AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 9, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

98

Introduced by Assembly Member Jackson

January 13, 2026

An act to add Section 39520 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to air resources.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes within the California Environmental Protection Agency the State Air Resources Board. Existing law provides for the establishment of air pollution control districts and air quality management districts. Existing law generally vests regulatory jurisdiction over stationary sources of air pollution to in the air pollution control districts and air quality management districts and regulatory jurisdiction over mobile sources of air pollution to in the State Air Resources Board.

This bill, contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another act for its purposes, would create the Office of Civil Rights within the state board. The bill would set forth the responsibilities of the office, including providing training on civil rights obligations to board staff, grantees, contractors, and subrecipients, and coordinating with air pollution control districts and air quality management districts and the California Environmental Protection Agency to align civil rights compliance efforts statewide. subrecipients. The bill would require the state board to post on its internet website an annual summary of information regarding the office, including a summary of civil rights complaints received by the office and a description of compliance and enforcement efforts by the office relating to civil rights.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 39520 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

39520.

(a) There is hereby established within the state board an Office of Civil Rights.

(b) The responsibilities of the office established pursuant to subdivision (a) include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Providing training on civil rights obligations to board staff, grantees, contractors, and subrecipients.

(2) Developing a civil rights evaluation tool to assist recipients in understanding and being able to meet their civil rights requirements.

(3) Ensuring language access and culturally appropriate outreach in all public engagement processes, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(A) Translation and interpretation services.

(B) Bilingual or multilingual staffing.

(C) Multilingual public materials.

(c) The state board shall post on its internet website an annual summary that includes, but is not limited to, the following information regarding the office created pursuant to subdivision (a):

(1) A summary of civil rights complaints received by the office.

(2) A description of compliance and enforcement efforts by the office relating to civil rights.

(3) An overview of public outreach and engagement activities carried out by the office.

(d) The implementation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another act for these purposes.