The proposal addresses a longstanding challenge for California: environmental and infrastructure bonds can languish for years before funds reach projects despite broad voter support. If approved, AB 35 could accelerate climate adaptation funding by 12 to 18 months.
Assemblymember David Alvarez, a Democrat from Chula Vista, introduced legislation Thursday designed to accelerate $10 billion in climate spending California voters approved through Proposition 4 more than a year ago. Assembly Bill 35 would exempt the bond funding from review under the Administrative Procedure Act, a regulatory process that dictates how state agencies follow rules and causes lengthy delays in implementing programs.
The bill advanced from the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday and addresses a recurring obstacle for California: environmental and infrastructure bonds approved by voters can sit for years before funds reach projects. Alvarez said the exemption is “not new or unprecedented” and emphasized that the urgency is particularly acute in his district, which has been affected by sewage pollution in the Tijuana River near the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Bill’s Scope and Support
Proposition 4 represents California’s largest climate investment to date. The legislation allocates $3.8 billion for updating drinking water systems and building drought resistance. According to Alvarez, the measure could accelerate funding of other climate projects by 12 to 18 months and could provide as much as $30 million for cleanup projects near the Tijuana River.
Environmental groups including the Wilderness Society and National Audubon Society support the bill. There is no formal opposition.
Historical Pattern of Implementation Delays
California has experienced prolonged delays with previous voter-approved infrastructure bonds. Proposition 1, approved in 2014 with $1 billion for water storage projects in the Sacramento Valley, remains under construction. An effort to streamline permitting for the state’s $10 billion high-speed rail bond, approved by voters nearly two decades ago, failed in the Legislature last year.
The environmental bond is expected to cost taxpayers $16 billion over 40 years to repay, according to a legislative analysis. The implementation challenges have been compounded by decisions lawmakers made last year when California faced a budget deficit. Lawmakers allocated $250 million from the $10 billion Proposition 4 bond toward unrelated projects in their districts.
Those earmarks included $50 million for a redwood trail in former Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire’s Santa Rosa district and $1 million for an interactive water exhibit at a Santa Barbara museum in the district of Senator Monique Limón, who leads the state Senate.
The Wildlife Conservation Board, which expects to receive Proposition 4 funding, had a quarter of its $339 million allocation directed to special projects in lawmakers’ districts. That included $16 million to prevent urban development on San Julian Ranch in Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s Santa Barbara district.
Assembly Bill 35 would not affect the earmarks lawmakers previously approved from the bond.
Bipartisan Support Emerges
The bill has attracted bipartisan support, with 30 co-authors from both parties. Among them is Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, a San Diego Republican who led the opposition to Proposition 4 in 2024 and later criticized its earmarks.
Jones said, “It’s my job to make sure San Diego participates in any of this type of funding.” He added, “AB 35, in my opinion, is good government. Because its purpose is to eliminate delays and waste in getting these processes removed.”
As many as nine projects could receive expedited funding for the Tijuana River, where limited action has been taken at the state level. Assembly Bill 35 awaits a floor vote in the Assembly next week.