CA AB 2234
enactedCalifornia Environmental Quality Act: geothermal exploratory projects.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 2234 pass?
Yes. CA AB 2234 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-30): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 927, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 2234 about?
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 the lead agency 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. Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation. Existing law requires the division to be the lead agency for all geothermal exploratory projects for purposes of CEQA, except as provided. Existing law defines "geothermal exploratory project," for purposes of CEQA, in part as a project composed of not more than 6 wells and associated drilling and testing equipment whose chief and original purpose is to evaluate the presence and characteristics of geothermal resources. Existing law requires wells included within a geothermal exploratory project to be located at least 12 mile from geothermal development wells that are capable of producing geothermal resources in commercial quantities. This bill would expressly include, as part of a geothermal exploratory project, equipment and activities necessary to establish interconnectivity between wells and reservoirs, as provided. The bill would specify that the above-described 12 mile limit is measured from all points along the wellhead location and well course, including the bottom of the well, as provided.
Who sponsors CA AB 2234?
Papan is the primary sponsor of CA AB 2234.
Description
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 the lead agency 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. Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation. Existing law requires the division to be the lead agency for all geothermal exploratory projects for purposes of CEQA, except as provided. Existing law defines "geothermal exploratory project," for purposes of CEQA, in part as a project composed of not more than 6 wells and associated drilling and testing equipment whose chief and original purpose is to evaluate the presence and characteristics of geothermal resources. Existing law requires wells included within a geothermal exploratory project to be located at least 12 mile from geothermal development wells that are capable of producing geothermal resources in commercial quantities. This bill would expressly include, as part of a geothermal exploratory project, equipment and activities necessary to establish interconnectivity between wells and reservoirs, as provided. The bill would specify that the above-described 12 mile limit is measured from all points along the wellhead location and well course, including the bottom of the well, as provided.
- Introduced
- 2026-06-15
- Latest action
- 2026-09-30 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 927, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Papanauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-30
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 927, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-30
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-09-15
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-31
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling.
2026-08-31
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-31
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 6967.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-30
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-30
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-08-28
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-27
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-26
From special consent calendar
2026-08-26
Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-3
2026-08-25
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2026-08-17
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-13
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-08-13
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage
2026-08-03
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-07-06
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-07-06
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-24
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on N.R. & W. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-06-15
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
2026-06-10
Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and N.R. & W.
referral-committee
2026-05-28
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-05-27
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-27
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 5455.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-18
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-05-14
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-04-22
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-04-07
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 6). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-03-09
Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
referral-committee
2026-02-20
From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
2026-02-19
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
- 02/19/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-19Compare
- 06/15/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-06-15Compare
- 07/06/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-07-06Compare
- 08/13/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-08-13Compare
- 08/27/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-08-27Compare
- 09/04/26 - Enrolled — 2026-09-04Compare
- 09/30/26 - Chaptered — 2026-09-30Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
- AB2234Compare
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Votes
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-04-06 · pass · 14-0
Member-level votes (14)
- Connolly: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Haney: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Boerner: yes
Do pass.
2026-05-14 · pass · 15-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Dixon: yes
- Krell: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Ta: yes
- Fong: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Solache: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Mark González: yes
AB 2234 Papan Assembly Third Reading
2026-05-27 · pass · 79-0
Member-level votes (80)
- Davies: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Addis: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Lee: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Patel: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Solache: yes
- Gallagher: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Papan: yes
- Fong: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Bains: yes
- Chen: yes
- Soria: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Hart: yes
- Ward: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Ta: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Flora: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Berman: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Haney: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Krell: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources and Water]
2026-06-24 · pass · 6-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Valladares: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Allen: yes
- Hurtado: other
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-07-01 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Laird: yes
- Becker: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Stern: yes
- Allen: yes
- Grove: yes
- Seyarto: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-10-01T18:16:37.777218Z
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