Bill Commons

CA AB 961

enacted

Hazardous materials: California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act of 2004.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 961 pass?

Yes. CA AB 961 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-01. Latest recorded action (2025-10-01): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 173, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 961 about?

The California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act of 2004 provides, among other things, that an innocent landowner, bona fide purchaser, or contiguous property owner, as defined, qualifies for immunity from liability from certain state statutory and common laws for pollution conditions caused by a release or threatened release of a hazardous material if specified conditions are met, including entering into an agreement for a specified site assessment and response plan. The act prohibits the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the State Water Resources Control Board, and a California regional water quality control board from requiring one of those persons to take a response action under certain state laws, except as specified. Existing law repeals the act on January 1, 2027. Existing law provides that a person who qualifies for immunity under the act before January 1, 2027, shall continue to have that immunity on and after January 1, 2027, if the person continues to be in compliance with the requirements of the former act. This bill would extend the repeal date of the act to January 1, 2037, and would provide that a person who qualifies for immunity under the act before January 1, 2037, shall continue to have that immunity on and after January 1, 2037, if the person continues to be in compliance with the requirements of the former act.

Who sponsors CA AB 961?

Ávila Farías is the primary sponsor of CA AB 961, joined by 1 cosponsor.

Description

The California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act of 2004 provides, among other things, that an innocent landowner, bona fide purchaser, or contiguous property owner, as defined, qualifies for immunity from liability from certain state statutory and common laws for pollution conditions caused by a release or threatened release of a hazardous material if specified conditions are met, including entering into an agreement for a specified site assessment and response plan. The act prohibits the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the State Water Resources Control Board, and a California regional water quality control board from requiring one of those persons to take a response action under certain state laws, except as specified. Existing law repeals the act on January 1, 2027. Existing law provides that a person who qualifies for immunity under the act before January 1, 2027, shall continue to have that immunity on and after January 1, 2027, if the person continues to be in compliance with the requirements of the former act. This bill would extend the repeal date of the act to January 1, 2037, and would provide that a person who qualifies for immunity under the act before January 1, 2037, shall continue to have that immunity on and after January 1, 2037, if the person continues to be in compliance with the requirements of the former act.

Introduced
Latest action
2025-10-01 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 173, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Ávila Faríasauthor
  • Wickscoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-20

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-02-21

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  3. 2025-03-10

    Referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-03-26

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  5. 2025-04-09

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

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  7. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  8. 2025-06-02

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1869.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  9. 2025-06-03

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

    reading-1,referral-committee

  10. 2025-06-11

    Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  11. 2025-07-02

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  12. 2025-07-09

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  13. 2025-08-18

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  14. 2025-08-29

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  15. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  16. 2025-09-02

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  17. 2025-09-04

    From special consent calendar.

  18. 2025-09-04

    Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-3

  19. 2025-09-05

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  20. 2025-09-08

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  21. 2025-09-10

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2824.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  22. 2025-09-10

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  23. 2025-09-11

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3305.).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  24. 2025-09-23

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  25. 2025-10-01

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  26. 2025-10-01

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 173, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 02/20/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-20Compare
  • 09/05/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-09-05Compare
  • 09/15/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-15Compare
  • 10/01/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-01Compare
  • AB961Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-03-25 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Papan: 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 961 Ávila Farías Assembly Third Reading

    2025-06-02 · pass · 79-0

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Rivas: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Bains: yes
  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] 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, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-07-08 · pass · 13-0

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Umberg: yes
  • 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 · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
  • 3rd Reading AB961 Ávila Farías et al. By Grayson

    2025-09-10 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Umberg: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Alvarado-Gil: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
  • AB 961 Ávila Farías Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-09-11 · pass · 80-0

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Wallis: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Castillo: yes

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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