New Infrastructure Legislation: Summary and Issues for Legislative Oversight

Aug 8, 2023 - Qualifying projects include: (1)  certain semiconductor and microelectronic projects, (2)  up to 20 transportation projects that meet certain criteria, (3)  certain water-related projects (excluding the Delta conveyance project), and (4)  certain energy infrastructure projects.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4785

What Threat Does Sea-Level Rise Pose to California?

Aug 10, 2020 - A 2018 report by the State Coastal Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy found that 55 percent of California’s existing coastal habitats are highly vulnerable to five feet of SLR, including 60 percent of the state’s iconic beaches, 58 percent of rocky intertidal habitat, 58 percent of marshes, and 55 percent of tidal flats.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4261

The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandates—Regional Water Quality Control Boards

May 30, 2025 - Final costs will total around $3  million (between $2.4  million and $3.7  million). Funding these mandates does not have direct out-year fiscal implications for the state. Subscribe | California State Legislature | Online Voter Registration | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Legislative Analyst's Office | The California Legislature's Nonpartisan Fiscal and Policy Advisor 925 L Street, Suite 1000 Sacramento, CA 95814 | (916) 445-4656
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5054

The 2022-23 California Spending Plan: Resources and Environmental Protection

Oct 10, 2022 - This increase primarily is due to $58  million provided for the department in the Wildfire and Forest Resilience and Nature-Based Solutions packages (discussed in the “Crosscutting Issues ” section of this post), as well as the augmentations discussed below.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4633

The 2021-22 Spending Plan: Natural Resources and Environmental Protection

Oct 18, 2021 - This is slightly less ($58  million, or 3  percent) than the amount provided in 2020 ‑21. (These totals exclude the roughly $1.9  billion in annual payments from water contractors for DWR ’s work on the State Water Project [SWP], as those funds are not appropriated through the annual budget act.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4463

The 2024-25 Budget: Crafting Climate, Resources, and Environmental Budget Solutions

Feb 14, 2024 - Estimates of the magnitude of this shortfall differ based on how “baseline” spending is defined—the administration estimates a $38 billion problem whereas in January our office estimated that the Governor’s budget addresses a $58 billion problem—as well as somewhat different revenue projections.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4841

The 2025-26 Budget: May Revision Trailer Bill Proposals on the Delta Conveyance Project and Water Quality Control Plans

May 27, 2025 - This presumably would reduce the number of protests (Sections 3 and 4) . Making some changes to requirements around how DWR must repay other state agencies that do work on the SWP (Section 5) . Explicitly including the DCP as part of the SWP.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5053

The 2025-26 Budget: Natural Resources and Agriculture Discretionary Spending Proposals

Feb 18, 2025 - Climate Smart Technical Assistance Grants for Producers ($3   Million). The proposal also includes $3  million to support climate smart technical assistance grants. This  proposal would provide competitive funding to organizations that help encourage producers to adopt a wide variety of climate smart practices —such as those aimed at improving soil health, sequestering carbon, reducing emissions, and increasing water and energy efficiency.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4967

The 2025-26 Budget: Cap-and-Trade Reauthorization and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Proposals at May Revision

May 19, 2025 - GGRF Expenditure Plan LAO Bottom Line: In crafting the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) expenditure plan, we recommend that the Legislature: (1)  ensure its legislative priorities are reflected, (2)  minimize the use of continuous appropriations, (3)  give serious consideration to using GGRF to help solve the budget problem and preserve highest-priority activities, (4)  defer
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5049

The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandate—Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

May 5, 2025 - We recommend the Legislature reject the Governor ’s proposal and fund the mandate for three key reasons: (1)  the appellate court found that SB  231 does not apply retroactively and local governments lacked sufficient authority to raise stormwater-related fees prior to 2018, (2)  CSM determined these were state-reimbursable mandates, and (3)  local governments already incurred
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5039