CA AB 1227
in committeeWildfire safety: fuels reduction projects.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
Quick answers
Did CA AB 1227 pass?
Not yet. CA AB 1227 is in committee as of 2025-08-29 and has not come to a final vote. Latest recorded action (2025-08-29): In committee: Held under submission.
What is CA AB 1227 about?
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, authorizes the Governor to declare a state of emergency during conditions of disaster or extreme peril to persons or property. Existing law authorizes the Governor, during a state of emergency, to suspend any regulatory statute, or statute prescribing the procedure for conduct of state business, or the orders, rules, or regulations of any state agency, if the Governor determines and declares that strict compliance with any statute, order, rule, or regulation would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the emergency. Under the authority of the California Emergency Services Act, on March 1, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation of a state of emergency that suspends applicable state statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements that fall within the jurisdiction of boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency or the Natural Resources Agency to the extent necessary for expediting critical fuels reduction projects, as provided. The proclamation requires an individual or entity desiring to conduct a critical fuels reduction project to request the secretary of the appropriate agency to make a determination that the proposed project is eligible for the suspension and requires the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency to maintain on their respective internet website a list of all suspensions approved. This bill would, on or before January 31, 2026, require the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency to each report to the Legislature information on the implementation of the above-described proclamation of emergency, as provided. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts from its requirements certain projects. This bill would, until January 1, 2028, exempt from CEQA critical fuels reduction projects conducted in communities located in very high fire hazard severity zones, as provided. The bill would require the lead agency to hold a noticed public meeting to hear and respond to public comments before determining that a project is exempt and would require the lead agency to provide notice of the public meeting on its internet website at least 30 days before the public meeting. The bill would require the lead agency, if it determines that a project is not subject to CEQA and approves or carries out that project, to file a notice of exemption with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and with the clerk of the county in which the project will be located. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a project qualifies for this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Who sponsors CA AB 1227?
Ellis is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1227, joined by 8 cosponsors.
Description
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, authorizes the Governor to declare a state of emergency during conditions of disaster or extreme peril to persons or property. Existing law authorizes the Governor, during a state of emergency, to suspend any regulatory statute, or statute prescribing the procedure for conduct of state business, or the orders, rules, or regulations of any state agency, if the Governor determines and declares that strict compliance with any statute, order, rule, or regulation would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the emergency. Under the authority of the California Emergency Services Act, on March 1, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation of a state of emergency that suspends applicable state statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements that fall within the jurisdiction of boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency or the Natural Resources Agency to the extent necessary for expediting critical fuels reduction projects, as provided. The proclamation requires an individual or entity desiring to conduct a critical fuels reduction project to request the secretary of the appropriate agency to make a determination that the proposed project is eligible for the suspension and requires the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency to maintain on their respective internet website a list of all suspensions approved. This bill would, on or before January 31, 2026, require the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency to each report to the Legislature information on the implementation of the above-described proclamation of emergency, as provided. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts from its requirements certain projects. This bill would, until January 1, 2028, exempt from CEQA critical fuels reduction projects conducted in communities located in very high fire hazard severity zones, as provided. The bill would require the lead agency to hold a noticed public meeting to hear and respond to public comments before determining that a project is exempt and would require the lead agency to provide notice of the public meeting on its internet website at least 30 days before the public meeting. The bill would require the lead agency, if it determines that a project is not subject to CEQA and approves or carries out that project, to file a notice of exemption with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and with the clerk of the county in which the project will be located. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a project qualifies for this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
- Introduced
- 2025-02-21
- Latest action
- 2025-08-29 — In committee: Held under submission.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Ellisauthor
- Alaniscoauthor
- Castillocoauthor
- Daviescoauthor
- DeMaiocoauthor
- Floracoauthor
- Sanchezcoauthor
- Gallagherauthor
- Walliscoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2025-02-21
Introduced. To print.
introduction
2025-02-22
From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
2025-02-24
Read first time.
reading-1
2025-03-10
Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
referral-committee
2025-04-10
Assembly Rule 47.1 invoked. (Ellis).
2025-04-11
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-04-21
Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
referral-committee
2025-04-30
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 28).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2025-05-01
Read second time and amended.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-05-05
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
referral-committee
2025-05-14
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2025-05-23
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-05-27
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-06-04
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 2059.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-06-05
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2025-06-18
Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and N.R. & W.
referral-committee
2025-06-19
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-07-02
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on N.R. & W. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-07-16
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 16).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2025-07-17
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-08-13
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-08-25
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
referral-committee
2025-08-29
In committee: Held under submission.
Versions
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Votes
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-04-28 · pass · 14-0
Member-level votes (14)
- Haney: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Flora: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Connolly: yes
Do pass.
2025-05-23 · pass · 14-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Calderon: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Hart: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Solache: yes
- Ta: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Fong: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Sanchez: other
AB 1227 Ellis Assembly Third Reading
2025-06-04 · pass · 76-0
Member-level votes (79)
- Lackey: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Chen: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Krell: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Ward: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Berman: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Haney: yes
- Addis: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Fong: yes
- Davies: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Flora: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Bains: yes
- Soria: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Ortega: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Hart: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Papan: yes
- Patel: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Solache: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Gallagher: yes
- Ta: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Lee: other
- Boerner: other
- Bauer-Kahan: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources and Water] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2025-07-02 · pass · 8-0
Member-level votes (8)
- Hurtado: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Menjivar: yes
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2025-07-16 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Hurtado: yes
- Laird: yes
- Limón: yes
- Grove: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Stern: yes
- Allen: yes
Placed on suspense file
2025-08-25 · pass · 6-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Grayson: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Wahab: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
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