Problem Solvers Caucus Endorses Bill to Speed Up Clean Water and Wildfire Projects
SACRAMENTO - The California Problem Solvers Caucus today announced its endorsement of AB 35, a bill by Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-San Diego) that would speed up delivery of funds approved by voters with the 2024 Climate Bond.
2024's Climate Bond (Proposition 4) authorized $10 billion for clean drinking water, wildfire prevention, flood protection, and climate resilience projects. But agencies estimate that the lengthy Administrative Procedure Act (APA) rulemaking process could delay funding for up to 18 months before dollars reach communities.
AB 35 would allow agencies to move forward without requiring a duplicative regulatory process. The bill includes an urgency clause that allows it to take effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature.
"California voters have historically embraced big ideas, and too often, government has historically failed to deliver on them," said Alvarez, author of AB 35 and a Problem Solvers Caucus co-chair. “Voters approved the climate bond because they want safer communities, clean drinking water, and protection from wildfires and floods - not more paperwork. If we’re serious about building more and delivering faster, then we need to remove unnecessary roadblocks and get these projects moving now.”
Without action, shovel-ready projects could remain stalled while costs rise and communities wait.
“Californians voted for real solutions - for safer water systems, wildfire prevention and stronger infrastructure,” said Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita), an AB 35 coauthor and Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair. “AB 35 makes sure those dollars don’t sit in Sacramento while communities are facing real risks. This is about accountability, affordability, and making sure government moves at the speed voters expect.”
California has historically exempted prior natural resource bonds from full APA rulemaking requirements, including Proposition 84 (2006), Proposition 1 (2014), and Proposition 68 (2018). Proposition 4 is an outlier.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA PROBLEM SOLVERS CAUCUS: Since its establishment, the California Problem Solvers Caucus has built a record of bipartisan wins focused on affordability, accountability, and practical governance. These include leading the effort to advance E15 fuel in California - a policy projected to lower gas prices by up to 20 cents per gallon - pushing reforms to the state’s Cap-and-Invest program to increase legislative oversight and transparency, and securing critical funding for flood protection projects in the Central Valley.
The California Problem Solvers Caucus was established in 2020 and seeks to find solutions reached through collaboration, not division; mutual respect, not partisan bickering; and to work in service to the people of California. The caucus is made up of both Assemblymembers and Senators, Democrat and Republican.