Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to biennially adopt an integrated energy policy report, as specified, and to make the reports accessible to state, local, and federal entities and to the general public. This bill would require the Energy Commission to establish a process for the owner of a data center, as defined, to submit the power usage effectiveness ratio, as defined, for the data center to the Energy Commission on a biannual basis, and require the owner of a data center to submit this information for the data center in the manner and timeframe specified by the Energy Commission. The bill would require the Energy Commission, as part of the 2027 edition of the integrated energy policy report, to include an assessment of electrical load trends for data centers, as provided. Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law authorizes the PUC to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. This bill would require the PUC to assess the extent to which electrical corporation costs associated with new loads from data centers result in cost shifts to other electrical corporation customers, as provided, and require the PUC, on or before January 1, 2027, to submit the assessment to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature and to publicly post a copy of the assessment on the PUC's internet website. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
Existing law requires the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) , for any project on the state highway system in a connectivity area that adds a traffic lane or that has the potential to significantly impair wildlife connectivity, to perform an assessment, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) , to identify potential wildlife connectivity barriers and any needs for improved permeability, as specified. Existing law requires the implementing agency to remediate barriers to wildlife connectivity in conjunction with the project if any structural barrier to wildlife connectivity exists or will be added by the project for target species in the connectivity area, as provided. Existing law authorizes Caltrans to use compensatory mitigation credits to satisfy this requirement if DFW concurs with the use of those credits. This bill would require a lead agency to incorporate appropriate wildlife passage features into a transportation infrastructure project in a connectivity area, as specified. By requiring a lead agency to expand the scope of its transportation project, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would exempt a project on the state highway system from this requirement if Caltrans is the lead agency. The bill would authorize a lead agency to use compensatory mitigation credits to satisfy this requirement, as specified. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The California Endangered Species Act prohibits the taking of an endangered, threatened, or candidate species, except as specified. Under the act, the Department of Fish and Wildlife (department) may authorize the take of listed species by certain entities through permits or memorandums of understanding for specified purposes. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Existing law requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the State Fire Marshal, as provided. This bill would authorize a city, county, city and county, special district, or other local agency to submit to the department a wildfire preparedness plan to conduct wildfire preparedness activities on land designated as a fire hazard severity zone, as defined, that minimizes impacts to wildlife and habitat for candidate, threatened, and endangered species. The bill would require the wildfire preparedness plan to include, among other things, a brief description of the planned wildfire preparedness activities, the approximate dates for the activities, and a description of the candidate, endangered, and threatened species within the plan area. The bill would require the department to impose a fee on a local agency for the cost of reviewing a wildfire preparedness plan submitted by that local agency, as specified. The bill would require the department, if sufficient information is included in the wildfire preparedness plan for the department to determine if an incidental take permit is required, to notify the local agency within 90 days of receipt of the wildfire preparedness plan if an incidental take permit or other state permit is needed, or if there are other considerations, exemptions, or streamlined pathways that the wildfire preparedness activities qualify for, including, but not limited to, the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection's California Vegetation Treatment Program. The bill would require the department to provide the local agency, in its notification, with guidance that includes, among other things, a description of the candidate, endangered, and threatened species within the plan area and measures to avoid, minimize, and fully mitigate the take of the candidate, threatened, and endangered species, as provided. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2026, to make a standard wildfire preparedness plan submission form publicly available on its internet website. The bill also would require the department, commencing January 1, 2027, to annually post on its internet website a summary of the wildfire preparedness plans submitted and include specified information in that summary.
Senate Resolution 50 designates October 8, 2025, as "California Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day" to recognize the state's leadership in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The resolution highlights California's advancements in clean energy, environmental sustainability, and innovation in these fields, including applications in transportation, power generation, and industrial decarbonization. It does not create new laws or regulations but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of the state's role in advancing clean hydrogen solutions.
(1) Existing law requires facilities that generate, treat, or store hazardous waste to obtain a permit or other authorization from the Department of Toxic Substances Control or a unified program agency. Existing law specifies that a hazardous waste facilities permit or other grant of authorization is not required for the treatment of laboratory hazardous waste generated onsite if, among other things, the laboratory hazardous waste is treated in containers using specified procedures and quantities for treatment of laboratory waste, as provided. This bill would specify the priority of those specified procedures. If those specified procedures do not exist, the bill would authorize the use of the manufacturer's written procedures if they are not in conflict with applicable rules or regulations. Existing law requires generators of hazardous waste to provide various notifications and certifications regarding compliance to the department, and to other specified entities, in person, or by certified mail, as provided. This bill would additionally authorize those notifications and certifications to be made into the statewide information management system. (2) Existing law provides for the regulation of underground storage tanks by the State Water Resources Control Board and defines "underground storage tank" for those purposes. Existing law excludes certain tanks from the definition of "underground storage tank," including, but not limited to, a tank holding hydraulic fluid for a closed loop mechanical system that uses compressed air or hydraulic fluid to operate lifts, elevators, and other similar devices. This bill would instead exclude from that definition a tank holding hydraulic fluid or dielectric fluid for a closed loop mechanical system that uses compressed air, hydraulic fluid, or dielectric fluid to operate lifts, to operate elevators, to act as an electric cooling or insulation system, and other similar devices.
The Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, authorizes a mattress recycling organization to be established by a qualified industry association to develop, implement, and administer a used mattress recycling program in the state. The act requires the organization to develop and submit to the department for approval a plan, including an annual budget to implement the plan, for the recovery and recycling of used mattresses. The act requires the plan to include, among other things, providing outreach efforts and education to consumers, manufacturers, and retailers, for the purpose of promoting the recycling of used mattresses and options available to consumers for the free dropoff or collection of used mattresses. The act requires the organization to set the state mattress recycling charge, which is added to the purchase price of a mattress, at an amount sufficient to fund the program. The act requires the charge to be clearly visible on the invoice, receipt, or functionally equivalent document by the seller to the consumer as a separate line item. This bill would authorize the distributor, retailer, or seller to pay the applicable charge to the mattress recycling organization on behalf of the consumer or ultimate end user if the distributor, retailer, or seller enters into a written agreement with a mattress recycling organization to pay the charge directly to the mattress recycling organization, as provided. The bill would make a distributor, retailer, or seller responsible for educating the consumer or the ultimate end user of the mattress in the state on the recycling of used mattresses and options available to consumers for the free dropoff or collection of used mattresses.
This measure would, among other things, recognize the serious and urgent threat maladaptation poses to the success and cost effectiveness of the state's climate resilience actions.
This measure would call on the President of the United States to honor his promise to save American lives and communities through forest management and wildfire risk reduction projects, would request that he veto any legislation that defunds the United States Forest Service and work with Congress to protect and improve these programs, and would call for related congressional action.
This measure would recognize the importance of access to local parks, trails, open space, and facilities for the health, wellness, development, inspiration, and safety of all Californians and would declare the month of July 2025 as "Parks Make Life Better!®" Month.
This measure would urge the President of the United States and the Congress of the United States to immediately restore full funding for Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program projects.
