AB 652 revises the membership rules for the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District governing board. It allows the five district representatives selected through city selection committees to be either a mayor or a city council member from the applicable supervisorial district, rather than only a city council member. The bill also authorizes each appointing authority to name an alternate member who may serve, vote, and receive compensation when the regular member is absent or disqualified, so long as the alternate meets the same qualifications as the regular member.
The bill keeps the board at 11 members and preserves the existing mix of county supervisors, City of San Diego representation, district city representatives, and three public members. It also retains the public-member categories focused on public health, environmental justice, and technical air-pollution expertise. In addition, AB 652 requires a one-time random drawing at the first board meeting in 2029 to shorten the terms of two city-selection appointees and two public members to two years, creating staggered terms going forward.
AB 652 also changes the board’s relationship with the U.S. military. Existing law required one board member representing the county supervisors to serve as liaison to the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard; the bill removes that restriction and allows the liaison to be any board member, as long as the designation is made after consultation with the United States Armed Forces. The bill continues to require the district to consult with the military on permitting, rules, regulations, and planning matters that could affect military missions.
The bill’s impact on state law is narrow but important: it amends Health and Safety Code Section 40100.6, which governs the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, and it changes board appointment, alternate-member, term-staggering, compensation, and liaison provisions. It does not create a state appropriation or a new statewide program, but it does alter local governance for this specific air district and the officials and public members who participate in its decisions.
Overall, the bill appears to have been broadly supported, with unanimous or near-unanimous votes in committee and on final concurrence, and it was chaptered by the Governor. No committee transcript was provided, so there is little direct evidence of public debate in the materials. The main points of potential contention are structural rather than ideological: who may serve as the city representative, whether alternates should be allowed to vote and be paid, the 2029 term-shortening mechanism, and whether the military liaison must come from the board of supervisors or can be any qualified member.
AB 652 amends Health and Safety Code Section 40100.6 to modify the composition and operating rules of the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District governing board. It expands eligible city-selection appointees, permits alternate members with full voting and compensation authority when serving, establishes a one-time 2029 term-staggering draw, and broadens who may serve as the military liaison. The bill affects the district, its appointing authorities, and the board members and alternates who participate in air pollution control decisions affecting San Diego County and nearby military installations.
The bill’s voting history indicates strong support and little visible opposition. It passed committee and floor votes overwhelmingly, including several unanimous votes and a 75-0 concurrence vote in the Senate amendments stage. Because no committee transcripts were provided, there is no recorded floor or committee debate in the materials, but the available history suggests the measure was viewed as a technical governance update rather than a controversial policy change.
The likely areas of contention are limited to board governance details: whether city-selection seats should be open to mayors as well as council members, whether appointing authorities should be able to use alternates who can vote and be compensated, and whether the liaison to the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard should remain tied to the board of supervisors or be open to any board member. The bill also makes a one-time adjustment to terms in 2029, which could matter to current and future appointees, but the voting record suggests these issues did not generate significant opposition.