The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight

Mar 18, 2026 - The  2018 amendment revised the salinity objective in the Southern Delta. …But Implementation Has Yet to Begin. SWRCB has delayed implementing 2018 phase one amendments for two related reasons: litigation and consideration of a VA.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163

The 2026-27 Budget: Permitting Support at the State Water Resources Control Board [Publication Details]

Mar 2, 2026 - In this post, we assess the Governor’s proposal for new positions and associated funding at the State Water Resources Control Board to manage increased workload stemming from a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5144

The 2026-27 Budget: Permitting Support at the State Water Resources Control Board

Mar 2, 2026 - Water quality is governed by the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and state Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. Under CWA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes national standards and delegates authority to SWRCB and its nine regional water boards (collectively referred to as the water boards) to administer federal permitting programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5144

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Zero-Emission Vehicle Incentive

Feb 24, 2026 - As we discuss in our December 2018 report, Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Transportation , such challenges can include (1) program interactions that can affect cost‑effectiveness, (2) difficulty evaluating programs,(3) potential lack of program coordination, and (4) increased administrative costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5140

The 2026-27 Budget: Framework for Approaching the Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture Budget

Feb 10, 2026 - Second, the 2025 ‑26 amounts similarly include notably more one ‑time bond funds —reflecting $1.3  billion more in total appropriated from Proposition  4 (2024) as compared to what is proposed in 2026 ‑27, as well as funds carried over from other bonds (such as Proposition  68 [2018]) from appropriations made in prior years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5116

The 2026-27 Budget: Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation Proposals

Mar 19, 2026 - California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Resources. The office coordinates the state-level guidance for and review of CEQA-related documents, including maintaining a statewide clearinghouse of CEQA environmental documents.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5167

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposition 4 Spending Plan

Feb 10, 2026 - Trailer bill language adopted in Chapter  106 of 2025 (A B  149 , Committee on Budget) also allowed state agencies and departments to use the emergency rulemaking process under the Administrative Procedure Act to develop and adopt their bond program guidelines and selection criteria.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5115

The 2026-27 Budget: Cap-and-Invest Expenditure Plan

Feb 10, 2026 - Garcia); and SB 901 = Chapter 626 of 2018 (SB 901, Dodd). Allocates $615   Million Outside  S B   840 Spending Framework for Rest of CalFire Backfill and ZEV Incentive Program. The administration assumes about $750   million in GGRF monies will be available in 2026 ‑27 that are not from budget ‑year auction revenues and thus not subject to the S B  840 allocation process under its statutory interpretation.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5114

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Elimination of State Environmental Positions

Feb 17, 2026 - Moreover, often special funds administered by CNRA and CalEPA departments, CDFA, and CPUC are structured specifically to ensure fee-payers help support regulatory act ivities and the mitigation of their industry ’s environmental impacts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5124