New California Environmental Legislation

With the upcoming General Election this November, the 2024 California Legislative Session was recently adjourned with several environmental policies awaiting the Governor’s approval. 

The California Legislature is a bicameral legislature composed of the California State Senate and the California State Assembly, with both houses consisting of elected officials representing different districts across the state. The California Legislature meets in two-year sessions that roughly coincide with biennial elections. The 2023-2024 California Legislative Session first began in December 2022 and ended in August 2024. The 2024 session convened on January 3 and adjourned on August 31 with September 30 being the last day that the Governor can sign or veto bills. 

Through the legislative process once a bill has passed both houses of the Legislature and has been approved by the Governor, the new law is chaptered by the Secretary of State and becomes a part of the California Codes, which are “a comprehensive collection of laws grouped by subject matter”.

After the adjournment of the 2024 legislative session, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed several environmental bills into law. California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber then chaptered several new laws into the California Codes, including the following. 

California Senate Bill 1147: “Drinking water: microplastics level”

This bill will require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to study the health effects of microplastics in drinking and bottled water. The OEHHA would evaluate toxicity characteristics and levels of microplastics in water that are not anticipated to cause or contribute to adverse health effects. This bill also mandates biennial updates and reports on OEHHA’s website which will enhance public transparency regarding the safety of drinking water. 

After recent research emerged demonstrating the significant presence of microplastics in drinking water, this legislation’s focus on microplastics may stimulate further research and innovation in water treatment technologies. Overall, this new law aims to ensure that drinking water remains safe for public consumption while aligning with broader efforts to address plastic pollution. 

California Senate Bill 1221: “Gas corporations: ceasing service: priority neighborhood decarbonization zones” 

This bill will require each gas corporation to submit a map containing certain information, including the location of all potential gas distribution line replacement projects, to the California Public Utilities Commision. A gas redistribution line replacement project involves the excavation and removal of old natural gas pipelines within a community and their replacement with new modern pipelines. These replacement projects are typically done to improve safety, reliability, and reduce potential leaks due to corrosion. This bill will require the Public Utilities Commission to designate priority neighborhood decarbonization zones considering the concentration of gas distribution line replacement projects identified in the maps. A priority neighborhood decarbonization zone is a geographic area that’s been identified for transitioning to decarbonized energy sources and electric appliances with the goal of moving away from the gas system and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore not only certain neighborhoods of California will benefit from this decarbonization process, but the California community as well since this process will aid the state in reaching its greenhouse emissions goals. Overall, this new law will modernize gas infrastructure while promoting safety and decarbonization as it aligns with broader environmental goals. 

California Assembly Bill 2632: “Planning and zoning: thrift retail stores”

This bill will prohibit a local agency from treating a thrift retail store differently from a nonthrift retail store for the purposes of zoning, development standards, or permitting. A local agency is defined to be “a city, including a charter city, county, or a city and a county.” This prohibition ensures that thrift stores will be treated equitably by the city. Thrift stores are substantial community resources as they provide affordable goods, enhance job opportunities, and promote sustainability efforts through reuse and recycling. This bill will also prohibit a local agency from prohibiting a thrift retail store from receiving used/donated items for sale in the store or reuse and recycling. A thrift store’s ability to accept donations not only reduces waste but makes the thrift store experience more accessible for shoppers. This bill would allow a local agency to impose certain aesthetic or design standards on thrift retail stores. This imposition would provide a balanced approach as communities are given the ability to maintain their desired visual identity while supporting thrift stores. Overall this new law aims to promote thrift retail stores growth and support sustainable initiatives. 

California Assembly Bill 1284: “Tribal ancestral lands and waters: cogovernance and comanagement agreements” 

This bill will authorize the Natural Resources Agency to enter into co-governance and co-management agreements with federally recognized tribes for the purposes of shared responsibility, decision making, and partnership in resource management and conservation within a tribe’s ancestral lands and waters. This new law will empower tribal sovereignty as it recognizes the rights of Indigenous tribes to manage their ancestral lands and waters. This would also improve resource management as combining the expertise of both state agencies and tribal knowledge can lead to more effective resource management and conservation strategies. With traditional ecological knowledge being taken into account, this collaborative decision-making can help preserve Indigenous cultural practices and traditions which will foster a deeper connection to the land for current and future generations. Overall, this new law has the potential to establish a new model of resource management that respects Indigenous rights and enhances environmental stewardship. 

California Assembly Bill 1880: “Conservation element: wildlife and habitat connectivity”

This bill will expand on the existing Planning and Zoning law to require its conservation element to consider the effect of development on the movement of wildlife habitat and connectivity. This consideration of the effect of development would include identifying and analyzing connectivity areas, permeability, and natural landscape areas as well as existing or planned wildlife passage features. Wildlife passage features, also known as wildlife crossings or connectivity areas, are human-made structures that allow animals to move between habitats and ecosystems while crossing roads and other barriers safely. Examples of these connectivity areas include underpasses and overpasses. Overall, this new law would align urban development with ecological principles while promoting sustainable development and wildlife conservation. 

California Assembly Bill 2684: “Safety element: extreme heat”

This bill will require a city or county, when updating their general plan, to review and update its safety element as necessary to address the hazard of extreme heat. A general plan is a policy document that outlines a city’s long-term development vision and direction. Extreme heat is defined as “increasing temperatures or other meteorological conditions that could result in…extreme heat wave, heat health event, heat watch or warning from the National Weather service, or a proclamation of a state of emergency by the Governor […].” Due to climate change, the hazard of extreme heat has significantly intensified across the globe, and California is experiencing more frequent and severe heat waves each year. With this hazard now being addressed in city and county general plans, communities will be much better equipped to handle these extreme weather events. Overall, this new law enhances public safety and emergency preparedness while fostering climate resilience across the state. 

These laws are only a handful of the new legislation chaptered after this legislative session. Check out LegiScan: Bringing People to the Process to find more recently approved legislation.