SACRAMENTO, California — State lawmakers proposed exempting the implementation of a pair of climate disclosure laws from environmental reviews as part of a package of budget trailer bills published Monday night.
What happened: The identical AB 154 and SB 154, introduced by each chamber’s budget committee, would fast-track the California Air Resources Board’s development of rules requiring businesses to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate risk under SB 253 and SB 261 by exempting the rules from the California Environmental Quality Act.
Why this matters: The nation-leading laws have taken on more importance after the Trump administration rolled back a Biden-era federal climate disclosure rule that the Securities and Exchange Commission was developing.
More context: Business groups and labor unions opposed the proposal when it was first floated this June, arguing that exempting regulators from having to do a full review of their draft rules curtails transparency and accountability.
