SB 460

SB460:v98#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 460

An act to amend Section 11340 of add Section 9147.8 to the Government Code, relating to state government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 460, as amended, Ochoa Bogh. Administrative regulations. Joint Sunset Review Committee.

Existing law establishes the Joint Sunset Review Committee (committee), a legislative committee comprised of 10 Members of the Legislature, to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and inefficiency in government agencies and to conduct a comprehensive analysis of an eligible agency, as defined, for which a date for repeal has been established, to determine if the agency is still necessary and cost effective. Existing law requires each eligible agency scheduled for repeal to submit to the committee, on or before December 1 before the year it is set to be repealed, a complete agency report covering the entire period since last reviewed, as described.This bill would additionally require each eligible agency scheduled for repeal to submit to the committee, on or before December 1, 2026, a comprehensive report covering the entire period since last reviewed, as specified. The bill would require the committee to conduct a comprehensive analysis of each eligible agency to determine if the eligible agency is still necessary and cost-effective, as prescribed. The bill would require the committee to publish a report on its internet website with recommendations determining, among other things, whether an eligible agency should be continued with its current structure and responsibilities.

Existing law, for the purposes of reducing and improving administrative regulations, establishes an Office of Administrative Law to review adopted regulations. Existing law states findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to administrative regulations, noting, among other things, that the language of many regulations is frequently unclear and unnecessarily complex.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these findings and declarations.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NOYES Local Program: NO

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

Section 9147.8 is added to the Government Code, to read:

9147.8. (a) Each eligible agency scheduled for repeal shall submit to the Joint Sunset Review Committee, on or before December 1, 2026, a comprehensive report covering the entire period since last reviewed, including, but not limited to, all of the following: (1) An overview of the mission, goals, and objectives of the eligible agency.(2) A summary of any regulatory action, including the cost of the regulatory action on California consumers and businesses and their impacts from the eligible agency.(3) An assessment of the eligible agency’s efficiency and effectiveness in meeting statutory obligations that are cost affordable.(4) A description of the eligible agency’s efforts to address issue areas that their regulatory packages and rulemaking, adopted on or after January 1, 2026, are focused on.(5) An evaluation of the eligible agency’s enforcement activities and outcomes, including input from the public and from all those who are impacted by regulations adopted by eligible agencies.(b) (1) The Joint Sunset Review Committee shall conduct a comprehensive analysis of each eligible agency to determine if the eligible agency is still necessary and cost-effective.(2) In conducting the comprehensive analysis, the Joint Sunset Review Committee shall do all of the following:(A) Review eligible agency reports.(B) Take public testimony and conduct public hearings every five years.(C) Evaluate whether eligible agencies have demonstrated a public need for their continued existence.(D) Assess whether eligible agency functions could be revised, consolidated, or eliminated to improve effectiveness and efficiency.(c) Following its comprehensive analysis, the Joint Sunset Review Committee shall publish on its internet website a report with recommendations determining whether an eligible agency should be any of the following: (1) Continued with its current structure and responsibilities.(2) Continued with modifications to its structure or mandate.(3) Consolidated with another agency.(d) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Eligible agency” has the same meaning as defined in Section 9147.7.(2) “Public need” means the need for oversight, administration, or regulation of specific functions that serve the public interest of Californians, including, but not limited to, affordability and providing essential services for Californians, which include delivering services that are deemed necessary for the well-being of the state’s residents, such as public facilities, utilities, social services, or patient safety.(3) “Regulatory action” means a regulatory action that results in implementation that are over three hundred dollars ($300) per individual and eight thousand dollars ($8,000) per business in a calendar or fiscal year.

SECTION 1.Section 11340 of the Government Code is amended to read:

11340.

The Legislature finds and declares as follows:

(a)There has been an unprecedented growth in the number of administrative regulations in recent years.

(b)The language of many regulations is frequently unnecessarily complex and unclear, even when the complicated and technical nature of the subject matter is taken into account. The language is often confusing to the persons who must comply with the regulations.

(c)Substantial time and public funds have been spent in adopting regulations, the necessity for which has not been established.

(d)The imposition of prescriptive standards upon private persons and entities through regulations where the establishment of performance standards could reasonably be expected to produce the same result has placed an unnecessary burden on California citizens and discouraged innovation, research, and development of improved means of achieving desirable social goals.

(e)There exists no central office in state government with the power and duty to review regulations to ensure that they are written in a comprehensible manner, are authorized by statute, and are consistent with other law.

(f)Correcting the problems that have been caused by the unprecedented growth of regulations in California requires the direct involvement of the Legislature and the executive branch of state government.

(g)The complexity and lack of clarity in many regulations put small businesses, which do not have the resources to hire experts to assist them, at a distinct disadvantage.