California AB40: California Environmental Quality Act: environmental impact reports: coal handling, storage, and export.

What the bill says

An act to add Section 21080.52 to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental quality. environmental quality California Environmental Quality Act: environmental impact reports: coal handling, storage, and export…

From the chaptered text, September 30, 2026:

An act to add Section 21080.52 to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental quality. environmental quality California Environmental Quality Act: environmental impact reports: coal handling, storage, and export. 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 (EIR) 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 provides that when an EIR has been prepared for a project, no subsequent or supplemental EIR shall be required by a lead agency or responsible agency, unless specified events occur. This bill would require a lead agency, before issuing the initial discretionary approval for a large-volume bulk coal facility, defined as a facility with a design capacity exceeding 5,000,000 short tons per year of coal handling, storage, or export to …

Read the full official text

Sponsors

• Mia Bonta (D, AD18) · primary sponsor
• Isaac Bryan (D, AD55) · primary sponsor
• Berman, Marc (D, AD23) · primary sponsor
• Liz Ortega (D, AD20)
• Jesse Arreguín (D, SD07)
• Steve Bennett (D, AD38)
• Chris Rogers (D, AD02)
• Henry Stern (D, SD27)

Latest actions

1. September 30, 2026: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 864, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 30, 2026: Approved by the Governor.
3. September 8, 2026: Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
4. August 28, 2026: Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 50. Noes 17. Page 6784.).
5. August 28, 2026: Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 50. Noes 17.).
6. August 27, 2026: From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 10. Noes 4.) (August 27).
7. August 26, 2026: Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 6606.)
8. August 26, 2026: Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended.
9. August 26, 2026: Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.
10. August 25, 2026: In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

Votes

• AB 40 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments (August 28, 2026): 50 yea, 17 nay, passed
• With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in. (August 27, 2026): 10 yea, 4 nay, passed
• Assembly 3rd Reading AB40 Bonta et al. By Arreguín (August 25, 2026): 30 yea, 10 nay, passed
• Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] (July 1, 2026): 4 yea, 2 nay, passed
• Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] (June 11, 2025): 7 yea, 1 nay, passed
• AB 40 Bonta Third Reading Urgency (April 21, 2025): 58 yea, 9 nay, passed

Common questions

What is AB40?

AB40 is a bill in the California Legislature (2025-2026 Regular Session): California Environmental Quality Act: environmental impact reports: coal handling, storage, and export.

What does AB40 do?

In its own words: An act to add Section 21080.52 to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental quality. environmental quality California Environmental Quality Act: environmental impact reports: coal handling, storage, and export…

What is the status of AB40?

Chaptered as of September 30, 2026. Latest action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 864, Statutes of 2026. (September 30, 2026).

Who sponsored AB40?

Mia Bonta (D, AD18), with 7 co-sponsors.

Where is the official record for AB40?

On the California Legislature website: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB40