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 Appropriations; recorded 5–0 on call. - SB 643 (Caballero). Carbon dioxide removal purchase pilot ($50M): moved as amended to Appropriations (recorded 4–0 on call). - SB 299 (Cabaldon). Narrowing ministerial changes tied to general-plan conforming zoning: moved as amended to Appropriations; recorded 4–1 on call. - SB 486 (Cabaldon). Require UC/CSU enrollment projections be shared with regional planning: moved as amended to Appropriations; recorded 6–0 on call. - SB 567 (Limon). Pilot permitting for gravity storage in idle wells: moved as amended to Appropriations; recorded 6–0 on call. - SB 646 (Weber Pearson). Prenatal vitamins: testing and public disclosure requirement — moved as amended to Appropriations; recorded 6–0 on call. - SB 754 (Durazo). Disposable menstrual product contaminant disclosure pilot: moved as amended to Appropriations; recorded 6–0 on call. - SB 755 (Blake Spear). Contractor climate transparency for state contractors: the committee attempted a roll call earlier that was left on call (2–2) and discussion continued; the item remained pending on call at the time the committee completed its roll-calls for the other measures.

What was emphasized in testimony - SB 31 proponents said California must expand allowable uses of Title 22 nonpotable recycled water (outdoor irrigation, parks, golf courses, etc.) to meet statewide recycling goals and drought resilience. Water agencies, sanitation associations and local utilities testified in support. - SB 30 generated extended testimony from environmental groups and transit advocates. Supporters argued that the state must avoid exporting high‑polluting Tier 0 locomotives for continued use overseas; transit and rail associations warned the committee about operational constraints, fleet useful‑life rules and potential unintended effects on local service and maintenance equipment. Committee amendments focused the bill on transfers by public entities and added certification, public‑meeting, and modification/mitigation requirements for transfers of higher‑tier engines. - SB 298 supporters described port competitiveness risks if fuels/infrastructure are not available for new alternative‑fuel ships and urged early port planning to capture investment. Industry groups including major shipping and port operators testified in support. - SB 643 sponsors described CDR (direct air capture, biomass removal, enhanced mineralization, marine storage) as necessary to meet California’s 2030–2045 targets and proposed a $50 million state purchase/retirement program to accelerate California-based projects; labor and environmental groups and emerging CDR firms testified in support while environmental justice advisories and others pressed for community benefit plans and safeguards. - SB 299 sponsors and local government groups said the bill removes redundant procedural delays when a general plan amendment already sets the implementing zoning, while opponents (environmental justice groups, planning advocates) urged caution that zoning ordinances often add substance beyond land‑use designations and that community protections must remain. - On product safety measures (SB 754 and SB 646), public-health witnesses and medical societies urged disclosure and testing of unintentional contaminants in menstrual and prenatal products; manufacturers and trade groups urged calibrated approaches to avoid discouraging use of needed products, to avoid misleading publication of raw lab results, and to leverage existing FDA and state device oversight. - SB 567 (gravity storage in idle wells) attracted support for pairing well reuse with plugging and remediation, but groundwater managers and water districts urged limits on pilot locations and strong safeguards to protect drinking water basins.

Committee disposition and next steps Majority of the bills were advanced to the Appropriations Committee with the committee recommending “Aye” on the measures listed above. Several bills were the subject of negotiated committee amendments the author accepted on the floor, and committee staff and authors said they would continue stakeholder engagement before the next house votes or final amendments are filed.

Why this matters California’s Environmental Quality committee session bundled measures that reflect three ongoing state priorities: managing scarce water resources (recycling, groundwater), reducing air pollution and greenhouse gases (diesel phaseouts, port fuels, carbon removal, contractor disclosures), and expanding consumer/product safety transparency. Several bills are structured to create pilot programs or directed purchases intended to jump‑start emerging markets while requiring safeguards and community benefit requirements.

Votes at a glance — selected outcomes (See above ‘Votes at a glance’). Several items were left on call or recorded as ‘on call’ during the committee’s roll calls; authors said they would proceed when the committee reconvened for final dispositions.