Important Dates:
- April 10 – 21 – Spring Recess
- April 24 – Region 9 Infrastructure Symposium (Long Beach)
- May 2 – Last day for policy committees to hear and report to fiscal committees on fiscal bills introduced in their house
- June 4 – ASCE/APWA Legislative Day (Sacramento)
- June 6 – Last day for each house to pass bills introduced in that house
- June 15 – Budget bill must be passed by midnight
- July 18 – Last day for policy committees to meet and report bills. Summer Recess begins upon adjournment of session provided Budget Bill has been passed
Legislation
APM/DB/CMaR
AB 533 Flora, R Current law allows specific health care districts, like the Sonoma Valley and Last Frontier Health Care Districts, to use a design-build approach for constructing hospital-related facilities. This bill proposes allowing any health care district to use this design-build process. (Based on 02/11/2025 text) 03/26/2025 – Assembly APPR.
SB 272 Becker, D SB 272 authorizes the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) to enter into job order contracts (JOCs). Requires JOCs to be subject to the project labor agreement (PLA) between SamTrans and the San Mateo Building Trades Council or an amendment or extension of that agreement. (Based on 03/18/2025 text) 04/01/2025 – Assembly DESK
Bonds
AB 939 Schultz, D Would enact the Safe, Sustainable, Traffic-Reducing Transportation Bond Act of 2026 which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $20,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance transit and passenger rail improvements, local streets and roads and active transportation projects, zero-emission vehicle investments, transportation freight infrastructure improvements, and grade separations and other critical safety improvements. The bill would provide for the submission of the bond act to the voters at the November 3, 2026, statewide general election. (1) Six billion dollars ($6,000,000,000) for transit capital improvements. (2) Four billion dollars ($4,000,000,000) for intercity, regional, and commuter passenger rail improvements. (3) Three billion five hundred million dollars ($3,500,000,000) for local street and road maintenance, safety, rehabilitation, and active transportation projects, including micromobility and station area improvements. (4) Three billion dollars ($3,000,000,000) for zero-emission vehicle investments, including rolling stock, battery electric technology vehicles, and hydrogen technology vehicles. (5) Two billion five hundred million dollars ($2,500,000,000) for transportation freight infrastructure improvements, including airport, border, ports, railyards, and trucking depots. (6) One billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) for grade separations and other critical safety improvements. (Based on 02/19/2025 text) 03/10/2025 – Assembly TRANS.
SB 90 Seyarto, R This bill adds new eligible projects under the $10 billion Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act, allowing grants for public evacuation route improvements, mobile rigid dip tanks and prepositioned mobile rigid water storage, enhancements to fire engine and helicopter response capabilities, and backup electrical generators. (Based on 03/12/2025 text) 03/11/2025 – Senate N.R. & W.
Business Issues
AB 339 Ortega, D Like AB 2557 from 2024, which failed, this bill may violate Article XXII of the Constitution regarding architecture and engineering (AE) services. It would require public agencies to notify employee bargaining organizations before contracting for various services, including AE, currently performed by agency employees. (Based on 01/28/2025 text) 03/19/2025 – Assembly APPR.
CEQA
AB 66 Tangipa, R This bill, effective until January 1, 2032, exempts egress route projects meant to improve emergency access and evacuation in subdivisions lacking secondary routes from CEQA, provided the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection recommends this and certain conditions are met. (Based on 02/24/2025 text) 03/24/2025 – Assembly APPR.
AB 295 Macedo, R This bill, which ends in 2034, extends the Environmental Leadership Act of 2021 to include water-related projects like water storage, conveyance, and recharge that offer public benefits and help in drought preparedness. The bill requires lead agencies to document proceedings for these projects, adding a state-mandated local program. (Based on 01/23/2025 text) 02/10/2025 – Assembly NAT. RES.
AB 404 Sanchez, R Until January 1, 2028, prescribed fire management and related activities on federal lands were exempt from CEQA if they helped reduce wildfire risks and had been reviewed following the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. When such projects are deemed exempt, the lead agency must file and post a notice of exemption. This bill seeks to make this exemption and associated requirements permanent. (Based on 02/04/2025 text) 02/18/2025 – Assembly NAT. RES.
AB 609 Wicks, D This bill would exempt qualifying housing development projects from CEQA requirements, with the condition that local governments mandate the completion of a phase I environmental assessment by the development proponent. This process requires the lead agency to ascertain if a project qualifies for exemption. (Based on 03/24/2025 text) 03/24/2025 – Assembly NAT. RES.
AB 623 Dixon, R This bill exempts fuel modification projects, which create defensible space around structures, from CEQA requirements. Agencies must assess project eligibility for this exemption, leading to state-mandated local programming. The California Coastal Act requires development in the coastal zone to procure a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission or local authorities, although certain emergency actions are exempt. The bill seeks to extend these exemptions to include fuel modification projects for defensible space and projects aimed at wildfire prevention. (Based on 03/17/2025 text) 03/03/2025 – Assembly NAT. RES.
AB 941 Zbur, D AB 941 proposes that the Public Utilities Commission must certify the environmental impact report for priority electrical infrastructure projects within 270 days after acknowledging a complete application unless specified otherwise. Applicants must identify and justify priority projects in their applications. The commission’s staff should review applications within 30 days, notify applicants of any deficiencies, and require corrections or explanations within 60 days. A complete application should be accompanied by a preliminary ruling defining the project’s scope and schedule. (Based on 02/19/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Assembly NAT. RES.
AB 975 Gallagher, R Current law prescribes various requirements for lake and streambed alteration agreements. This bill would exempt from these provisions emergency projects undertaken, carried out, or approved by a state or local government agency to maintain, repair, restore, or reconstruct a bridge 30 feet long or less or reconstruct a culvert 70 feet long or less, that has been damaged as a result of fire, flood, storm, earthquake, land subsidence, gradual earth movement, or landslide, within one year of the damage. (Based on 03/18/2025 text) 03/10/2025 – Assembly NAT. RES.
AB 1456 Bryan, D This bill exempts public agency-led vegetation fuel management projects from CEQA. It requires a lead agency to file a notice of exemption if a project fits this category. (Based on 02/21/2025 text) 03/13/2025 – Assembly NAT. RES.
SB 71 Wiener, D This bill removes the January 1, 2030 sunset on existing CEQA exemptions for various transportation plans and projects. Retains a January 1, 2032, sunset for transportation projects using near-zero emission, natural gas, or low-NOx technology. Expands the existing exemption to include changes to plans redesigning transit networks and for projects for microtransit, paratransit, shuttles, and ferries (Based on 03/25/2025 text) 03/19/2025 – Senate TRANS.
SB 73 Cervantes, D This bill would expand CEQA exemptions to projects with very low vehicle travel and mandate they follow specific planning guidelines, including development on previously used or qualified vacant sites. It also changes rules for exemptions related to agricultural employee housing, affordable housing, and infill residential projects, potentially allowing these within state conservancy boundaries and adjusting project size and location criteria. (Based on 01/15/2025 text) 01/29/2025 – Senate E.Q.
SB 231 Seyarto, R SB-231 would require the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to create a new appendix in the CEQA guidelines to establish best practices for lead agencies to follow when determining if a proposed project will significantly affect the environment. (Based on 03/20/2025 text) 03/19/2025 – Senate APPR.
SB 232 Seyarto, R SB-232 will study the effects of a lock-in period for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) regulations at issuance of the Notice of Preparation (NOP) to promote project efficiency while preserving environmental diligence. Supported by LHC. (Based on 03/20/2025 text) 03/19/2025 – Senate APPR.
SB 252 Valladares, R This bill proposes to exempt projects that involve undergrounding powerlines from CEQA requirements. This exemption task requires a lead agency to assess eligibility, thus creating a state-mandated local program. (Based on 02/03/2025 text) 02/14/2025 – Senate E.Q.
SB 375 Grove, R The bill allows local agencies to submit wildfire preparedness plans to manage fire hazard severity zones, ensuring minimal impact on wildlife. Plans must detail activities, timelines, and species in the area. The Department must respond within 90 days with guidance or permit needs. By July 2026, a standard plan form will be available, and from January 2027, summaries of submitted plans will be posted online. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) mandates environmental impact reports for potentially harmful projects, unless a negative declaration is justified. The California Coastal Act requires permits for projects in coastal zones. This bill exempts fuel reduction projects in fire hazard zones from CEQA and coastal permit requirements, but local agencies must determine eligibility for these exemptions. (Based on 02/13/2025 text) 02/26/2025 – Senate N.R. & W.
SB 607 Wiener, D Senate Bill 607 makes several targeted refinements that refocus the scope of environmental analysis required by CEQA to the known issues that are truly environmentally harmful. It proposes restricting environmental reports to conditions that disqualify projects from categorical exemption while ensuring only relevant aspects of ineligible infill projects undergo CEQA review. This bill exempts certain projects, like distribution centers or oil and gas infrastructures, requires mapping of urban infill sites by 2026, and refines exemptions for such projects. It also specifies that certain internal communications be excluded from the record of proceedings unless critical. If legal actions against improper exemptions succeed, further reviews will focus solely on the disqualifying facts. (Based on 03/24/2025 text) 03/05/2025 – Senate E.Q.
Codes
AB 253 Ward, D Allows an applicant for specified residential building permits to contract with or employ a private professional provider to check plans and specifications if the county or city building department estimates a timeframe for this plan-checking function that exceeds 30 days, or does not complete this plan-checking function within 30 days. (Based on 03/13/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate RLS.
AB 306 Schultz, D It proposes a moratorium on the adoption or modification of new state and local building standards affecting residential units from June 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, with limited exceptions. (Based on 03/12/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate RLS.
Construction Practices
AB 289 Haney, D This bill introduces the Safe Highway Work Zone Account in the State Transportation Fund to collect such revenues for program administration. The bill maintains the $25 filing fee for appeal processes related to violations. (Based on 03/24/2025 text) 02/10/2025 – Assembly TRANS.
AB 978 Hoover, R AB 978 (Hoover) would require a local agency with jurisdiction over a street or highway to allow for the use of recycled materials when paving streets and highways. The bill would specifically allow for using up to 25% recycled asphalt pavement in road projects, which is the current Caltrans specification allowance. AB 978 also removes a sunset date tied to a previous statute created by AB 2953 (Salas, 2022). (Based on 04/01/2025 text) 03/10/2025 – Assembly TRANS.
GHG
SB 348 Hurtado, D SB 348 directs the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to revisit and revise the recent Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) updates to reduce the financial burden on California consumers. (Based on 03/20/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate E.Q.
Groundwater
AB 293 Bennett, D This bill would require each groundwater sustainability agency to publish its board of directors’ membership on its website or the local agency’s website, as provided. The bill would also require each groundwater sustainability agency to publish a link on its website or its local agency’s website to the location on the Fair Political Practices Commission’s website where the statements of economic interests, filed by the agency’s board members and executives, can be viewed. (Based on 01/22/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate RLS.
AB 1466 Hart, D Makes changes to the comprehensive groundwater adjudication statute to set a higher burden of proof for certain challenges and ensure the court has technical information regarding groundwater pumpers that use less than five acre-feet (AF) of water annually or that are not a party to the comprehensive groundwater adjudication. (Based on 04/01/2025 text) 03/17/2025 – Assembly W.,P. & W.
SB 838 Durazo, D This bill requires that a lead agency review groundwater sustainability plans, management plans, or alternatives in accordance with specific groundwater management laws. (Based on 03/26/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate HOUSING
Housing
SB 79 Wiener, D Current law prescribes requirements for the disposal of surplus land by a local agency. Existing law defines “surplus land” for these purposes to mean land owned in fee simple by any local agency for which the local agency’s governing body takes formal action declaring that the land is surplus and is not necessary for the agency’s use. Current law defines “agency’s use” for these purposes to include land that is being used for agency work or operations, as provided. Current law exempts from this definition of “agency’s use” certain commercial or industrial uses, except that in the case of a local agency that is a district, except a local agency whose primary purpose or mission is to supply the public with a transportation system, “agency’s use” may include commercial or industrial uses or activities, as specified. This bill would additionally include land leased to support public transit operations in the definition of “agency’s use,” as described above. (Based on 03/05/2025 text) 03/12/2025 – Senate HOUSING
Infrastructure
AB 417 Carrillo, D This bill updates existing law, allowing enhanced infrastructure financing districts to finance projects aimed at broader community economic recovery. It modifies the process for public financing authorities, which must hold meetings and conduct annual reviews of infrastructure financing plans. This allows amendments to be approved by majority votes with proper notice. This bill also facilitates the participation of additional taxing entities in these districts’ financing plans and clarifies the requirements for adopting an annual report after the fiscal year ends. (Based on 03/27/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate RLS.
SB 21 Durazo, D The Housing Crisis Act of 2019 set restrictions on housing development projects in affected cities or counties, particularly those involving the demolition of protected housing units. According to the law, any new housing development must replace all demolished protected units and match the highest number of residential units that existed on the site in the last five years. SB 21 proposes that for certain single-room occupancy buildings, the number of replacement units can be reduced if the project aims to convert these into affordable rental units while meeting specific criteria. (Based on 03/26/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate L. GOV.
SB 74 Seyarto, R SB-74 will establish the Infrastructure Gap Fund, which, upon appropriation by the Legislature, provides grants of up to 20 percent of necessary remaining funding to cities and local agencies for critically delayed and vital infrastructure projects— including but not limited to roads, schools, and broadband— throughout California (Based on 03/24/2025 text) 04/03/2025 – Senate APPR.
SB 833 McNerney, D This bill mandates state agencies, defined as operators overseeing critical infrastructure with artificial intelligence (AI) systems, to implement human oversight for real-time monitoring and pre-execution approval of AI actions. Additionally, the Department of Technology must provide specialized AI safety and risk management training for oversight personnel. Agencies must also conduct annual assessments of their AI systems, submitting a summary of their findings to the department. (Based on 03/26/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate G.O.
Licensure
AB 1341 Hoover, R Adds prohibitions on unlicensed practice of architecture, engineering and land surveying to Contractors State License Law (Based on 03/24/2025 text) 03/24/2025 – Assembly B.&P.
Public Works
AB 963 Petrie-Norris, D Requires owners and developers undertaking any public works project to make specified records available to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), multi-employer Taft-Hartley trust funds, and to joint labor-management committees (JLMCs). Supported by unions, opposed by developers and contractors. (Based on 02/20/2025 text) 03/10/2025 – Assembly L. & E.
AB 1198 Haney, D Requires contractors to pay the new prevailing wage whenever DIR changes them. (Based on 02/21/2025 text) 04/03/2025 – Assembly APPR.
SB 469 Smallwood-Cuevas, D Would require the Department of Industrial Relations to establish the California Public Infrastructure Task Force, composed of representatives of specified agencies to promote employment in public infrastructure projects for underrepresented communities and to provide compliance assistance to contractors and subcontractors in public infrastructure projects regarding their nondiscrimination obligations, as specified. (Based on 02/19/2025 text) 02/26/2025 – Senate L., P.E. & R.
Transportation
AB 830 Rogers, D This bill proposes that public utility districts be exempt from that requirement, making the Department of Transportation responsible for any relocation or removal expenses if highway improvements require changes to the public utility district’s encroachments. (Based on 02/19/2025 text) 03/10/2025 – Assembly TRANS.
AB 902 Schultz, D The Connected Communities Act is intended to improve California wildlife and climate resilience by requiring metropolitan planning organizations and regional transportation planning agencies to consider and minimize impacts to wildlife movement and habitat connectivity through their regional planning processes (Based on 02/19/2025 text) 03/17/2025 – Assembly TRANS.
SB 63 Wiener, D This bill proposes the establishment of the Transportation Revenue Measure District covering Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco, governed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). It allows a tax to be levied within this district for 10 to 15 years, subject to voter approval in 2026, to fund public transit. Proceeds are allocated to various transit projects and organizations like Caltrain and BART, with remaining funds distributed to the counties for public transport. (Based on 03/25/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate TRANS.
SB 78 Seyarto, R SB-78 will task Caltrans with publishing a study that identifies the top 15 locations in the state highway system with the highest rate of vehicle collisions, projects that could improve safety at the identified sites, and any common factors contributing to the delay in the delivery of these projects on or before January 1, 2027. (Based on 04/02/2025 text) 01/29/2025 – Senate TRANS.
Water
AB 93 Papan, D Establishes requirements for business licenses, cities and counties, state agencies, and urban water suppliers to report water use by data centers and require data centers to use water efficiently. (Based on 03/24/2025 text) 03/24/2025 – Assembly W.,P. & W.
AB 532 Ransom, D AB 532 clarifies the statutory authority for urban retail water suppliers to run low-income water rate assistance programs within their communities and establishes the California Low Income Household Water Rate Assistance Program. (Based on 04/01/2025 text) 03/03/2025 – Assembly E.S. & T.M.
AB 638 Rodriguez, Celeste, D AB 638 requires the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to develop guidance for using captured urban stormwater to encourage and enhance climate resilience. The SWRCB must establish statewide guidelines so existing stormwater infrastructure and future projects can provide vital non-potable water for the irrigation of public spaces. (Based on 03/19/2025 text) 03/26/2025 – Assembly APPR.
SB 31 McNerney, D SB 31 is intended to help CA close the gap in its water needs by making it easier to use recycled water in outdoor irrigation at homes, businesses, parks, and golf courses. (Based on 03/26/2025 text) 03/25/2025 – Senate E.Q.
SB 72 Caballero, D SB 72 modernizes the California Water Plan to reflect California’s new climate reality and establish long-term water supply targets that, when met, will ensure sufficient, high-quality water for urban, environmental and agricultural needs across the state. (Based on 03/18/2025 text) 01/29/2025 – Senate N.R. & W.
SB 224 Hurtado, D This bill requires DWR to adopt a water supply forecasting model incorporating climate change impacts by January 1, 2027. It should also document its operational plans and reasoning for water reservoir releases. The department must establish criteria for the model’s predictive capabilities and publish these online. Starting January 1, 2028, it must report annually to the Legislature and publish reports on the progress of the new model and the rationale behind its operations for the previous year. (Based on 03/26/2025 text) 03/25/2025 – Senate APPR.
SB 697 Laird, D This bill gives the State Water Resources Control Board flexibility in the manner used to investigate a stream system, rather than requiring the Board to conduct a detailed field investigation, and, when conducting these investigations, authorizes the Board to issue an information order to any person or entity that diverts or uses water or claims a water right. (Based on 02/21/2025 text) 03/25/2025 – Senate JUD.
Water Quality
SB 454 McNerney, D This bill creates the PFAS Mitigation Fund in the State Treasury and authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to use the fund to cover or reduce the costs associated with treating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and wastewater. (Based on 03/24/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate APPR.
SB 601 Allen, D This bill requires dischargers to demonstrate enrollment in state or federal discharge permits when applying for local permits; maintains stringency in drinking water and water quality standards; defines “nexus waters” and enacts the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act for “nexus waters”; expands enforcement authority for the State Water Board and enacts citizen enforcement for “nexus waters”. (Based on 02/20/2025 text) 04/02/2025 – Senate JUD.
Workforce development
ACR 19 Macedo, R Would commemorate February 20, 2025, as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. (Based on 03/18/2025 text) 03/18/2025 – Assembly CHAPTERED
ACR 28 Ortega, D Would proclaim the week of March 2, 2025, to March 8, 2025, inclusive, as Women in Construction Week. (Based on 04/04/2025 text) 04/03/2025 – Assembly ENROLLMENT
ACR 29 Irwin, D Would recognize the week of February 16, 2025, to February 22, 2025, as Engineers Week. (Based on 03/18/2025 text) 03/18/2025 – Assembly CHAPTERED
Appointments
By Governor
Do not require Senate confirmation.
As chief deputy director of the High-Speed Rail Authority, Mark Tollefson, Rancho Cordova, Democrat, has been undersecretary at the State Transportation Agency since 2022. Salary: $275,004.
As chief of contract administration, High-Speed Rail Authority: Emily Morrison, Roseville, no party preference, construction branch chief at the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs since 2024. Salary: $210,000.
By Senate Rules
As North Central Coast Region local government representative, Coastal Commission: Ariel Kelley, Healdsburg, Healdsburg city councilmember since 2020; Dennis Rodoni (alternate for Kelley), Olema, Marin County supervisor since 2016. Salary: “$100 per meeting and $12.50 per hour in preparation for each meeting not to exceed 8 hours per meeting, and actual and necessary expenses.”
Reports of Interest
Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform released a report on “permitting challenges and reform opportunities across housing, electricity, water and transportation,” finds projects across these sectors “face permitting processes that are time-consuming, opaque, confusing, and favor process over outcomes,” noting that the state “is facing a housing crisis and a climate crisis” and “falling woefully short of its housing production goals, producing less than 115,000 total homes in 2023 (36% of the target), 17,831 of which were affordable (just 6% of the target);” recommendations include to “focus environmental review on aspects of the project that are potentially harmful to the environment,” noting that the state’s Environmental Quality Act “has proven highly susceptible to being leveraged to prevent development of projects for nonenvironmental reasons, such as dislike of development by those living near the proposed project, desire to lock in labor agreements by labor unions, desire for community benefits by community groups, and as a way for businesses to hurt their competitors.”
Public Policy Institute of California released, “Implementing Climate-Smart Conservation: Law and Institutions,” finds that “beyond salmon, the state still lacks conservation plans for freshwater species and the ecosystems on which they depend,” recommends integrating “climate-smart conservation into all facets of ecosystem and biodiversity planning,” which includes the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, with the Dept. of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board, developing “climate-smart conservation policies for native freshwater species.”
US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases, “Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization in California,” finds that “in 2024, the broadest measure of labor underutilization, designated U-6 (which includes the unemployed, workers employed part-time for economic reasons, and those marginally attached to the labor force), was 10.1 percent in California, significantly higher than the 7.5-percent rate for the nation;” also finds that California had 1,013,600 unemployed residents in 2024, and another 740,600 “were employed part time for economic reasons (also known as involuntary part time).”
Public Policy Institute of California releases “Headwaters and Wildfire in California,” findings include that about two-thirds of the state’s surface water supply originates in the Sierra-Cascades and North Coast Mountains and of all of the land around headwater regions in California about 50% is owned by federal government and 50% is privately owned; while headwater regions in the Sierra-Cascades and North Coast consist of mainly conifer forest ecosystems, the headwater regions in the Southern California Mountains are mostly shrubland; recommendations include that while forest thinning and prescribed burns in the Sierra-Cascades and North Coast are effective management tools, they are less effective in shrubland areas and instead “agencies and private parties should work to reduce ignitions (particularly powerline ignitions); carefully plan future development; create gaps in vegetation to control fires (fuel breaks); and harden and create defensible space around homes.”
Public Policy Institute of California releases, “The Colorado River,” finds that for the past 25 years, Colorado River water use by states along its route “has exceeded the river’s annual supply by an average of 1 million acre-feet per year” creating “water shortages” and shrinking the Salton Sea, a saline lake in Riverside and Imperial Counties fed primarily by Colorado River water, which causes “increasing salinity” in the lake and exposes the lakebed, which has “caused fish kills, bird deaths, air pollution, and other risks to human health.” Notes that states are “finding ways to share a shrinking river” with “improvements in irrigation efficiencies, the lining of earthen canals and water transfers.”