Senator presses bill to bar imports from countries with human‑rights or environmental abuses, seeks end‑to‑end emissions accounting

Senator Grove introduced SB 13, a measure that would require the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and other state agencies to report on the environmental and human‑rights consequences of importing foreign crude oil and would ask the Legislature to consider prohibitions on imports from countries with demonstrated human‑rights or environmental violations.

Grove told the committee California imports a substantial share of its crude supply and argued that foreign production in some countries has been associated with rainforest destruction, weak environmental standards and documented human‑rights abuses. "We've placed California's energy security into the hands of countries that actively are hostile to Californian's values," the author said, and described concerns about tanker emissions and the use of bunker fuel over long shipping routes. He asked for reporting on the full lifecycle emissions from point of origin to point of destination rather than the limited coastal accounting presently used.

Several oil‑industry and producer representatives supported the bill's goal of more transparent accounting and said they would like to show how domestic production can meet demand responsibly. Sean Wallentine of the California Independent Petroleum Association said California producers could supply more crude if permitted to do so and asked for an honest look at the full environmental and economic costs of imports.

Committee discussion focused on whether the bill would create new reporting redundancy or a new bureaucracy. Senator Stern and others urged coordination with existing programs and data sources (for example, existing CARB reporting and low‑carbon fuel standards), and suggested the author work to avoid duplicative or costly new reporting regimes. Senator Grove accepted amendments to narrow or clarify reporting roles.

The committee accepted amendments that shifted some responsibilities to CARB and removed some prescriptive elements, and the measure advanced. Recorded committee action: passed as amended to the Appropriations Committee; transcript shows the committee ultimately advanced the amended measure with recorded tallies in the committee record.