AB 1757 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Energy: nuclear facilities.

Summary

Existing law prohibits the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission from certifying a nuclear fission thermal powerplant, except for specified powerplants, and provides that a nuclear fission thermal powerplant, except specified powerplants, is not a permitted land use in California unless certain conditions are met regarding the existence of technology for the construction and operation of nuclear fuel rod processing plants and of demonstrated technology or means for the disposal of high-level nuclear waste, as specified. This bill would exempt a nuclear microreactor, as defined, from those provisions.

Issues: ✗ Energy

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 9, 2026 Last action Apr 6, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/16/26 - Amended Assembly → AB1757 · 3 edits

MINOR

The changes between the Amended Assembly version and the final bill text are primarily technical: Section 25524.2 was restructured with renumbered subdivisions, and several drafting errors (duplicate words like 'no a,' 'but excepting except,' 'prior to before') were cleaned up. The substantive policy - exempting nuclear microreactors from California's nuclear powerplant certification restrictions - is unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Section 25524.2 was reorganized: the definition of 'technology or means for disposal of high-level nuclear waste' moved from subdivision (c) to (b), commission processing requirements moved from (d) to (c), and the microreactor exemption moved to (d). The main prohibition and legislative disaffirmance process were consolidated under subdivision (a) with sub-paragraphs (1) and (2).

Multiple drafting errors were corrected in Section 25524.2: removed duplicate words such as 'no a nuclear fission thermal powerplant' (now just 'a nuclear fission thermal powerplant'), 'but excepting except those exempted herein' (now 'except those exempted herein'), 'prior to before the adjournment' (now 'before the adjournment'), and 'Nothing in this section requires This section does not require' (now 'This section does not require').

Cross-references within Section 25524.2 were updated to match the new subdivision numbering, changing references from 'subdivision (a)' to 'paragraph (1)' in several places.

02/09/26 - Introduced → 03/16/26 - Amended Assembly · 7 edits · Mar 16, 2026

MODERATE

AB 1757 was amended to add an exemption for nuclear microreactors from California's nuclear powerplant certification and land-use restrictions in both Public Resources Code Sections 25524.1 and 25524.2. A nuclear microreactor is defined as a reactor with 20 megawatts or less of rated electrical output per unit, designed for modular factory construction, highly portable with little or no onsite construction, and licensed or eligible for licensing by the NRC or authorized by DOE or DoD. The bill also now amends Section 25524.2 (previously only 25524.1) and makes various nonsubstantive corrections to existing language.

SCOPE

Added a new exemption in Section 25524.1(d) that excludes nuclear microreactors from the section's requirements regarding fuel rod reprocessing technology and legislative disaffirmance procedures.

Added a new Section 2 (amending Public Resources Code Section 25524.2) that includes the same nuclear microreactor exemption, referencing the definition in Section 25524.1. This section governs the requirement for demonstrated technology or means for disposal of high-level nuclear waste.

The bill now amends both Sections 25524.1 and 25524.2 of the Public Resources Code, whereas the introduced version only amended Section 25524.1.

DEFINITION

Defined 'nuclear microreactor' as a nuclear fission reactor with all of the following: rated electrical output of 20 megawatts or less per unit, designed for modular construction and deployment, fully factory-assembled and highly portable requiring little or no onsite construction, and licensed or eligible for licensing by the NRC or authorized by DOE or DoD.

TECHNICAL

Removed the word 'no' before 'a nuclear fission thermal powerplant' in both sections, fixing a grammatical error that made the prohibition read as a double negative.

Changed 'prior to' to 'before' in the provision requiring commission findings to be submitted at least six calendar months before the Legislature adjourns sine die.

FISCAL

Fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating a fiscal impact analysis is now required for the bill.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, first hearing. Failed passage. Reconsideration granted.

lower

Mar 17, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Introduced

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

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Committee

Referred to Coms. on NAT. RES. and U. & E.

lower

Feb 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 12.

lower

1 primary · 5 co-sponsors