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Measure

AB 734

Authors

Schultz
Coauthors: Caloza

Subject

Environmental protection: biological resources data: State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission: powerplants: power lines: applications.

Relating To

relating to environmental protection.

Title

An act to add Sections 25544 and 25545.17 to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental protection.

Last Action Dt

2025-09-05

State

Enrolled

Status

Vetoed

Active?

Vote Required

Majority

Appropriation

Fiscal Committee

Yes

Local Program

Substantive Changes

None

Urgency

Tax Levy

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Bill

Actions

2025-10-01		Vetoed by Governor.
2025-10-01		Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-09-09		Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-03		Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 31. Noes 9. Page 2449.).
2025-09-03		In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
2025-08-29		Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29		From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).
2025-08-18		In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-09		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-01		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on N.R. & W. (Ayes 14. Noes 2.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
2025-06-11		Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and N.R. & W.
2025-06-03		In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02		Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 61. Noes 15. Page 1849.)
2025-05-27		Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23		From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 23).
2025-05-14		In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2025-04-30		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-30		Coauthors revised.
2025-04-22		Re-referred to Com. on W. P., & W.
2025-04-21		From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W. P., & W. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-28		Referred to Com. on W. P., & W.
2025-02-19		From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.
2025-02-18		Read first time. To print.

Keywords

Tags

Versions

Enrolled		2025-09-05
Amended Assembly		2025-04-21
Introduced		2025-02-18

Last Version Text

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		<ns0:Title>An act to add Sections 25544 and 25545.17 to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental protection. </ns0:Title>
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			<html:p>Existing law vests the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission with the power to certify locations on which an electrical transmission line or thermal powerplant is constructed, or is proposed to be constructed, except as provided. Existing law authorizes the commission to exempt from certification a thermal powerplant with a generating capacity of up to 100 megawatts, and modifications to existing generating facilities that do not add capacity in excess of 100 megawatts if the commission finds that no substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources will result from the construction or operation of the proposed facility or from the modifications. </html:p>
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			<html:p>Existing law, until June 30, 2029, authorizes a person proposing an eligible facility, including a solar photovoltaic or terrestrial wind electrical generating
		powerplant with a generating capacity of 50 megawatts or more, to submit an application with the commission for certification of the site and related facility. </html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would apply the same public availability requirements described above to biological resources data submitted to the commission as part of an application for certification of an eligible facility.</html:p>
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								(a)
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								For the purposes of this section, “biological resources data” means information pertaining to species and their habitats, including, but not limited to, observations, surveys, scientific studies, species needs, and habitat conditions, and including maps on a scale of one inch equals 500 feet.
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								Notwithstanding any other law, any biological resources data submitted to the commission as part of an application for certification pursuant to this chapter, or exemption from this chapter pursuant to Section 25541, shall be made available to the public on the commission’s docket as part of a certification proceeding unless the Department of Fish and Wildlife makes a written determination that the data to be made public includes location data
				  derived from the California Natural Diversity Database, the disclosure of which would pose a significant risk to individuals of the species. If the Department of Fish and Wildlife makes that determination, it shall include in the written determination an assessment of the maximum amount of data from the California Natural Diversity Database that can be released without posing a significant risk to the species. The Department of Fish and Wildlife shall provide its written determination to the commission, and the commission shall make the data available to the public on its docket in accordance with the determination. 
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								For the purposes of this section, “biological resources data” means information pertaining to species and their habitats, including, but not limited to, observations, surveys, scientific studies, species needs, and habitat conditions, and including maps on a scale of one inch equals 500 feet.
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								(b)
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								Notwithstanding any other law, any biological resources data submitted to the commission as part of an application for certification pursuant to this chapter shall be made available to the public on the commission’s docket as part of a certification proceeding unless the Department of Fish and Wildlife makes a written determination that the data to be made public includes location data derived from the California Natural Diversity Database, the
				  disclosure of which would pose a significant risk to individuals of the species. If the Department of Fish and Wildlife makes that determination, it shall include in the written determination an assessment of the maximum amount of data from the California Natural Diversity Database that can be released without posing a significant risk to the species. The Department of Fish and Wildlife shall provide its written determination to the commission, and the commission shall make the data available to the public on its docket in accordance with the determination.
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Last Version Text Digest

Existing law vests the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission with the power to certify locations on which an electrical transmission line or thermal powerplant is constructed, or is proposed to be constructed, except as provided. Existing law authorizes the commission to exempt from certification a thermal powerplant with a generating capacity of up to 100 megawatts, and modifications to existing generating facilities that do not add capacity in excess of 100 megawatts if the commission finds that no substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources will result from the construction or operation of the proposed facility or from the modifications. This bill would require any biological resources data submitted to the commission in an application for certification or small powerplant exemption pursuant to the above-described provisions to be made publicly available on the commission’s docket as part of the certification proceeding unless the Department of Fish and Wildlife makes a written determination that the data to be made public includes specified location data, the disclosure of which would pose a significant risk to individuals of the species. The bill would require the department, if it makes that determination, to include in the written determination an assessment of the maximum amount of the specified data that can be released without posing a risk to the species. The bill would require the department to provide its written determination to the commission and would require the commission to make the data, in accordance with the determination, available to the public on the commission’s docket. Existing law, until June 30, 2029, authorizes a person proposing an eligible facility, including a solar photovoltaic or terrestrial wind electrical generating powerplant with a generating capacity of 50 megawatts or more, to submit an application with the commission for certification of the site and related facility. This bill would apply the same public availability requirements described above to biological resources data submitted to the commission as part of an application for certification of an eligible facility.