What AB 35 does
An act to amend Section 90135 of the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental protection, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.
Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, sets forth the requirements for the adoption, publication, review, and implementation of regulations by state agencies.
The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (act), approved by the voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs.
Existing law authorizes certain regulations needed to effectuate or implement programs of the act to be adopted as emergency regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, as provided. Existing law requires the emergency regulations to be filed with the Office of Administrative Law and requires the emergency regulations to remain in effect until repealed or amended by the adopting state agency.
This bill, notwithstanding the above, would exempt the adoption of regulations for purposes of developing and adopting program guidelines and selection criteria needed to effectuate or implement programs of the act from the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, as provided. The bill would require a state entity that receives funding to administer a competitive grant program established using the Administrative Procedure Act exemption to do certain things, including, among other things, to develop draft project solicitation and evaluation guidelines, to transmit copies of the draft guidelines to the fiscal committees and to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, to hold a noticed public meeting on the draft guidelines, and to submit the final guidelines to the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, except as provided. The bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to post an electronic form of the guidelines submitted by a state entity and the subsequent verifications on the Natural Resources Agency’s internet website. The bill would authorize the use of certain previously developed program guidelines and selection criteria for these purposes, as provided.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Summary from the Legislative Counsel's Digest of the chaptered text, July 16, 2026. Read the full text on leginfo.
How it got here
Assemblymember Alvarez introduced AB 35 on December 2, 2024, with coauthors Assembly Members Alanis, Ávila Farías, Berman, Boerner, Carrillo, Connolly, Davies, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hoover, Kalra, Patel, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Rogers, Solache, Stefani, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, and Zbur and Senators Allen, Blakespear, Grayson, Jones, Padilla, Seyarto, and Valladares. The text was amended 4 times, 3 in the Assembly and 1 in the Senate, and heard in 3 committee hearings before its final floor votes.
- Assembly Floor, January 26, 2026: 76 ayes, 0 noes.
- Senate Floor, June 25, 2026: 36 ayes, 0 noes.
- Assembly Floor, July 2, 2026: 68 ayes, 0 noes.
Committee votes along the way:
- Assembly Natural Resources, January 12, 2026: Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations], 13-0.
- Assembly Appropriations, January 22, 2026: Do pass., 15-0.
- Senate Natural Resources and Water, June 9, 2026: Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar, 7-0.
Who supports and opposes AB 35
The Senate Floor Analyses analysis dated June 24, 2026 lists 228 organizations in support and 0 in opposition. When Assembly Natural Resources first listed positions on January 9, 2026, the count was 106 in support and 0 opposed. By the Senate Floor Analyses analysis of June 24, 2026 it was 228 to 0.
In support: Agricultural Institute of Marin; Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation; American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation; Associated General Contractors of California; Association of California Water Agencies; Audubon California; Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network; Bay Area Council; and 220 more.
Read the Senate Floor Analyses analysis.
Our read
Analysis by Capitol Axis, drawn from the committee analyses and vote record for AB 35.
Support more than doubled as it moved, from 106 at Assembly Natural Resources to 228 by Senate Floor Analyses. That usually follows an amendment that bought someone off the fence, and it is worth knowing which one.
The 228 organizations in support include Agricultural Institute of Marin, American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation and Associated General Contractors of California.
What happens next
It was signed and chaptered on July 16, 2026 as Chapter 89, Statutes of 2026. Most provisions of a bill chaptered in this session take effect January 1.
The Governor can sign the bill, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Until the decision, sign and veto request letters are the remaining channel, and the Department of Finance's enrolled bill report carries weight on anything with a fiscal effect. If signed, most provisions take effect January 1, and implementation moves to the agencies named in the bill.
What it means for agriculture organizations
The work now is implementation: which agency writes the rules, when the comment period opens, and which obligations begin January 1. An organization that was not in the room for the bill can still shape the regulation, and the regulation is usually where the operating detail is settled.
The agriculture group at Capitol Axis handles that for agriculture clients.
Questions about AB 35
What does AB 35 do?
This bill, notwithstanding the above, would exempt the adoption of regulations for purposes of developing and adopting program guidelines and selection criteria needed to effectuate or implement programs of the act from the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, as provided. The bill would require a state entity that receives funding to administer a competitive grant program established using the Administrative Procedure Act exemption to do certain things, including, among other things, to develop draft project solicitation and evaluation guidelines, to transmit copies of the draft
Is AB 35 law in California?
It was signed and chaptered on July 16, 2026 as Chapter 89, Statutes of 2026. Most provisions of a bill chaptered in this session take effect January 1.
Who supports and opposes AB 35?
The Senate Floor Analyses analysis dated June 24, 2026 lists 228 organizations in support and 0 in opposition. Supporters include Agricultural Institute of Marin; Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation; American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation.
What happens next with AB 35?
The question now is implementation. The agencies named in the bill write the rules that decide what it means in practice, and those proceedings are open to comment.