Climate resiliency: research farms: grant program.

Agriculture Budget Education Elections

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Soria
Last action: 2026-01-29
Official status: In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify the exact amount of funding available for grants.

Climate Resiliency Grants for Research Farms

This law creates a grant program to help universities with Agricultural Experiment Stations or Agricultural Research Institutes develop farms that can better handle climate changes.

What This Bill Does

The State Department of Education and the Department of Food and Agriculture will work together to establish a grant program by July 1, 2026, if the Legislature appropriates funds for it.
Grants are given to public postsecondary educational institutions that have Agricultural Experiment Stations or Agricultural Research Institutes designated by UC or CSU.
These grants help these universities create or expand research farms to improve climate resiliency.

Who It Names or Affects

Public postsecondary educational institutions with Agricultural Experiment Stations or Agricultural Research Institutes
The State Department of Education and the Department of Food and Agriculture

Terms To Know

Agricultural Experiment Station: A special research center at a university that focuses on agricultural studies.
Agricultural Research Institute: Another name for an Agricultural Experiment Station, focusing on agriculture and related sciences.

Limits and Unknowns

The program only starts if the Legislature appropriates funds for it.
It is not clear how much funding will be available or when grants will start being given out.

Bill History

2026-01-29 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2026-01-29 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 3879.)
2026-01-26 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (January 22).
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 3806.)
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-05-07 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-07 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2025-04-03 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-02 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (March 26).
2025-03-17 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on AGRI. and NAT. RES.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
Read first time.
2025-02-22 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
Introduced. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1486, as amended, Soria.
Climate resiliency: research farms: grant program.
The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, approved by the voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity
protection
and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. Of these funds, the act makes $300,000,000 available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for improving climate resilience
and sustainability of agricultural lands, including, among other things, by making $15,000,000 available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the State Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, for purposes of providing grants to public postsecondary educational institutions that are designated as Agricultural Experiment Stations or Agricultural Research Institutes, to develop research farms to improve climate resiliency, as specified.
This bill would, upon an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, on or before July 1, 2026, to establish a grant program to provide grants to public postsecondary educational institutions that are designated as Agricultural Experiment Stations or Agricultural Research Institutes to
develop or expand research farms to improve climate resiliency, in accordance with the above-described provisions.
This bill would provide, for purposes of the grants, that Agricultural Experiment Stations and Agricultural Research Institutes are designated by the University of California and the California State University.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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