June 2026:

 

AB 2447 Bill Update

If you haven't heard about AB 2447, it was a bill that, if passed, would have required the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards to establish enforceable limits on nitrogen discharges from agricultural lands. The bill would have required regional boards to adopt revised orders with waste discharge requirements on or before January 1, 2028, that were sufficient to meet certain reductions in nitrogen waste discharges. The bill would have required the State Board to, on or before July 1, 2027, publish both a list of standardized crop names and categories, and a statewide methodology for calculating, and field-level reporting of, nitrogen balances for croplands, including nitrogen fertilizer applications and nitrogen discharges, that account for available soil nitrogen, to be used by the regional boards and incorporated into the revised orders. The bill would have  required the State Board, on or before January 1, 2031, and in coordination with the regional boards, to submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature on progress achieved in implementing these requirements, including data on the extent of progress made toward reducing nitrogen waste discharges, as provided.

The Coalition was closely watching this and wrote a joint letter of opposition along with many Ag partners to the Assembly in April. The good news is that AB 2447 was suspended by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14, 2026, eliminating the chances of it passing this year.  The Coalition will continue to stay involved and keep members updated as we learn more. 

Below is a copy of the letter written by California’s farmers, ranchers, processors, and allied agricultural businesses from all over California.

AB 2447 Opposition Letter from CA Ag Community