Assembly committee advances ‘polluters pay’ climate super fund bill after hours of testimony

The Assembly Natural Resources Committee on May 20 advanced AB 12 43, the “Polluters Pay Climate Super Fund Act of 2025,” after several hours of testimony from environmental, labor and business representatives.

Assemblymember Addis, the bill’s author, told the committee the measure would require CalEPA to identify fossil‑fuel companies responsible for at least a billion metric tons of greenhouse‑gas emissions between 1990 and 2024, conduct a state climate‑cost study and assess fees on the largest polluters. “AB 12 43 is an equitable policy that ensures polluters contribute alongside taxpayers to cover the costs of climate damages,” Addis said.

Supporters said funds would be invested in resilience projects — energy upgrades, school hardening, infill housing and local emergency response — and prioritized for disadvantaged communities. “This bill requires the relatively small number of the largest multinational fossil‑fuel corporations … to pay a small portion of those profits to invest in our communities, businesses and workers,” said Maya Golden Krasner, deputy director and senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute. Mabel Tsai, political director for the California Environmental Justice Alliance, told the committee the bill dedicates at least 40% of funds to communities most affected by fossil‑fuel pollution.

Opponents — including representatives of the state building and construction trades and the California Chamber of Commerce — argued the measure could accelerate refinery closures, raise fuel and consumer prices, and cost jobs. “When confronted by…