2023 Coast & Ocean Legislative Update

VICTORY! The following priority bills are now state law in California.

• SB 272 (Laird) -  This "sea level rise planning for all" bill mandates Local Coastal Program Updates for all California coastal areas. Requiring local governments to update their coastal planning documents to include sea level rise considerations can help save our beaches from coastal squeeze, and can support equitable and transparent coastal management. Read about this Surfrider Beach Preservation victory here. 
• SB 704 (Min) - Surfrider’s North OC, Long Beach and South Bay Chapters submitted a letter in support of this billbecause it eliminates an outdated Coastal Act exemption that has been making it easier for oil, gas and petrochemical refinery development to occur along the coast. Read about this Ocean Protection victory here.
• SB 286 (McGuire) - This bill keeps the State Lands Commission in charge of CEQA permitting for offshore wind projects, ensuring that the agency that is most equipped to consider the public trust in ocean industrialization activities manages the environmental review for offshore wind. Read more about this Ocean Protection victory here.

The following bills are now "two year" bills, meaning they will be considered once again by the Legislature in 2024. Surfrider plans to continue support for:

• AB 1597 (Alvarez) - This bill would allow the State of California to send money to NADBank in order to fund clean water projects at the U.S.-Mexico border. While this is largely an administrative fix, it will provide an important pathway for the state to use to contribute funding to the wastewater solutions that Surfrider is advocating for as part of our Clean Border Water Now campaign.
• AB 1407 (Addis) - Surfrider San Luis Obispo submitted a letter in support of this bill because it will establish a framework and goals for kelp recovery in the state. (Status: Senate)
  
  

The Governor has not yet signed or vetoed SB 423, which Surfrider is opposing.