To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.
September 12, 2024 - The 2024‑25 budget package provides a total of $17.8 billion from various fund sources—the General Fund, a number of special funds, bond funds, and federal funds—for the departments overseen by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). This amount represents about half of total 2023‑24 estimated expenditure levels. This significant year-to-year decrease is primarily due to a large amount of one-time funding—mostly from the General Fund—available for the departments within both agencies in 2023‑24, including large amounts of funds carried over from prior years. As discussed in this post, many departments continue to receive some one-time funding augmentations in 2024‑25, but at notably lower aggregate levels. Despite the year-to-year decline in funding, the 2024‑25 totals exceed the historical levels of funding that these agencies received prior to the state experiencing General Fund surpluses in recent years.
March 6, 2024 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy and Transportation
March 5, 2024 - In this post, we assess the Governor's proposal to increase the mill assessment—a tax levied on pesticides when first sold into or within the state—to address the structural deficit within the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s special fund and to support various programmatic expansions for the department.
February 29, 2024 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy
February 27, 2024 - This report provides information and recommendations for the Legislature to consider regarding various environmental and transportation special funds that are at risk of insolvency.
February 21, 2024 - Presented to: Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy and Transportation
February 14, 2024 - This report describes the Governor’s proposed budget solutions within climate, resources, and environmental programs, and provides the Legislature with suggestions for how it might modify the spending plan to better reflect its priorities and prepare to address a potentially larger budget problem.
February 13, 2024 - Presented to: Senate Environmental Quality Committee Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy
January 4, 2024 - Legislation approved in 2018 established a long-term urban water use efficiency framework to “Make Conservation a California Way of Life,” creating new requirements for urban retail water suppliers across the state. This report responds to a requirement that our office assess implementation of the framework.
October 16, 2023 - The 2023‑24 budget package provides a total of $19.2 billion from various fund sources—the General Fund, bond funds, a number of special funds, and federal funds—for programs administered by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and Environmental Protection Agency. This is a net decrease of $15.5 billion (45 percent) compared to 2022‑23 estimated levels. This change is primarily due to a large amount of one-time funding—mostly from the General Fund—provided to departments within both agencies in 2022‑23.