Senate Environmental Quality advances a bundle of bills on water recycling, diesel locomotives, ports, carbon removal, product transparency and more

The Senate Committee on Environmental Quality met in Room 113 of the State Capitol and heard testimony on a broad set of climate, air quality, and consumer-safety measures before advancing most of them to the Appropriations Committee for further review.

The committee considered bills on expanding the use of recycled water (SB 31), restrictions and public‑meeting requirements for transfers of the oldest diesel locomotives (SB 30), creating a seaport plan for alternative fuels (SB 298), a $50 million pilot to buy and retire carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits (SB 643), clarifying local zoning/ministerial processes tied to general plan amendments (SB 299), as well as measures on contractor climate disclosures (SB 755), product transparency for menstrual and prenatal products (SB 754 and SB 646), and a pilot for converting idle oil wells into gravity energy storage (SB 567).

Votes at a glance (committee action) - SB 31 (McNerney). Recycled water: moved as amended to Appropriations (committee recommendation). Vote recorded on the floor call: 5–0 on call. - SB 30 (Cortese). Prohibits public entities from selling/donating Tier 0 & 1 locomotives and limits transfers of Tier 2 engines absent demonstrated air quality benefit; moved as amended to Appropriations (committee recommendation). Vote (on call) recorded as 3–0 on call (left on call earlier, moved later to Approps). - SR 36 (Cortese). Resolution reaffirming California commitment to Paris Agreement: moved as amended to Appropriations; recorded on-call tally shown as 3–2 on call earlier. - SB 298 (Caballero). Seaport alternative fuels infrastructure plan: moved as amended to…