Bill Commons

CA AB 734

vetoed

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

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 734 pass?

No. CA AB 734 passed the legislature but was vetoed on 2026-01-22. Latest recorded action (2026-01-22): Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.

What is CA AB 734 about?

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.

Who sponsors CA AB 734?

Schultz is the primary sponsor of CA AB 734, joined by 1 cosponsor.

Description

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.

Introduced
2025-04-21
Latest action
2026-01-22 — Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Schultzauthor
  • Calozacoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-18

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-02-19

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.

  3. 2025-03-28

    Referred to Com. on W. P., & W.

    referral-committee

  4. 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.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  5. 2025-04-22

    Re-referred to Com. on W. P., & W.

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-04-30

    Coauthors revised.

  7. 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.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  8. 2025-05-14

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  9. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  10. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  11. 2025-06-02

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 61. Noes 15. Page 1849.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  12. 2025-06-03

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  13. 2025-06-11

    Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and N.R. & W.

    referral-committee

  14. 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.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  15. 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.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  16. 2025-08-18

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  17. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  18. 2025-08-29

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  19. 2025-09-03

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 31. Noes 9. Page 2449.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  20. 2025-09-03

    In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.

    committee-passage

  21. 2025-09-09

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  22. 2025-10-01

    Vetoed by Governor.

    executive-veto

  23. 2025-10-01

    Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

  24. 2026-01-22

    Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.

    veto-override-failure

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-04-29 · pass · 8-3

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Rogers: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Bains: other
    • Alvarez: other
  • Do pass.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 11-3

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Ta: no
    • Dixon: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Sanchez: other
  • AB 734 Schultz Assembly Third Reading

    2025-06-02 · pass · 61-15

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Addis: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Hoover: no
    • Gallagher: no
    • Lackey: no
    • Ta: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Davies: no
    • Ellis: no
    • Patterson: no
    • Jeff Gonzalez: no
    • Hadwick: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Castillo: no
    • Dixon: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Sanchez: no
    • Flora: other
    • Chen: other
    • Blanca Rubio: other
  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources and Water]

    2025-07-01 · pass · 14-2

    Member-level votes (17)
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Strickland: no
    • Dahle: no
    • Grove: other
  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-07-08 · pass · 5-1

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Limón: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Seyarto: no
    • Grove: other
  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-08-18 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Grayson: yes
  • Do pass

    2025-08-29 · pass · 5-2

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Dahle: no
    • Seyarto: no
  • 3rd Reading AB734 Schultz et al. By Allen

    2025-09-03 · pass · 31-9

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Becker: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Seyarto: no
    • Strickland: no
    • Jones: no
    • Valladares: no
    • Alvarado-Gil: no
    • Niello: no
    • Grove: no
    • Choi: no
    • Dahle: no

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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