SB 695 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Transportation: climate resiliency: projects of statewide and regional significance.

Summary

Existing law establishes the State Transportation Infrastructure Climate Adaptation Program, administered by the Department of Transportation, for purposes of planning, developing, and implementing projects adapting state transportation infrastructure to climate change. Existing law requires the department, in consultation with, among others, the Transportation Agency and the California Transportation Commission, to develop a program of its top priority climate adaptation projects and to submit projects in this program to the commission for adoption. Existing law requires the department, in developing the program of projects, to consider specified criteria, including, but not limited to, the benefits of the project to preserving or enhancing regional or statewide mobility, economy, goods movement, and safety, and other benefits associated with protecting the asset. This bill would require the department, in consultation with the commission and the agency, and on or before July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, to create a prioritized list of projects of statewide and regional significance, as defined, to better prepare the state for extreme weather-related events, with priority based on specified criteria. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to submit to the Legislature a report containing the prioritized list of projects.

Issues: ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Sep 2025

Senate Passage

May 2025

Assembly Passage

Sep 2025

Signed into Law

Oct 2025

Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Signed Oct 13, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/26/25 - Amended Senate → 09/08/25 - Enrolled · 4 edits · Sep 8, 2025

MODERATE

SB 695 moved from its amended Senate version to enrolled status with no changes to its core operative provision (the new Section 14053 requiring Caltrans to create a prioritized list of climate resiliency projects). The main substantive change is the removal of language expressing legislative intent to amend the California Disaster Assistance Act, narrowing the bill's scope to purely adding a transportation prioritization requirement. Minor rewording in the findings and declarations made the language more concise.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed slightly by removing the stated intent to amend the California Disaster Assistance Act. The operative provision (new Government Code Section 14053) is unchanged in substance.

SCOPE

Removed the paragraph from Section 1(b) stating the Legislature's intent to amend the California Disaster Assistance Act to invest in resilient infrastructure projects of regional importance. The bill no longer signals future amendments to that act.

Removed the duplicate Section 1 that appeared at the end of the amended Senate version, which contained slightly different findings language referencing the California Disaster Assistance Act by name and section number.

DEFINITION

Section 1 findings were reworded: 'climate-related disasters' replaced 'climate change' in finding (1), and the language about struggling systems was simplified. Finding (2) was shortened and the proactive investment statement was moved to a separate finding (3).

TECHNICAL

Standard enrolled bill formatting was applied: passage dates added (Senate May 29, 2025; Assembly September 4, 2025), chapter number placeholder, governor approval line, and page numbering updated.

02/21/25 - Introduced → 03/26/25 - Amended Senate · 7 edits · Mar 26, 2025

MODERATE

SB 695 was substantially expanded from a non-operative findings-and-declarations bill into an operative statute adding new Section 14053 to the Government Code. The amended bill now requires Caltrans to create and annually update a prioritized list of high-priority highway projects of statewide and regional significance that address climate resilience, with a legislative report due by January 1, 2027. The original disaster assistance act intent language was retained but moved to a separate section at the end of the bill.

SCOPE

Added new Section 14053 to the Government Code, transforming the bill from a non-operative intent statement into an operative law with binding requirements on Caltrans.

Changed the legislative intent from 'enact legislation that would amend the California Disaster Assistance Act' to 'promote infrastructure projects of statewide and regional significance that will enhance resilience to climate change, reduce disaster recovery costs, and ensure continued public safety and economic vitality.'

DEFINITION

Defined 'project of statewide and regional significance' as a high-priority highway project on the state highway system benefiting two or more counties that meets both (1) public safety or economic benefit criteria AND (2) climate resilience or natural disaster vulnerability criteria.

REQUIREMENT

Requires Caltrans, in consultation with the Transportation Commission and Transportation Agency, to create a prioritized list of qualifying projects by July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. Priority is based on cobenefits including enhanced safety, efficient goods movement, climate resiliency (water storage, safe drinking water, flood mitigation), and electric transmission infrastructure improvement.

TIMELINE

Set two key deadlines: July 1, 2026 for the first prioritized project list, and January 1, 2027 for the first legislative report (with annual reports thereafter).

ELIGIBILITY

Limited the project list to projects already in the project approval and environmental documentation stage, the planning/environmental/design stage, or further along in development.

FISCAL

Fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the amended bill now has a fiscal impact requiring review.

Floor votes · Senate May 29, 2025 · Assembly Sep 4, 2025

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 40

May 29, 2025

D Democratic30

28 Yea 2

93% Yea

R Republican10

10 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Oct 13, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor.

legislature

Sep 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

upper

Sep 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2908.) Ordered to the Senate.

lower

Aug 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).

lower

Jul 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Jun 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on TRANS.

lower

May 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1328.) Ordered to the Assembly.

upper

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1210.) (May 23).

upper

Apr 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0. Page 919.) (April 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

upper

Mar 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Mar 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor