Forest management: biomass innovation parks: wood products.

Removed the requirement for the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, in coordination with the Department of General Services, to develop a strategy by September 30, 2027 for procuring wood products (including mass timber) in state-funded building construction or reconstruction projects, with a priority on low embodied greenhouse gas emissions.

Removed the requirement for the Strategic Growth Council and the Department of Housing and Community Development to consider incorporating California-produced wood products in housing grant programs, including a preference for products made by California-based companies.

Removed the requirement for the California Building Standards Commission to identify and adopt new measures that incentivize wood products produced in California.

Sections were renumbered from 4820-4828 (with two empty/struck sections) to a contiguous 4820-4825, and the act description now references repeal of only Section 4825 rather than both Sections 4828 and 4825.

The repealer at the top of the bill now targets Section 4825 of the Public Resources Code instead of Section 4828, changing which existing statute is eliminated.

Section 4822(b) no longer requires the agency to 'facilitate a planning process for purposes of identifying parks' as part of developing guidelines. The requirement is simplified to just developing guidelines and soliciting proposals from eligible applicants.

Section 4822(d)(3) changes mobile processing facilities from a 'preference' (guidelines shall include a preference for projects that allow them) to a flat requirement (guidelines shall allow eligible projects to include facilities that use mobile processing technologies).

The final sections of the bill are renumbered: what was Section 4827 (program establishment) is now labeled 4824, and what was Section 4828 (reporting requirement) is now labeled 4825, consistent with the changed repealer.

Finding (2) in Section 1 removes redundant language, eliminating the duplicate mention of 'low-carbon wood products' and standalone 'hydrogen' from the list of carbon-beneficial end uses.

New finding (a)(4) cites 'Enhancing California's Resiliency to Natural Catastrophes' (SB 254, 2025) and the Governor's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan as identifying an in-state bioeconomy as a key strategy to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk by removing hazardous residues and reducing forest treatment costs.

New finding (a)(5) cites approved Jobs First regional plans for the Sierra Nevada, north state, northern San Joaquin Valley, central San Joaquin Valley, and County of Kern as identifying biomass solutions as a strategic priority for pollution reduction, wildfire risk reduction, and workforce development.

New legislative intent statement (b) declares it is the Legislature's intent to incubate and expand a sustainable bioeconomy by establishing one or more biomass innovation parks as centralized hubs, and notes that additional state policies for low-carbon product revenue incentives, offtake opportunities, and secure long-term feedstock supply are needed to address project financing obstacles.

The definition of 'CAL-FIRE' (Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) is removed from Section 4821, and references to CAL-FIRE in Sections 4822 and 4823 are replaced with 'the department' (Department of Food and Agriculture), effectively removing CAL-FIRE from the coordination roles for park identification, planning, and regional wood waste assessments.

Section 4822(d)(3) broadens the mobile processing preference from requiring guidelines to include a preference for projects that 'use mobile processing technologies' to a preference for projects that 'allow eligible projects to include facilities that use mobile processing technologies,' expanding the scope of what qualifies.

Finding (a)(2) reorganizes the list of carbon-beneficial end uses, adding 'clean' before hydrogen and restructuring the enumeration of wood products and clean fuels, though the revised text appears to contain a drafting redundancy.

The definition of 'clean hydrogen' was changed from a cross-reference to Section 25545(b)(6) to a self-contained definition requiring that hydrogen be solely derived from biomass feedstock and/or renewable energy sources covered under the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (Public Utilities Code Article 16). This narrows and clarifies what qualifies as clean hydrogen for purposes of the bill.

Section 4822(b)(3) previously required parks to use 'best available control technologies' in addition to complying with air district regulations. The amended version removes the best available control technologies language, leaving only a requirement to comply with applicable regional air quality management district or air pollution control district regulations to minimize air pollution.

The repeal provision was narrowed from repealing both Section 4827 and Section 4828 of the Public Resources Code to repealing only Section 4828. This means the existing Section 4827 remains in effect rather than being struck and replaced.

The mobile processing technology preference was removed from the enumerated list of required guideline elements in Section 4822(b) (previously item 6), though it is still mandated separately in subdivision (d)(3). This eliminates redundancy rather than removing the preference entirely.

Multiple drafting errors were corrected: duplicate definition letter designations in Section 4821 (e.g., two 'd's, two 'e's) were renumbered sequentially from (a) through (o), and duplicate section numbers (4824, 4825, 4826, 4827 each appearing twice) were consolidated to single entries.

The amendment to Section 91530 of the Public Resources Code, which would have appropriated an unspecified sum from the $50 million bond act allocation to the Natural Resources Agency for the Biomass Innovation Park Grants and Financing Program, is entirely removed. The bill no longer makes an appropriation.

The requirement for the State Air Resources Board to publish a life-cycle emissions assessment of California-sourced wood waste on its website and to ensure wood products are included in any embodied carbon trading system is removed.

A new section requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, in coordination with the Department of General Services, to develop a strategy by September 30, 2027, to support procurement of wood products (including mass timber) for state-funded building construction or reconstruction projects, prioritizing products with low embodied greenhouse gas emissions.

A new subdivision (d)(3) requires the agency's guidelines to include a preference for projects that use mobile processing technologies, elevating this from an evaluation criterion to a guideline requirement.

A deadline of September 30, 2027 is added to Section 4822(a), requiring the agency to identify one or more biomass innovation parks by that date.

A new subparagraph (B) in Section 4822(b)(2) clarifies that the noncombustion technology requirement does not prohibit ancillary systems that support a noncombustion process, including provision of process heat for wood product manufacture.

The definition of 'clean hydrogen' is tightened to specify it must be derived from a 'production facility' (rather than just 'a facility') and must be solely derived from biomass feedstock and/or renewable energy sources covered under the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program.

Throughout the bill, references to 'engineered wood products, including mass timber' were changed to simply 'wood products.' This broadens eligibility significantly - conventional lumber, plywood, and other non-engineered wood materials now qualify alongside mass timber for housing grant preferences, building code incentives, and embodied carbon trading system inclusion.

The California Building Standards Commission requirement was changed from incentivizing 'engineered wood products' to incentivizing 'wood products produced in California,' adding a domestic production qualifier that did not previously exist in that section.

The legislative digest appropriation classification was changed from 'Appropriation: yes' to 'Appropriation: no,' altering how the bill is treated for fiscal and procedural purposes in the Legislature.

A constitutional savings clause ('to the extent consistent with the intent of this division, as approved by the voters') was added to the appropriation language in Section 91530(b), providing a legal safeguard if the appropriation is challenged under the bond act's voter-approved terms.

The chapter was renumbered from sections 4820-4828 (9 sections) to 4820-4827 (8 sections), with the program establishment and legislative reporting provisions consolidated. The corresponding repeal in the bill title changed from Section 4828 to Section 4827.

A duplicate inoperative date provision referencing Government Code Section 10231.5 was removed, leaving only the 'remain in effect until January 1, 2032' sunset language for the reporting section.

The provision designating Bigfoot as the official state cryptid was entirely removed from the bill.

Existing facilities are now allowed to submit proposals to expand into a biomass innovation park to accept additional wood waste, provided the expansion complies with all guideline requirements.

Section 4826 (Building Standards Commission) now limits the incentive measures to engineered wood products 'produced in California' rather than all engineered wood products.

CAL-FIRE (Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) is now a required coordinating agency for park identification, guideline development, planning process facilitation, and regional wood availability assessments.

New evaluation criteria in the park guidelines provide a preference for projects that use mobile processing technologies.

The list of carbon-beneficial products or end uses now includes 'products produced by small-diameter sawmills' and limits carbon dioxide removal to those 'determined to be appropriate by the state board.'

Section 4825 now requires that if California-produced wood products are incorporated in housing grant programs, preference must be given to products made by a California-based company.

New evaluation criteria in the park guidelines provide a preference for projects developed by or in partnership with a California Native American tribe.

Air pollution requirements for park facilities were strengthened to require compliance with applicable air quality district regulations, not just use of best available control technologies.

The condition for including engineered wood products in the embodied carbon trading system now includes the qualifier 'if an embodied trading system is adopted,' making it conditional rather than mandatory.

Multiple new defined terms were added for clarity: CAL-FIRE, California Native American tribe, clean hydrogen (with a specific statutory reference), Commission, Council, Department, District, Office, and State board.

Section 4828(c) was changed from a sunset provision under Government Code Section 10231.5 (inoperative December 31, 2031) to a standard repeal date of January 1, 2032.

The appropriation in Section 91530(b) now includes the language 'to the extent consistent with the intent of this division, as approved by the voters,' adding a voter-intent constraint on fund use.

The term 'California Indian tribes' was changed to 'California Native American tribes' in the eligible applicant definition, and a new defined term referencing Section 21073 was added.

Entirely new Chapter 7 (Sections 4820-4828) added to Part 2.5 of Division 4 of the Public Resources Code, establishing the Biomass Innovation Parks Act and a grants and financing program administered by the Natural Resources Agency.

The bill's title and digest were changed from 'State cryptid' alone to 'State cryptid. Forest management: biomass innovation parks.' The appropriation line changed from 'no' to 'yes' and the fiscal committee line changed from 'no' to 'yes.'

Parks must only process wood waste that originated in California, must only host projects using noncombustion technology to convert wood waste into carbon-beneficial products (engineered wood, biomethane, clean hydrogen, carbon dioxide removal), must use best available control technologies to minimize air pollution, and must establish a community benefits program.

Section 91530 of the Public Resources Code is amended to make $50 million from the 2024 Proposition 4 bond act available for noncombustible forest waste projects, with an unspecified sum appropriated to the Natural Resources Agency for the Biomass Innovation Park Grants and Financing Program.

New definitions added including 'wood waste' (forest or agricultural biomass residues), 'eligible applicant' (state/local agencies, California Indian tribes, NGOs, joint powers authorities, special districts), 'forest biomass residues' (material removed for wildfire mitigation, forest restoration, or public safety protection), and 'agricultural biomass residues' (crop, orchard, vineyard residues excluding dairy manure and energy crops).

Multiple agencies assigned new duties: ARB must publish life-cycle emissions assessments and ensure engineered wood products are included in the embodied carbon trading system; Strategic Growth Council and HCD must consider engineered wood in housing grants; Building Standards Commission must adopt measures incentivizing engineered wood products; agency must develop regional wood availability assessments and a tracking system to trace biomass origins.

Agency must deliver a report to the Legislature by December 31, 2027 on identified parks. The reporting section becomes inoperative on December 31, 2031.

The Bigfoot state cryptid designation was renumbered from Section 1 to a later section (now appearing after all new forestry provisions) but its substance is unchanged.