AB 2459: Vehicle charging stations: electrical service connection: certificate of occupancy.
This bill prohibits local building authorities from denying a certificate of occupancy to a nonprofit applicant solely because the required vehicle charging stations are not fully operational. The bill allows for a certificate of occupancy to be granted if the applicant has installed all required vehicle charging infrastructure in the correct manner and to the required specifications. The bill applies to all cities, including charter cities, and addresses a matter of statewide concern. No reimbursement is required by the state for costs associated with implementing this bill.
| Mar. 23, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV. |
| Mar. 19, 2026 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended. |
| Mar. 19, 2026 | Referred to Com. on L. GOV. |
| Feb. 21, 2026 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 23. |
| Feb. 20, 2026 | Read first time. To print. |
| Amended IN Assembly March 19, 2026 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Wallis |
February 20, 2026 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based compliance mechanisms in regulating those emissions. The implementing regulations adopted by the state board provide for the direct allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to electrical corporations pursuant to a market-based compliance mechanism.
Existing law, except as provided, requires revenues received by an electrical corporation as a result of the direct allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to be credited directly to the residential customers of the electrical corporation, as specified.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that requirement.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 65850.10 is added to the Government Code, to read:65850.10.
Notwithstanding any other law, a local building authority shall not deny, withhold, or condition a certificate of occupancy to a nonprofit applicant solely on the basis that required vehicle charging stations are not fully operational if all of the following conditions are met:SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act adding Section 65850.10 to the Government Code addresses a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, Section 1 of this act applies to all cities, including charter cities.SEC. 3.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.(a)(1)Except as provided in subdivisions (c) and (d), the commission shall require revenues, including any accrued interest, received by an electrical corporation as a result of the direct allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to electric utilities pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 95890 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations to be credited directly to the residential customers of the electrical corporation.
(2)Small business, emissions-intensive, trade-exposed retail customers of the electrical corporation that are covered entities under the regulations adopted pursuant to Section 38562 of the Health and Safety Code, and emissions-intensive, trade-exposed retail customers of the electrical corporation that are not covered entities under the regulations adopted pursuant to Section 38562 of the Health and Safety Code, may also be credited from the revenues in paragraph (1), as determined by the commission.
(3)The credits provided to residential customers of an electrical corporation shall be provided on the bills of those customers in no more than four high-billed months of each year to maximize customer electric bill affordability, or as otherwise directed by the commission to address extreme, unforeseen, and temporary circumstances.
(b)(1)Not later than January 1, 2013, the commission shall require the adoption and implementation of a customer outreach plan for each electrical corporation, including, but not limited to, such measures as notices in bills and through media outlets, for purposes of obtaining the maximum feasible public awareness of the crediting of greenhouse gas allowance revenues. Costs associated with the implementation of this plan are subject to recovery in rates pursuant to Section 454.
(2)Not later than January 1, 2027, the commission shall require each electrical corporation to update the customer outreach plan developed pursuant to paragraph (1) to include a statement at the top of customer bills in applicable months specifying the amount of money saved on a utility bill in that month and attributing those savings to the climate credit and the California Cap-and-Invest Program.
(c)The commission may allocate up to 15 percent of the revenues, including any accrued interest, received by an electrical corporation as a result of the direct allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to electrical distribution utilities pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 95890 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, for clean energy and energy efficiency projects established pursuant to statute that are administered by the electrical corporation, or a qualified third-party administrator as approved by the commission, and that are not otherwise funded by another funding source. This subdivision shall become inoperative on July 1, 2026.
(d)(1)The commission shall require an electrical corporation to annually remit to the State Treasury 5 percent of the revenues, including any accrued interest, received by the electrical corporation as a result of the direct allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to electrical distribution utilities pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 95890 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations for deposit in the California Transmission Accelerator Revolving Fund, pursuant to Section 63049.74 of the Government Code. This paragraph shall become operative on July 1, 2026, and shall become inoperative on July 1, 2031.
(2)The revenues deposited into the California Transmission Accelerator Revolving Fund shall be available to the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank for purposes of the California Transmission Accelerator Revolving Fund Program established pursuant to Article 10.5 (commencing with Section 63049.71) of Chapter 2 of Division 1 of Title 6.7 of the Government Code.