An act to amend Section 30985 of, and to add Section 30985.7 to, the Public Resources Code, relating to coastal resources.
Summary
AB 996 updates California’s coastal planning law to give local governments and the state’s coastal regulators more flexibility in how sea level rise planning requirements are satisfied. Under existing law, local governments in the coastal zone or within the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s jurisdiction must develop a sea level rise plan as part of a local coastal program or shoreline resiliency plan by January 1, 2034. This bill keeps that core requirement in place, but authorizes the California Coastal Commission or the Bay Commission to treat existing sea level rise information or previously prepared local plans as meeting some or all of the required content elements.
The bill also adds a new voluntary early consultation process with the California Coastal Commission. Local governments are encouraged, by January 1, 2029, to consult early while preparing a local coastal program or amendment so staff can identify issues that might block certification and provide written recommendations before formal submission. The consultation process is intended to help jurisdictions complete compliant plans more efficiently, but participation is optional and does not replace the underlying planning obligation.
Impact
AB 996 amends Public Resources Code Section 30985 and adds Section 30985.7. It preserves the statewide deadline for affected local governments to complete sea level rise planning by 2034, while giving the Coastal Commission and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission discretion to accept existing studies or plans in lieu of duplicative new material. The bill also formalizes an advisory pre-submittal review process for local coastal programs, which may reduce rework during certification and streamline local compliance with coastal planning requirements. The affected parties are coastal and Bay Area local governments, the Coastal Commission, and the Bay Commission, especially those updating local coastal programs or shoreline resiliency plans.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly well received. The voting history shows unanimous or near-unanimous support at each recorded stage, including committee votes and floor votes, with no recorded opposition. That pattern suggests strong legislative consensus around improving sea level rise planning and making the certification process more workable for local governments.
Contention
There is little visible contention in the available record. The main policy issue is not whether sea level rise planning should occur, but how prescriptive the state should be about the planning process. The bill’s flexibility provisions—allowing existing plans to count toward requirements and creating voluntary early consultation—appear designed to address concerns from local governments about duplicative planning and certification delays, while still preserving the Coastal Commission’s review authority and the 2034 compliance deadline.
An act to add amend Section 12405 to 12203 of the Public Contract Code, and to amend Sections 42920 and 42926 of the Public Resources Code, relating to solid waste.