Air resources: carbon emissions: biomass.

The bill text was reformatted from a print layout (with page numbers, centered headers, and formal signature blocks) to a web page format that includes site navigation, search functionality, version history dropdown, and share buttons. No words of the operative bill language were added, removed, or changed.

The requirement for the state board's comprehensive strategy on beneficial carbon removal products (biochar and others) was changed from being included in the next scoping plan update under Section 38561 to simply being published on the state board's internet website by January 1, 2029. This removes the strategy from the formal scoping plan process.

Legislative finding (e) was narrowed: 'The growing emissions from wildfires and pile burning of forest and agricultural biomass resources threaten...' was changed to 'The growing emissions from wildfires threaten...' removing pile burning of biomass as a stated threat to climate goals and air quality standards.

In section (c), the term 'prescribed fire' was changed to 'prescribed burn' in the description of how biomass is burned under state-funded forest health projects.

Removed the requirement that CARB vote on a carbon credit or offset protocol for biochar or other carbon removal products by January 1, 2029, and include it in the compliance offset program if deemed appropriate. This was the most concrete market-creation mechanism in the bill.

Changed the January 1, 2028 obligation from 'adopt a method of quantification of life-cycle emissions' to 'publish on its website an assessment of life-cycle emissions.' Adopting a formal method is a stronger regulatory commitment than publishing an assessment.

The scoping plan strategy for beneficial carbon removal products is no longer tied to inclusion in CARB's compliance offset program. The old version required the strategy to support products 'for inclusion in the state board's compliance offset program'; the new version simply requires a strategy to 'support' such products without linking them to the offset market.

The deadline for including the carbon removal strategy in the next scoping plan update moved from January 1, 2028 to January 1, 2029, giving CARB an additional year.

Section 2(b)(3)(A) was changed from requiring ARB to 'assess the suitability of developing a carbon credit or offset protocol' to requiring ARB to 'include in the next scoping plan update, prepared pursuant to Section 38561, a comprehensive strategy to support beneficial carbon removal products.' This integrates the carbon removal product work into the existing 5-year scoping plan process rather than treating it as a separate assessment task.

Section 2(b)(3)(B) was changed from 'The assessment shall, as appropriate, include...' to 'The strategy included in the scoping plan shall, as appropriate, include...' to align with the new scoping plan framework.

Section 2(c) added the phrase 'to the extent feasible' before requiring Cal Fire to mandate biomass disposal components in state-funded forest health projects. This softens what was previously an unconditional requirement into one that allows for practical exceptions.

Section 1(e) now states that wildfire and pile burning emissions threaten California's ability to meet its climate goals 'and reach attainment of federal ambient air quality standards,' broadening the stated policy justification beyond climate targets to include federal air quality compliance.

The legislative digest gained a new introductory paragraph describing the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, ARB's regulatory role, the 40 percent reduction target by 2030, and the scoping plan update requirement, providing additional statutory context for the bill.

Removed the requirement for ARB to develop a historic baseline of greenhouse gas emissions from California's natural fire regime reflecting pre-modern-fire-suppression conditions. The 2027 deadline now covers only the standardized quantification system for direct carbon emissions and decay from fuel reduction activities.

Narrowed the 2028 lifecycle model requirement. Previously ARB had to adopt a method for avoided carbon emissions (CO2, methane, black carbon) from wildfire due to prescribed fire application to forest and agricultural biomass. Now it only needs a method of quantification of life-cycle emissions benefit from alternative uses of forest and agricultural biomass residues.

Changed the 2029 biochar protocol obligation from 'adopt' to 'vote on.' ARB must now hold a vote on whether to adopt a carbon credit or offset protocol for biochar or other carbon removal products, rather than being required to adopt one if the assessment finds it appropriate.

Reframed the biochar protocol scope. Previously tied to 'beneficial carbon-removal products that result from the avoidance of megafires and prescribed fire using existing methodologies.' Now tied to 'beneficial carbon removal products, including but not limited to, biochar that are generated from agricultural or forest waste biomass.'

Removed legislative finding (g) referencing the 2022 Scoping Plan's call for increased forest fuel removal on 2.3 million acres annually and its lack of detailed emissions analysis.

Revised legislative finding (i) to remove specific references to reducing 'prescribed burning and illegal burns' as separate goals, replacing with a simpler statement about reducing negative impacts from catastrophic wildfires and pile burning while allowing necessary prescribed fires.

The 2028 requirement for the state board to quantify life-cycle emissions was changed from measuring 'life-cycle emissions benefits from alternative uses' to simply 'life-cycle emissions from alternative uses.' Removing 'benefits' makes this a neutral measurement task rather than one that presupposes a net positive outcome.

The 2029 deadline action was changed from 'adopt vote on a carbon credit or offset protocol' to just 'vote on a carbon credit or offset protocol.' This removes the obligation for the state board to actually adopt the protocol by that date, requiring only that they hold a vote on whether to include it in the compliance offset program.

References to generic 'biomass' and 'agricultural or forest waste biomass' were replaced with the bill's defined terms 'agricultural biomass resources' and 'forest biomass resources' in the carbon credit protocol assessment section and the SERCD Commission reporting requirement, tightening the connection to the statutory definitions.

The definition of 'forest biomass resources' in Section 39741.6(a)(3) now explicitly excludes trees harvested for the primary purpose of producing energy. This prevents dedicated energy crops from being counted as forest biomass resources eligible for the bill's carbon accounting and offset provisions.

In subsection (b)(3)(A), the phrase 'forest waste biomass' was replaced with 'forest biomass resources' to align with the defined term used elsewhere in the section, eliminating a potential ambiguity about which category of materials is covered by the carbon credit protocol assessment.

The requirement for the state board to develop a carbon credit or offset protocol for biochar by January 1, 2028 was changed to a two-step process: assess suitability by January 1, 2028, and only adopt the protocol by January 1, 2029 if the assessment determines it is appropriate. This removes the original mandate and makes adoption conditional.

The lifecycle emissions analysis requirement was shifted from quantifying emissions 'from wildfire from the application of prescribed fire to forest biomass resources and agricultural biomass resources' to quantifying 'the life-cycle emissions benefit from alternative uses of forest biomass resources and agricultural biomass residues.' This reframes the analysis around benefits of alternative uses rather than emissions from burning.

A new legislative finding was added citing a 2024 report by Governor Newsom's administration ('California's Nature-Based Solutions Climate Targets') that sets acreage targets for beneficial fire and fuel reduction: 1,500,000 acres by 2030, 2,000,000 acres by 2038, and 2,500,000 acres by 2045.

Legislative finding (i) was modified to reference 'catastrophic wildfires' instead of just 'wildfires,' and added 'ecological sustainability' as an additional consideration alongside public health and climate action.

The defined term 'Prescribed fire' was changed to 'Prescribed burning,' still referencing Section 4464 of the Public Resources Code. References to 'agricultural biomass resources' in the lifecycle analysis section were changed to 'agricultural biomass residues.'

The term 'noncombustible methods' in the Energy Commission reporting requirement was changed to 'noncombustion conversion technology methods,' providing a more specific technical description.