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Assembly Unanimously Passes AB 35 to Fast-Track Proposition 4 Projects
Summary
AB 35, authored by Assemblymember Alvarez and described as a measure to expedite projects funded under Proposition 4 (including wildfire and water projects), passed on the floor with a recorded tally of Ayes 66, No 0; sponsors said it could shave 9–18 months off implementation delays.
Assemblymember Alvarez urged colleagues to concur with AB 35, saying the bill "honors the promise we made to voters when they passed Proposition 4" and creates a narrow exemption to certain administrative procedures to reduce implementation delays by an estimated 9 to 18 months for eligible projects.
Supporters, including principal coauthor Assemblymember Hadwick, emphasized wildfire prevention, hazardous-fuel removal and other environmental priorities that would benefit from faster deployment of funds; Assemblymember Alan Nees and members of the Problem Solvers Caucus framed the bill as bipartisan and necessary to speed projects while inflation raises costs.
After debate, the clerk recorded the vote: Ayes 66, No 0. Amendments were concurred in and the bill passed with an urgency clause so it can take effect immediately. Supporters said the change would allow earlier use of voter-approved funds for wildfire mitigation, water projects and other environmental work.
The debate focused on accelerating voter-approved funds and the practical tradeoff of narrowing some procedural review to get projects moving more quickly; the bill was presented and approved under the Assembly's concurrence procedures.
