AB-45 | Boerner Horvath
Coastal resources: coastal development permits: blue carbon demonstration projects: new development: greenhouse gas emissions.

This bill would authorize the [California Coastal Commission] to authorize blue carbon demonstration projects, as defined, in order to demonstrate and quantify the carbon sequestration potential of these projects to help inform the state’s natural and working lands and climate resilience strategies. The bill would, among other things, authorize the commission to require an applicant with a project that impacts coastal wetland, subtidal, intertidal, or marine habitats or ecosystems to build or contribute to a blue carbon demonstration project.

The act requires that new development in the coastal zone comply with specified requirements, including, among other things, requirements intended to minimize energy consumption and vehicle miles traveled, and, where appropriate, protect special communities and neighborhoods that, because of their unique characteristics, are popular visitor destination points for recreational uses.

AB-408 | Wilson
Climate-resilient Farms, Sustainable Healthy Food Access, and Farmworker Protection Bond Act of 2024.

This bill would enact the Climate-resilient Farms, Sustainable Healthy Food Access, and Farmworker Protection Bond Act of 2024, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $3,365,000,000 $3,650,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law, to finance programs related to, among other things, agricultural lands, food and fiber infrastructure, climate resilience, agricultural professionals, including farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers, workforce development and training, air quality, tribes, disadvantaged communities, nutrition, food aid, meat processing facilities, and fishing facilities.

AB-900 | Bennett
Aquifer recharge.

The bill would require the [Department of Water Resources in the Natural Resources Agency] to prepare and produce a report to the Legislature, by July 1, 2024, outlining best practices for aquifer recharge. The bill would require the report to include specified information, including, among other things, guidelines for a streamlined permitting process for aquifer recharge projects that implement the best practices outlined in the report. The bill would also require the department to create a grant program by July 1, 2025, to implement best practices in aquifer recharge, including a streamlined process for the issuance of a permit. grant funds.

AB-1232 | Connolly
Department of Food and Agriculture: resilient and higher-welfare grant program.

This bill would require the [Department of Food and Agriculture] to establish and administer a resilient and higher-welfare grant program to support the implementation of higher standards of care and more climate-smart farming practices by providing education materials, outreach, and incentives to producers and processors seeking to improve farm animal welfare and increase capacity to meet growing demand for higher-welfare and welfare-certified products, to comply with regulatory requirements, and to make necessary climate adaptations. The bill would require the department to conduct outreach and education to producers and processors with regard to the program and to publish an annual a report on or before January 1, 2029, on its internet website summarizing the results of the program.

AB-1407 | Addis
Coastal resources: ocean recovery and restoration: large-scale restoration.

This bill would require the [Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency] on or before December 1, 2024, to establish acreage-based targets to restore kelp forests, eelgrass meadows, and native oyster beds, with the goal of achieving restoration by the year 2050, as provided. The bill would require the council to establish a Kelp Forest and Estuary Restoration and Recovery Framework to achieve the above-described acreage-based targets. The bill would require the framework to contain specified things, including criteria by which an acre a designated area of kelp forests, eelgrass meadows, and native oyster beds can be considered restored. The bill would require the council to establish an interagency working group that coordinates and facilitates large-scale restoration along the coast, as provided. The bill would establish in the State Treasury the Ocean Restoration and Recovery Fund to be administered by the council and consisting of specified moneys. The bill would require the fund to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and carry out large-scale restoration and enhancement projects, as provided. The bill would require the council to publish various items on its internet website and to provide reports to the Legislature, regarding the above provisions, as provided.

AB-1567 | Garcia, Wendy Carrillo, Connolly, Friedman, and Papan
Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, Clean Energy, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2024.

This bill would enact the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, Clean Energy, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2024, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $15,105,000,000 $15,995,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparation, flood protection, extreme heat mitigation, clean energy, and workforce development programs.

SB-23 | Caballero
Water supply and flood risk reduction projects: expedited permitting.

This bill would require a project proponent, if already required to submit a notification to the [Department of Fish and Wildlife], to submit to the department the certified or adopted environmental review document, as applicable, for the activity in the notification. The bill would require the department, under prescribed circumstances, to take certain actions within specified timelines, or within a mutually agreed-to extension of time. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the department to prepare, provide public notice of, make available for public review on its internet website, and submit to the relevant legislative committees, as specified, a report regarding the water supply projects and flood risk reduction projects for which final agreements have been issued pursuant to these provisions. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2029.

This bill would require the state board or regional boards to use specified approved conservation and habitat management plans as watershed plans for purposes of implementing the procedures in issuing a project certification, unless the state board or regional boards issuing a project certification determine in writing plans, as specified, unless the permitting authority makes a determination in writing, based on substantial evidence in the record, that an approved plan does not substantially meet the definition of a watershed plan, as defined. The bill would place requirements on the state board and regional boards regarding its determination on what is considered a watershed plan, including making a proposed written determination, and providing for public comment and a written response on that proposed determination. The bill would require, by January 1, 2025, the state board to review and take action on general water quality certifications for general nationwide permits issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers under specified federal law within the state for discharge of dredge and fill material in connection with water supply projects and flood risk reduction projects. The bill would require the state board and regional boards, as part of their implementation of the “State Wetland Definition and Procedures for Discharges of Dredged or Fill Material to Waters of the State,” to address the impacts of dredge and fill activities from water supply and flood risk projects. The bill would require, on January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the state board and regional boards to prepare, provide public notice of, make available for public review on its internet website, and submit to the relevant legislative committees, as specified, a report regarding specified information related to water supply projects and flood risk reduction projects.

This bill would require, if an applicant requests a preapplication consultation, the state board or regional boards to adhere to specified procedures and timelines in reviewing the application before issuing project certification. The bill would authorize a project proponent to petition the state board to reconsider its determination of application completeness, or to appeal to the state board any regional board’s determination of application completeness.

SB-436 | Dodd
Wildfire safety: The California Wildfire Mitigation Strategic Planning Act.

This bill would require the [Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety], on or before April 1, 2025, and every 3 years thereafter, to prepare a Wildfire Risk Baseline and Forecast for the state, as provided. The bill would require the forecast to accomplish certain things, including establishing key risk metrics for wildfire risk for the state as a whole, by county, and by geographic location.

This bill would require the [Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety], on or before January 1, 2025, and every 3 years thereafter, to prepare a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework sufficient to quantitatively evaluate wildfire risk mitigation actions, as provided. The bill would require the framework to allow for geospatial evaluation and comparison of wildfire risk mitigation actions, as defined, sufficient to direct coordinated mitigation efforts and long-term collaborative mitigation planning. The bill would require the office to, each year the framework is completed, submit a copy of the framework to the Legislature, the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, and the Public Utilities Commission for review and consideration.

The bill would require the office, on or before August 1, 2025, to prepare a Wildfire Mitigation Scenarios Report, to be updated annually. The bill would require the report to contain specified information, including identification of a reasonable range of possible scenarios for overall wildfire risk mitigation spending, as provided.

The bill would require the office to apply the report and the framework, described above, when evaluating a wildfire mitigation plan of an electrical corporation in order to ensure maximum feasible consistency and coordination between the wildfire mitigation plan and activities undertaken by other parties that reduce wildfire risk and consequence. The bill would authorize the office, among other things, to direct an electrical utility to take wildfire risk mitigation actions in accordance with the framework.

SB-638 | Eggman and Niello
Climate Resiliency and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2024.

This bill would enact the Climate Resiliency and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2024 which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law, for flood protection and climate resiliency projects.

SB-675 | Limón
Prescribed grazing: local assistance grant program: Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program: Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force.

This bill would expand the definition of fire prevention activities to include prescribed grazing, defined as the lawful application of grazing by a specific kind of livestock at a determined season, duration, and intensity to accomplish defined vegetation or conservation goals, including reducing the risk of wildfire by reducing fuel loads, controlling undesirable or invasive plants, and promoting biodiversity and habitat for special status species. The bill would expand allowable public education outreach activities to include training on community-supported prescribed grazing. The bill would also indefinitely extend the director’s authority to issue advanced payments and authorize these payments to cover the cost of supplies or infrastructure, including, but not limited to, fencing and watering improvements for prescribed grazing, as provided. The bill would also require the department, in consultation with the advisory committee, to increase opportunities and outreach for projects on state and private land that include prescribed grazing in the local assistance grant program.

SB-737 | Hurtado
Groundwater: recharge.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to capture floodwater to recharge groundwater basins and to require the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board to work together to expedite the regulatory steps necessary to store significant rainfall and excess water underground, while still ensuring protections for the environment and other water users as required by state law.

SB-755 | Becker
Energy efficiency and building decarbonization programs.

This bill, the California’s Layered Energy Applications for Residents (CLEAR) Act of 2023, would require the [State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission] to develop and make publicly available an internet website for energy efficiency and building decarbonization programs administered by the Energy Commission, a federal or local governmental agency, or a nonprofit organization agencies, and nonprofit organizations that are available in the state for residential buildings and residential electricity customers, as specified. The bill would require the Energy Commission to enable customer application for the included programs through the internet website. The bill would prohibit including energy efficiency and building decarbonization programs established or administered by the Public Utilities Commission on the internet website, but would authorize the Energy Commission to provide a link to programs that cannot be included.