AB 1266 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Air districts: administrative rulemaking: standardized regulatory impact analysis.

Summary

Existing law vests the regional air pollution control districts and regional air quality management districts with regulatory jurisdiction related to the control of air pollution from nonvehicular sources. Existing law requires state agencies, in adopting, amending, or repealing a major regulation, as defined, to prepare a standardized regulatory impact analysis, as provided. This bill would require certain air districts with jurisdiction over a geographic area with a certain population size, in adopting, amending, or repealing major regulations, to prepare the standardized regulatory impact analysis, as specified. Because the bill would impose additional duties on the regional air pollution control districts and regional air quality management districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

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What changed between versions

02/21/25 - Introduced → 03/28/25 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Mar 28, 2025

MODERATE

AB 1266 was substantially expanded from a minor technical fix to the definition of 'major regulation' in the Administrative Procedure Act into a bill that also requires large air quality districts to prepare standardized regulatory impact analyses for major regulations (those with economic impacts exceeding $50 million). The amendment adds legislative findings, a new Health and Safety Code section, and state mandate reimbursement provisions. This matters because it extends transparency and public input requirements from state agencies to the largest local air regulators in California.

Scope change

Expanded from a purely technical correction to the Administrative Procedure Act into a substantive policy change extending standardized regulatory impact analysis requirements to large local air quality districts, with a population-based threshold limiting applicability to the largest districts.

SCOPE

Added Section 40007 to the Health and Safety Code requiring certain air districts to comply with the standardized regulatory impact analysis process (Government Code Section 11346.3) when adopting, amending, or repealing major regulations with economic impacts exceeding $50 million.

ELIGIBILITY

The new requirement only applies to air districts with jurisdiction over a geographic area with a population of over five million people or one-eighth of the state's population, whichever is greater. This targets the largest air districts such as South Coast AQMD and Bay Area AQMD.

REQUIREMENT

Air districts are exempt from two requirements that apply to state agencies: they do not have to submit their standardized regulatory impact analysis to the Department of Finance for review, and DOF is not required to review it. If a district does not submit, or if DOF does not review within 30 days of submission, the district makes a finding of compliance.

FISCAL

Added a state mandate reimbursement provision (Section 3) stating no reimbursement is required because local agencies can levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to cover the mandated program costs. If the Commission on State Mandates finds other mandated costs, reimbursement would be required under existing law.

DEFINITION

Added legislative findings and declarations (Section 1) stating that early public input on economic effects of major regulations improves rulemaking, and expressing intent to extend the $50 million threshold standardized analysis process to large air districts regulating areas with the state's largest employment bases.

TECHNICAL

The original nonsubstantive fix to Government Code Section 11342.548 (changing 'any a proposed adoption' to 'a proposed adoption') is retained but renumbered as Section 4 of the amended bill.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

Apr 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Referred to Coms. on NAT. RES. and E.D., G., & H.I.

lower

Feb 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. To print.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors