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Committee roundup: bills advanced to Appropriations include groundwater, parks accessibility, wildlife, energy and infrastructure measures
Summary
The Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife advanced a package of bills to Appropriations covering groundwater exemptions, park accessibility, wildlife management, energy permitting transparency, marine carbon research and the SR 37 interim project.
The Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife advanced multiple bills to the Appropriations Committee in a marathon session that featured long hearings and wide stakeholder turnout.
Key actions taken by the committee included:
- AB 929 (Connolly): Advanced to Appropriations as amended. Temporarily exempts historical groundwater amounts that support managed wetlands and small community water systems from SGMA pumping reductions and fees; requires GSAs to analyze and report impacts on those uses; includes a three-year sunset in amendments.
- AB 430 (Alaniz): Advanced to Appropriations. Would require the State Water Resources Control Board to conduct and publicly release economic and environmental impact analyses when emergency curtailment regulations extend over multiple years; proponents said it increases transparency for agricultural water users.
- AB 1225 (Bennett) — Accessibility for State Parks: Advanced to Appropriations. Establishes a state parks accessibility advisory committee so individuals with disabilities can advise the Department of Parks and Recreation; the committee accepted the author’s amendments.
- AB 697 (Gallagher): Advanced to Appropriations. Authorizes CESA incidental-take permitting processes for an interim SR 37 project to enable phased construction and tidal restoration while sponsors continue tribal consultation; environmental and tribal groups urged caution.
- AB 550 (Petrie-Norris): Advanced as amended. Allows DFW to accept application for incidental-take permits for species that are petitioned but not yet listed, with provisions to encourage research; conservation groups asked for clearer standards.
- AB 1038 (Hardwick): Advanced as amended. Expands CDFW authority to authorize certain aversive-hazing methods and clarifies the department’s discretion; the bill drew intense opposition from animal-welfare and conservation groups.
- AB 1056 (Bennett): Advanced as amended. Phases out transferability of set gillnet permits, allowing a one-time family transfer after 2027; proponents framed it as a gradual reform to reduce bycatch and prevent expansion of the fishery; fishing associations urged commission-led management instead of legislative action.
- AB 1086 (Alanis): Advanced as amended. Creates a marine carbon initiative to permit controlled field testing and research into marine carbon dioxide removal technologies and to gather data to inform future deployment decisions.
- AB 734 (Schultz): Advanced as amended. Restores public access to detailed biological resource maps at a larger scale for California Energy Commission permitting reviews to enable more meaningful public comment on project siting and impacts.
Several bills passed by the committee drew sustained debate with members urging ongoing negotiations with affected tribes, resource agencies and stakeholders. Most bills were advanced with committee amendments and direction for continued consultation. Items now go to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where fiscal analyses and potential amendments are expected.
Ending: Committee members emphasized the need for continued stakeholder engagement as measures advance toward floor consideration.
