achieve the statewide goal, as provided. The bill would require the department, beginning July 1, 2027, and on or before July 1 every 2 years thereafter until January 1, 2043, in consultation with the state board, to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature on the progress made to achieve the statewide goal. Location: Assembly Dead Status: 2/1/2024-From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 66 (Mathis) Natural Resources Agency: water storage projects: permit approval. Would have required CA Natural Resources Agency, or the relevant state agency, to approve the necessary permits for specified storage projects within 180 days from receiving a permit application, and would deem those permits approved if approval does not occur within this time period. Location: Assembly Dead Status: 2/1/2024-From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 68 (Ward) Land use: streamlined housing approvals: density, subdivision, and utility approvals. Location: Assembly Dead Status: 2/1/2024-From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. Position: No Position Staff: Tracy (1)
AB 422 (Alanis) Natural Resources Agency: statewide water storage: tracking. Would have required CA Natural Resources Agency, on or before June 1, 2024, to post on its publicly available internet website information tracking the progress to increase statewide water storage, and to keep that information updated. Location: Assembly Dead Status: 2/1/2024-From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. Position: Watch Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 429 (Bennett) Groundwater wells: permits. If 1% of domestic wells were to go dry in a critically overdrafted basin, this bill would prohibit a county, city, or any other water well permitting agency from approving a permit for a new groundwater well or for an alteration to an existing well in a basin subject to the act and classified as a critically overdrafted basin unless the city county or well permitting agency obtains written verification from a groundwater sustainability agency that the proposed well would not be inconsistent with any sustainable groundwater management program AND the proposed well would not decrease the likelihood of achieving a sustainability goal for the basin covered by the plan. Location: Assembly Dead Status: 2/1/2024-From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. Position: Oppose Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 460 (Bauer-Kahan) State Water Resources Control Board: water rights and usage: interim relief: procedures. This bill would authorize CA State Water Board to issue, on its own motion or upon the petition of an interested party, an interim relief order in appropriate circumstances to implement or enforce these and related provisions of law. The bill would provide that a person or entity that violates any interim relief order issued by the board would be liable to the board for a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed the sum of $10,000 for each day in which a violation occurs and $5,000 for each acre-foot of water diverted in violation of the interim relief order. Location: Senate 2 year Status: 7/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(10). (Last location was N.R. & W. on 6/7/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024) Position: Watch Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 491 (Wallis) Local government: fines and penalties. Provides effectual tools for addressing illicit land use activities, including unlicensed cannabis operations by (1) streamlined judicial reviewed for minor administrative penalties (under $25,000) imposed for unpermitted cannabis activities; (2) efficient collection of final penalty order (i.e. after administrative/judicial review is complete), in the same manner presently used for pesticide enforcement fines; (3) clarifies that priority of real property liens used to collect administrative penalties for these violations, by providing that such liens have the same priority as a judgement lien. Location: Senate Rules Status: 9/25/2023-Measure version as amended on September 13 corrected. Position: Sponsor Staff: Sarah (1)
AB 817 (Pacheco) Open meetings: teleconferencing: subsidiary body. AB 817 would provide a narrow exemption under the Ralph M.Brown Act for non-decision-making legislative bodies currently governed by Act, such as advisory bodies and commissions, to participate in two-way virtual teleconferencing without posting physical location of members. In addition, AB 817 would remove barriers to entry for appointed and elected office by allowing non-decision-making legislative bodies to participate virtually as long as they do not have the ability to take final action on legislation, regulations, contracts, licenses, permits, or other entitlements. Location: Senate Rules Status: 1/25/2024-Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 54. Noes 8.) In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. Position: Sponsor Staff: Sarah (1)
AB 1168 (Bennett) Emergency medical services (EMS): prehospital EMS. Would overturn an extensive statutory and case law record that has repeatedly affirmed county responsibility for the administration of emergency medical services and with that, the flexibility to design systems to equitably serve residents throughout their jurisdiction. Location: Senate 2 year Status: 9/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(14). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 9/12/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024) Position: Oppose Staff: Sarah (1)
AB 1272 (Wood) State Water Resources Control Board: drought planning. This bill would have required State Water Board to establish a program, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to adopt principles and guidelines for diversion and use of water in coastal watersheds, as specified, during times of water shortage for drought preparedness and climate resiliency. The bill would have required that the principles and guidelines provide for the development of watershed-level plans to support public trust uses, public health and safety, and the human right to water in times of water shortage, among other things. Location: Senate Desk Status: 9/14/2023-Withdrawn from Engrossing and Enrolling. Ordered to the Senate. In Senate. Held at Desk. Position: Watch Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 1337 (Wicks) State Water Resources Control Board: water diversion curtailment. This bill would have expanded the instances when the diversion or use of water is considered a trespass, and would have directed State Water Board to adopt regulations for various water conservation purposes, including, but not limited to, to prevent the waste, unreasonable use, unreasonable method of use, or unreasonable method of diversion of water, and to implement these regulations through orders curtailing the diversion or use of water under any claim of right. Location: Senate 2 year Status: 7/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(10). (Last location was N.R. & W. on 6/7/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024) Position: Watch Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 1563 (Bennett) Groundwater sustainability agency: groundwater extraction permit: verification. This bill would have required a county, city, or any other water well permitting agency to obtain a written verification from the groundwater sustainability agency that manages the basin or area of the basin where the well is proposed to be located determining that, among other things, the extraction by the proposed well is consistent with any sustainable groundwater management program. Location: Senate 2 year Status: 7/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(10). (Last location was GOV. & F. on 6/22/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024) Position: Oppose Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 1616 (Lackey) California Cannabis Tax Fund: Board of State and Community Corrections grants. AB 1616 would require the Board of State and Community Corrections to prioritize local governments whose programs seek to address the unlawful cultivation and sale of cannabis when disbursing grants from California Cannabis Tax Fund. The bill would also authorize the board to make grants to local governments that ban both indoor and outdoor commercial cannabis cultivation or ban retail sale of cannabis or cannabis products. Location: Senate Public Safety Status: 6/26/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB S. (Ayes 9. Noes 2.) (June 26). Re-referred to Com. on PUB S. Position: Support Staff: Sarah (1)
AB 1785 (Pacheco) California Public Records Act. Would prohibit local agencies from posting an assessor’s parcel number associated with an elected or appointed official on the internet without their written permission. Location: Assembly Judiciary Status: 3/6/2024-In committee: Hearing postponed by committee. Position: Concerns Staff: Sarah (1)
AB 1951 (Fong, Vince) California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: roadside wildfire prevention projects. Location: Assembly Natural Resources Status: 3/14/2024-In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. Position: Watch Staff: John (1)
AB 2104 (Soria) Community colleges: Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Pilot Program. Location: Assembly Higher Education Status: 2/20/2024-Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED. Position: Support Staff: Sarah (1)
AB 2266 (Petrie-Norris) California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project: vehicle eligibility. Requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to authorize a voucher for a public or private fleet issued under the California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project program to be used for the acquisition of a zero-emission vehicle with a gross vehicle weight greater than 8,500 pounds. Location: Assembly Transportation Status: 2/26/2024-Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and NAT. RES. Position: Pending Staff: Leigh (1)
AB 2276 (Wood) Forestry: timber harvesting plans: exemptions. AB 2276 extends the sunset date to January 1, 2031 for three important exemptions from timber harvest plan requirements necessary for small land owners to perform fuels treatment and vegetation maintenance on their properties for the purpose of wildfire mitigation. Location: Assembly Natural Resources Status: 3/6/2024-In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. Position: Support Staff: Staci (1)
AB 2302 (Addis) Open meetings: local agencies: teleconferences. Location: Assembly Local Government Status: 2/26/2024-Referred to Com. on L. GOV. Position: Pending Staff: Sarah (1)
AB 2346 (Lee) Organic waste reduction regulations: procurement of recovered organic waste products. Location: Assembly Natural Resources Status: 2/26/2024-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES. Position: Watch Staff: John (1)
AB 2514 (Aguiar-Curry) Solid waste: organic waste. Location: Assembly Natural Resources Status: 3/4/2024-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES. Position: Watch Staff: John (1)
AB 2528 (Arambula) Williamson Act contracts: cancellation fees. The California Land Conservation Act of 1965, otherwise known as the Williamson Act, authorizes a city or county to enter into contracts with owners of agricultural land to preserve the land to agricultural use, as specified. Current law authorizes the cancellation of a contract under certain circumstances. Current law requires the city or county to execute and record a certificate of cancellation of contract if the city and county approves a cancellation of a contract. Current law authorizes the city or county to charge a cancellation fee in an amount equal to 12.5% of the cancellation valuation of the property. This bill would instead require that the cancellation fees be transmitted by the county treasurer to the Controller within 45 days of the execution of a certification of cancellation of contract. Location: Assembly Local Government Status: 3/11/2024-Referred to Com. on L. GOV. Position: Watch Staff: Sidd (1)
AB 2746 (Villapudua) Employee Housing Act: agricultural housing. Location: Assembly Housing and Community Development Status: 3/4/2024-Referred to Com. on H. & C.D. Staff: John (1)
AB 2787 (Patterson, Joe) Energy: building standards: photovoltaic requirements. Location: Assembly Natural Resources Status: 3/11/2024-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES. Position: Pending Staff: John (1)
AB 2902 (Wood) Organic waste: reduction regulations: exemptions. Location: Assembly Natural Resources Status: 3/4/2024-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES. Position: Sponsor Staff: John (1)
AB 3011 (Bains) Electricity: rates: unreasonable hardship. Location: Assembly U. & E. Status: 3/11/2024-Referred to Com. on U. & E. Position: Pending Staff: John (1)
SB 23 (Caballero) Water supply and flood risk reduction projects: expedited permitting. This bill would have authorized a state agency, defined to mean any agency, board, or commission, including the state board or the regional boards, with the power to issue a permit that would authorize a water supply project or authorize a flood risk reduction project, to take specified actions in order to complete permit review and approval in an expeditious manner. The bill would have made findings and declarations related to the need to expedite water supply projects and flood risk reduction projects to better address climate change impacts while protecting the environment. Location: Senate Dead Status: 2/1/2024-Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. Staff: Sidd (1)
SB 399 (Wahab) Employer communications: intimidation. Location: Assembly 2 year Status: 9/1/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(11). (Last location was APPR. on 7/11/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024) Position: Oppose Staff: Sarah (1)
SB 418 (Padilla) California Prison Redevelopment Commission. Would establish the California Prison Redevelopment Commission and articulate its responsibilities including its composition, with a focus on developing recommendations for repurposing closed state prison facilities. Location: Assembly 2 year Status: 9/1/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(11). (Last location was APPR. SUSPENSE FILE on 8/16/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024) Position: Support Staff: Mary-Ann (1)
SB 584 (Limón) Laborforce housing: Short-Term Rental Tax Law. Location: Assembly Housing and Community Development Status: 6/29/2023-June 28 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author. Position: Oppose Staff: Sarah (1)
SB 624 (Alvarado-Gil) Horse racing: state-designated fairs: allocation of revenues: gross receipts for sales and use tax. Location: Assembly Revenue and Taxation Suspense File Status: 7/10/2023-July 10 set for first hearing. Placed on REV. & TAX. suspense file. July 10 hearing. Held in committee and under submission. Position: Support Staff: Mary-Ann (1)
SB 675 (Limón) Prescribed grazing: local assistance grant program: Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force. Location: Assembly 2 year Status: 9/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(14). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 9/12/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024) Position: Support Staff: Staci (1)
SB 820 (Alvarado-Gil) Cannabis: enforcement: seizure of property. Adapts the same seizure of property provisions currently applicable to unlicensed manufacturing of alcoholic beverages (i.e., moonshining), to cover unlicensed commercial cannabis activities. In addition, SB 820 would invest enforcement proceeds in the Cannabis Control Fund to support equity business. Location: Assembly Desk Status: 1/29/2024-Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0.) Ordered to the Assembly. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. Position: Sponsor Staff: Sarah (1)
SB 945 (Alvarado-Gil) The Wildfire Smoke and Health Outcomes Data Act. SB 945, the Wildfire Smoke and Health Outcomes Data Act, would require the State Department of Public Health, in consultation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, and the State Air Resources Board to create, operate, and maintain a statewide integrated wildfire smoke and health data platform that, among other things, would integrate wildfire smoke and health data from multiple databases. Location: Senate Health Status: 3/11/2024-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH. Position: Support Staff: Staci (1)
SB 952 (Dahle) Personal income taxes: Fire Safe Home Tax Credits Act. SB 952 would offer tax credits to lower income property owners for home retrofits and vegetation management activities in order to mitigate the risks from high severity wildfire events. Location: Senate Revenue and Taxation Status: 2/21/2024-Referred to Com. on REV. & TAX. Position: Support Staff: Staci (1)
SB 960 (Wiener) Transportation: planning: transit priority projects: multimodal. Would require all transportation projects funded or overseen by the Department of Transportation to provide comfortable, convenient, and connected complete streets facilities unless an exemption is documented and approved, as specified. Location: Senate Transportation Status: 2/28/2024-Set for hearing April 9. Position: Watch Staff: Sidd (1)
SB 961 (Wiener) Vehicles: safety equipment. The Department of the California Highway Patrol regulates the safe operation of specified vehicles, including motortrucks of 3 or more axles that are more than 10,000 pounds, truck tractors, trailers, semitrailers, and buses. Current federal law regulates required safety equipment on vehicles, including rear impact guards on certain large trucks to prevent rear underrides in collisions with passenger vehicles. This bill would require certain trucks and trailers to also be equipped with side guards, as specified. Location: Senate Transportation Status: 2/28/2024-Set for hearing April 9. Position: Watch Staff: Sidd (1)
SB 973 (Grove) Williamson Act: cancellation: solar energy projects. The Williamson Act, authorizes a city or county to contract with a landowner to limit the use of agricultural land located in an agricultural preserve designated by the city or county to preserve the land, subject to conditions of the contract, that may include an agreement to a specified valuation of the land for purposes of property taxation. The act authorizes a landowner to petition the city council or board of supervisors, as applicable, for cancellation of the contract under specified circumstances and imposes a cancellation fee equal to 12.5% of the fair market value of the land without the restriction of the contract. This bill would authorize a board or council to grant a petition for cancellation where the land subject to the contract is located in a basin under the jurisdiction of an adjudicated watermaster or the groundwater sustainability agency. The bill would require the landowner to commit to limiting the amount of water rights to a specific solar energy project, as defined, that uses less water than the agricultural use. The bill would also require the board or council to make specified findings, including that the solar energy project use is being permitted that will use less water than the agricultural use. Location: Senate Local Government Status: 2/21/2024-Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and E.Q. Position: Watch Staff: Sidd (1)
SB 1004 (Wilk) Income taxes: exclusions: wildfires. SB 1004, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, would provide an exclusion from gross income for any qualified taxpayer, as defined, for amounts received for costs and losses associated with wildfires. Location: Senate Appropriations Status: 3/14/2024-Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. Position: Support Staff: Staci (1)
SB 1045 (Blakespear) Composting facilities: zoning: air and water permits. Location: Senate Environmental Quality Status: 3/12/2024-Set for hearing April 24. Position: Watch Staff: John (1)
SB 1046 (Laird) Organic waste reduction: program environmental impact report: composting facilities. Location: Senate Environmental Quality Status: 3/5/2024-Set for hearing March 20. Position: Support Staff: John (1)
SB 1064 (Laird) Cannabis. Location: Senate Rules Status: 2/21/2024-Referred to Com. on RLS. Position: Sponsor Staff: Sarah (1)
SB 1066 (Blakespear) Hazardous waste: marine flares: producer responsibility. Location: Senate Environmental Quality Status: 3/8/2024-Set for hearing April 3. Position: Watch Staff: John (1)
SB 1116 (Portantino) Unemployment insurance: trade disputes: eligibility for benefits. Location: Senate L., P.E. & R. Status: 2/21/2024-Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R. Position: Oppose Staff: Sarah (1)
SB 1143 (Allen) Household hazardous waste: producer responsibility. Location: Senate Environmental Quality Status: 3/8/2024-Set for hearing April 3. Position: Watch Staff: John (1)
SB 1159 (Dodd) California Environmental Quality Act: roadside wildfire risk reduction projects. Location: Senate Environmental Quality Status: 3/8/2024-Set for hearing April 3. Position: Watch Staff: John (1)
SB 1175 (Ochoa Bogh) Organic waste: reduction goals: local jurisdictions: waivers. Would require the State Air Resources Board to consider alternatives to census tracts, as provided, when deciding the boundaries of a low-population or elevation waiver and would require low-population waivers to be valid for a period of 10 years. Location: Senate Environmental Quality Status: 3/8/2024-Set for hearing April 3. Position: Support Staff: John (1)
SB 1269 (Padilla) Safety net hospitals. Location: Senate Health Status: 3/12/2024-March 20 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author. Position: Support Staff: Sarah (1)
SB 1280 (Laird) Waste management: propane cylinders: reusable or refillable. Location: Senate Environmental Quality Status: 3/8/2024-Set for hearing April 3. Position: Support Staff: John (1)