AUGUST 21, 2025
Dear Friends,
This year SF Bay PSR supported efforts to advocate for or against nearly 40 environmental health related bills for the 2025/2026 California legislative cycle. These efforts included signing onto 130 plus organizational letters, creating a health professional sign-on letter, lobbying in Sacramento, and sending out health professionals to provide public comments at various hearings and policy-related events. Below is an update on some of our highest priority policies:
Make Polluters Pay!
This legislative session we at SF Bay PSR have been pushing for the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025. If passed, AB 1243/SB 684 would charge the largest fossil fuel companies fees based on their contributions to climate damage in California since 1990. This superfund would hold these companies accountable for the damages they’ve caused, while putting money back into the communities who have been most affected.
Thanks to all who have been signing, calling, and writing legislators to push for this bill. Special thanks to all the environmental justice groups and organizations who have led efforts to advocate for this bill. Special shoutout to the Center for Biological Diversity for their organizing efforts.
This bill is now a two-year bill, which was decided by the bill authors to give them enough time to ensure the bill will pass. The bills must be passed out of their house of origin by the end of January 2026. The next vote will happen in the Judiciary committee in January. In the meantime, organizers have been encouraging local governmental bodies and cities to adopt Make Polluters Pay resolutions. SF Bay PSR Board Member, Dr. Bret Andrews, attended a MPP press conference in Sacramento on April 29, and the rally on May 27, along with Board Member Dr. Bonnie Hamilton and Intern Daphney Saviotti–Orozco. At SF Bay PSR we have signed onto organizational letters, and created a letter for Health Professionals and Advocates which now has 87 signatures. Help us get to 200! Please sign HERE and share our sign-on letter with colleagues. Also, see Action below!
Clean Energy and Building Electrification
After transportation and industry, buildings are the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. As advocates for moving toward clean energy in the state, we have joined other environmental health groups in opposing SB 540 and AB 306/AB 130 through supporting various sign-on letters.
We oppose SB 540 because it would take control of California’s energy policy away from the state and hand it to an out-of-state organization. If passed, this bill would create an independent regional energy organization, handing control to coal and gas states and a Trump-led FERC, while putting our health and environment at risk. SB 540 has unfortunately made it through its house of origin, but on July 15 the hearing for this bill was canceled at the request of the author. This bill is now a two-year bill that may be acted up in January 2026.
We also oppose AB 306, which would hinder electrification permitting and building code improvements. If passed, AB 306 would pull back efforts to reduce the use of methane gas, which could improve the quality of currently unhealthy indoor and outdoor air. AB 306 made it through its house of origin. On June 23, 2025 the bill was amended and re-referred to the Senate Housing Committee. Cities/counties now have until October 1 to enact building electrification and sustainable code updates before this bill is passed, as the bill states that any 2025 building standard updates should be preserved. Although this bill looks like it may pass, we are hopeful that cities will get a chance to implement building code updates before this. For example, Dr. Bob Gould, SF Bay PSR president, and Julie Lindow, SF Bay PSR communications director, gave public comments to support San Francisco’s All-Electric Major Building Renovations ordinance that should pass soon, before the October 1 deadline.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
SB 131, a trailer bill, was repackaged from SB 607 and passed on June 30, 2025. While the bill is being promoted as an improvement of the CEQA, it actually weakens core environmental protections across the board. The bill would make it harder to require full environmental reviews (EIRs), problematically expand exemptions, and reduce transparency by excluding certain internal communications from the public record.
Efforts to ensure lawmakers enforce promises made to improve the bill, such as removing certain exemptions and amending definitions in the bill, continue. Our President, Dr. Bob Gould, has signed onto multiple letters on behalf of SF Bay PSR. Efforts continue as we encourage everyone to call or write legislators to combat the dangers of this bill. See our Action page!
On the federal level, we are asking all health professionals to submit unique comments by Sept 15 to save the EPA Endangerment Finding, the foundation of our clean air and water regulations. See our Action page.
Wishing you health and justice,
Bailey Ward, MPH
SF Bay PSR Environmental Justice Policy Associate
