An act to add Section 39601.6 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to air pollution.
Summary
AB 41 would add Section 39601.6 to the Health and Safety Code to require the State Air Resources Board, before adopting or amending any regulation that imposes costs on gasoline refiners, distributors, or retailers, to publicly disclose an estimate of the regulation’s impact on retail gasoline prices. The estimate would have to be prepared in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and posted publicly, including on the board’s website.
The bill also requires the estimate to include a maximum projected price impact. That maximum estimate must assume the highest possible cost imposed by the regulation and assume that all of those costs are passed through to consumers. In practical terms, the bill is aimed at making the gasoline price effects of air pollution regulations more visible before those rules are adopted or amended.
Impact
AB 41 would create a new statutory disclosure requirement for the Air Resources Board when regulating in ways that affect gasoline supply-chain businesses. It would not directly change emissions standards or gasoline market rules, but it would add a procedural step to the regulatory process by requiring public price-impact estimates for covered regulations. The measure would affect the Air Resources Board and the Energy Commission, and indirectly gasoline refiners, distributors, retailers, and consumers who would receive more information about potential fuel-price effects.
Sentiment
The available record shows little formal debate or recorded voting history, so there is no strong evidence of broad support or opposition from committee discussion. The bill’s framing suggests a policy interest in transparency and consumer awareness, especially around the cost of air-quality regulations on gasoline prices. Because it was introduced and then filed under Joint Rule 56 without recorded votes or transcripts, the public record does not show a developed consensus or a clear committee position beyond the bill’s introduction.
Contention
The likely point of contention is whether requiring a maximum gasoline-price impact estimate would improve transparency or instead overstate costs by assuming the highest possible pass-through to consumers. Supporters would likely view the bill as a check on regulatory cost estimates and a way to inform the public about fuel-price consequences. Opponents would likely argue that the requirement could be speculative, could politicize air-quality rulemaking, or could place an additional burden on the Air Resources Board when it is already evaluating complex regulatory impacts.
An act to add Section 25534.07 to the Health and Safety Code, and to amend Section 7856 of, and to add and repeal Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 7875) of Part 7.5 of Division 5 of, the Labor Code, relating to employment.